Layer-2 Blockchain Gaming Activity Surges Amid Decline in Unique Wallets
According to Cointelegraph, gaming activity on certain layer-2 blockchains experienced a remarkable increase of over 20,000% in February 2025, despite a decline in the number of daily unique active wallets (dUAWs). A report by DappRadar highlights that Abstract, an Ethereum layer-2 blockchain developed by Igloo, the parent company of NFT collection Pudgy Penguins, led the growth with over 20,000% in daily active unique wallets (dAUWs). Soneium, Sony’s Ethereum L2 blockchain, followed with a growth of over 3,200%, while Linea, another L2 blockchain, saw over 1,000% growth.
The report identifies two games as the primary drivers of this activity surge: Treasure Ship on Abstract, which currently boasts around 72,000 UAWs, and Evermoon on Soneium, with approximately 32,000 UAWs. Despite the increase in gaming activity on layer-2 blockchains, the overall number of dUAWs dropped by 16% compared to January, settling at around 5.8 million. The report notes that while blockchain gaming has historically maintained strong market dominance, shifting economic conditions have redirected investor focus towards decentralized finance (DeFi). With market uncertainty prompting traders to exit positions, DeFi now emerges as the most dominant sector.
In terms of dUAWs, the most prominent blockchains for gaming include opBNB, a layer-2 blockchain built on the BNB Smart Chain; Aptos, an independent layer-1 blockchain designed for decentralized applications; and Nebula, a Skale chain. The report also highlights a significant increase in blockchain gaming investments, which soared to $55 million in February, marking a 243% rise from January, with 92% of the funds directed towards infrastructure development.
As Cointelegraph reported, blockchain gaming activity saw a substantial year-over-year surge, with daily unique active wallets increasing by 386% to 7 million. This sharp rise has led some industry observers to speculate about a potential blockchain gaming bull run in 2025, although this prospect remains under debate. One game drawing attention to blockchain use in gaming is “Off The Grid,” which plans to utilize an Avalanche subnet and generated over 100 million transactions in its first month.
Despite these advancements, the sector faces challenges. Gunzilla Games Web3 director Theodore Agranat expressed concerns about the lack of new capital entering the system, noting that existing funds are merely being recycled between gaming projects. "They will just go from project to project and extract whatever value they can from that project," he explained. "And once there’s no more value to be had there, they are going to move on to another project."
