SKALE 2024 - Year in Review

In 2024, SKALE solidified its position as the leading blockchain for scalable, gas-free Web3 experiences. From record-breaking network usage and explosive gaming growth to key technological advancements, the year was transformative for the SKALE ecosystem. With each milestone, SKALE continued redefining what’s possible for developers, users, and partners.

A Record-Breaking Year for SKALE

2024 was a breakout year for SKALE, with network activity hitting unprecedented levels. Unique Active Wallets (UAWs) soared, fueled by a surge in dApps launching across gaming, AI, and social sectors. Transactions hit all-time highs, showcasing SKALE’s unmatched scalability and performance. The zero gas fee model saved users Billions, making SKALE one of the most cost-effective and accessible blockchains on the market. Year-over-year, every key metric—UAW, transactions, and daily averages—showed staggering growth.

Major Milestones Hit

Over $7.6B Saved on Gas Fees

SKALE users collectively saved over $7.6 billion in gas fees this year, reinforcing SKALE’s mission to make blockchain accessible and affordable for everyone.

Surpassed 46.7M UAWs

With 47 million unique active wallets (UAWs), SKALE’s ecosystem experienced unprecedented growth, cementing its position as a leader in Web3 scalability.

More Than 615M Transactions

SKALE surpassed a staggering 615 million transactions in total, highlighting its unmatched ability to handle high-throughput at zero cost to users.

Your Favorite Developer’s Favorite Blockchain

SKALE’s developer ecosystem continued to expand, with 207 new projects signed in 2024. The network supported over 60 full-time developers contributing to a staggering 511 network repositories with over 1 million total commits. Among all blockchains, SKALE developer activity on Github has been consistently ranked second, surpassed only by Ethereum. From tools to resources to hands-on support, SKALE is empowering developers to build the next wave of Web3 innovation.

SKALE’s Gas-Free Gaming Ecosystem Thrives

Gaming was the star of the SKALE ecosystem in 2024 with record-breaking activity and high-profile launches. AAA quality action games like Strayshot and Havens Compass showed what’s possible when top-tier graphics and gameplay are merged with SKALE’s invisible blockchain experience, while traditional crypto-based games like MotoDex and World of Dypians amassed millions of users. With 7 SKALE-built games on the Epic Games Store, SKALE is at the forefront of onboarding traditional gamers to Web3.

But gaming on SKALE wasn’t just about the numbers—it was about the experience, for both users and developers. Below are some highlights of dApps and partners that helped drive the SKALE gaming ecosystem forward:

Nebula Gaming Hub

Nebula, the gaming hub chain on SKALE, had a breakout year in 2024. Seen by developers as the ultimate destination to build gas-free gaming experiences, Nebula hosts more than 15 games and averaged 458k daily active users last year.

Unity

SKALE was the first and only blockchain integrated into Unity’s Publisher Support Program. This partnership opened the floodgates for developers to create cutting-edge Web3 games with the performance and scalability only SKALE can offer.

DeadFellaz (Death Touch)

OG NFT project, DeadFellaz, partnered with SKALE to bring their trading card game, Death Touch, to life. Leveraging SKALE’s zero gas fee infrastructure, DeadFellaz is building a smooth, accessible gaming experience for its loyal NFT community, soon to be available on the Epic Games Store.

Moxy

Moxy, founded by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, chose SKALE as its blockchain partner to revolutionize competitive esports. By eliminating gas fees and latency, SKALE enabled Moxy to deliver seamless high-stakes gaming, proving once again why SKALE is a favorite among game developers.

Sequence

SKALE and Sequence, the leading all-in-one development platform for blockchain games, announced a strategic partnership to advance the development of Web3 games. Games like Zoepell and The Last Monarchy are being built on SKALE using this toolkit for a seamless and invisible user experience.

AI on the Rise

The AI sector also gained momentum in 2024, with leading dApps like Exorde, Palm AI, and Forum AI leveraging SKALE’s infrastructure. From decentralized data processing to accessible AI modeling, these projects demonstrated why SKALE’s zero gas fees and instant finality make it the ideal blockchain for AI integration. 

Exorde, who has its own SKALE Chain, is a prime example of how AI can thrive on SKALE. Exorde uses AI to collect data from the Web to capture topics, news, reputation, and trends in real time. SKALE enables Exorde to operate on top of a high-speed & gasless blockchain of its own, abstracting the technicalities such as gas costs, confirmations & transaction latency. This allows Exorde to process a limitless amount of transactions, saving millions over using other EVM L1s.

Product Launches 

SKALE Swell 

SKALE Swell, the first gas-free questing platform, has quickly become a hub for community engagement, discovery, and interaction within the SKALE ecosystem. Designed to bring real users closer to the SKALE ecosystem, over 5000 users have climbed the Swell leaderboard with hopes of winning a share of the $5,000 monthly price pool. 

SKALE Research Hub

2024 saw the launch of the SKALE Research Hub! This first-of-its-kind platform is the home for SKALE-focused research, aggregating reports on gaming, architecture, growth metrics, and more. The Research Hub makes it easy for anyone to learn about the ecosystem.

SKALE Portal + Ecosystem Page

The SKALE Portal is designed to be the home for interaction with SKALE Network, providing a unified experience that serves all user needs in one place. Whether looking to bridge to SKALE, explore the ecosystem, or connect to certain SKALE chains, the SKALE Portal has all functionalities covered. The newly enhanced Ecosystem Page introduces a Utility Dashboard with Netflix-style recommendations, multi-tier filtering, and pre-TGE filtering, making it easier than ever for users to discover and engage with the SKALE-powered dApps and services that matter most to them.Learn how to navigate the portal via the getting started on SKALE guide. 

Tech Upgrades

The SKALE core engineering team delivered several major upgrades this year, further enhancing its already robust infrastructure.

Pacifica V3

The Pacifica V3 Network Upgrade introduced important updates to SKALE’s architecture, resulting in a 108% increase in block mining speed and a 122% boost in transaction throughput. In practice, this V3 upgrade delivers improved transaction speed and predictability, enhanced network performance, and advanced developer tools.

Block Explorer 2.0 

2024 saw the rollout of Block Explorer 2.0 to the SKALE mainnet, an update which revolutionized the way users and developers interact with the network. Powered by Blockscout, this significant upgrade introduces a suite of enhanced features designed to improve usability, stability, and overall user & developer experience.

New Staking & Validator UI

At the heart of the SKALE Portal is the new Staking & Validator UI, designed to simplify the process of staking, delegating, and managing staked SKL tokens. Recognizing the complexities and restrictions often associated with staking platforms, SKALE has developed a user-friendly interface that offers a safe and straightforward pathway for users to stake their tokens, and for validators to manage their rewards. 

Chain Pricing Live 

Following the successful snapshot vote of SIP 1: The Addition of Chain Pricing, chain subscription fees launched on SKALE mainnet. SKALE opts for a sustainable system with zero gas fees for end-users, financed through chain fees. This approach positions SKALE for mass adoption and long-term economic stability. 

Developer Office Hours 

The SKALE Developer Success team launched Developer Office hours, hosted weekly in the SKALE discord. These sessions allow SKALE developers, or those curious to build on SKALE, to ask questions and get support directly from the team. These sessions have gotten great feedback, and are aiding to strengthen the developer community on SKALE.  

SKALE Research

SKALE Gaming Report - 2024

This report is a summary of the SKALE gaming ecosystem. It highlights top projects, narratives, ecosystem growth, and what the future of Web3 gaming holds. 

Reflexivity Research - SKALE Overview

Reflexivity Research offers a detailed overview of SKALE’s architecture, emphasizing its gasless transaction model and EVM compatibility, which provides developers with a scalable and user-friendly environment to deploy dApps.

OurNetwork - SKALE Mega Issue

A comprehensive edition from OurNetwork that explores SKALE’s ongoing developments, recent performance/usage metrics, and highlights the best dApps in the SKALE ecosystem. 

Blockworks - SKALE: The Chain Subscription Model

Blockworks research provides an in-depth analysis of SKALE’s unique chain subscription model, which offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional gas-fee-based blockchains.

Reflexivity Research - Exploring Gaming on SKALE

Reflexivity Research dives into the state of gaming on SKALE, highlighting the network as the number one gaming blockchain fueling mass adoption. 

Blocmates - What is SKALE?

Blocmates dives into SKALE's growth, architecture, and more, explaining why the gas-free L1 network is truly Built Different. 

Blocmates - A Bull Case for SKALE

Blocmates dives into SKALE’s long-term success, gas-free model, and how app-chains like SKALE could outpace general-purpose L2s.

SKALE Goes Global

SKALE’s global presence was stronger than ever in 2024, with the team attending 14 major blockchain events and numerous side events. From Singapore to New York, SKALE traveled over 44,157 miles (71,064 km) to engage with the global blockchain community.

What’s Coming in 2025

As we close the chapter on 2024, SKALE is gearing up for an even more transformative 2025. The year ahead promises major technical upgrades, exciting product releases, and plenty of special surprises and opportunities for the incredible community. With record-breaking growth a thriving ecosystem of partners, developers, and gamers, SKALE is set to reach new heights in making Web3 faster, easier, and more accessible for everyone. Here’s to an extraordinary 2025!

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