The 2025 crypto market saw a tight race among top Layer 1 projects. Not only have tokens like Ethereum and Solana broken their all-time high this year, but their developer activities have also improved significantly.

While Cardano hasn’t been able to test its four-year high of $3.09, it has also gained more community acceptance. With new entrants like Remittix quietly gaining traction in the PayFi sector, the field for 2026 might look very different from today.

With a few months into 2026, market watchers are preparing for another showdown: which Layer-1 will survive and lead the next phase of blockchain growth? 

Ethereum: Still the Developer’s Playground

A recent report by Electric Capital shows that Ethereum is the dominant Web3 platform. The study indicates that Ethereum has the most active developers, net new developers, DeFi activity, and smart contract activity of all chains.

With over 35M ETH staked and more institutional market adoption through ETF inflow and tokenization pilots, Layer 2 scaling solutions on Ethereum, such as Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base, are increasingly being used to offer lower transaction fees. Ethereum is more efficient than before while maintaining a developer-first ethos and slowly moving away from unnecessary energy consumption.

Price-wise, ETH is up 55% year-on-year, a decent return for the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap. It sits just below $4,000 as bulls eye a strong finish to the year. CoinCodex estimates the ETH price in 2026 could range from $4,300 to $7,528, with an average of $5,586 annually, reflecting a potential 91% upside from the current price. 

Price Chart | Source: CoinGecko

ETH is still the most balanced Layer 1 option for innovation, liquidity, and institutional interest going into the new year.

Solana: Institutional Momentum and ETF Catalysts

In the past few years, very few crypto chains have been able to rival Solana's comeback. The establishment of Asia's first Solana ETF (HKEX:3460) and institutional participation exceeding $2 billion in the chain's tokens show an acceleration in Solana's convergence with customary finance.

SOL is up over 10% year-on-year, and is currently the fourth largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Retail speculation is being replaced by institutional demand, with major firms now offering SOL.

lana Price Chart | Source: CoinGecko

The blockchain's on-chain activity has also displayed strength, with Solana DeFi TVL growing 18% QoQ in Q3 and NFT activity increasing 45% QoQ in Q3. Though its retail usage has stalled, the network is processing over 2,100 transactions per second.

The focus is now on the $2,00 breakout level, with some analysts projecting a rally to $300-500 if ETF inflows continue. The real story remains Solana's evolution as a long-term, efficient, fast, and institutionlly favored Layer-1 solution.

Cardano: Quiet Strength, Community Power

Cardano is favoring long-term investors due to its consistent and gradual uptrend. If the multi-year compression pattern persists, with wicks forming at the $0.65 resistance, a bullish breakout could occur, reaching a target of $2.70.

Cardano Price Chart | Source: CoinGecko

Statistics from the developer ecosystem are also encouraging. Cardano Stack Exchange has totaled over 2,700 questions and 3,900 answers, indicating a user base that is still active despite relatively slow development. Furthermore, the Cardano community is one of the strongest in cryptocurrency, with over 83% of holders bullish.

CoinCodex estimates the price could be between $0.69 and $1.19 in 2026. Given Cardano's design philosophy and active governance system, further growth could be anticipated as DeFi and identity applications are built on the protocol.

Meet the PayFi’s Rising Contender: Remittix (RTX)

As Ethereum, Solana, and Cardano battle for protocol dominance, another narrative is emerging: PayFi, or payment-focused decentralized finance. This is where Remittix (RTX) enters the picture.

Unlike traditional Layer-1s built for dApps or DeFi infrastructure, Remittix focuses squarely on crypto-to-fiat transfers and bank payouts, providing low-fee, real-time global payments through blockchain rails. 

Over 40,000 investors have acquired 681 million RTX, amounting to $27.7 million in private funding. Remittix is CertiK-verified, listed on BitMart and LBank, and already beta-testing its wallet. Fiat integration is scheduled for Q4. 

The project’s approach to simplifying remittances positions it as a potential bridge between blockchain innovation and practical financial utility, a space Layer-1 giants have yet to conquer fully.

Final Outlook: Who Leads the 2026 Layer 1 Race

Ethereum’s developer moat, Solana’s throughput, and Cardano’s community give each a strong case for future leadership. Yet, 2026 may not be about who wins the Layer-1 crown, but about which ecosystems can connect to real-world finance.

Projects like Remittix demonstrate that blockchain’s next frontier could lie in on-chain innovation and in bridging crypto to everyday transactions. As institutional capital and retail adoption converge, the stage is set for established giants and PayFi innovators to define the next era of decentralized finance.

Discover the future of PayFi with Remittix by checking out their project here:

Website: https://remittix.io/ 

Socials: https://linktr.ee/remittix 

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