As blockchains push toward scalability, developer activity has become one of the clearest signs of L1 persistence. But you can’t limit yourself to just one measurement. Instead, fundamentals and actual on-chain usage are important.
Think of it this way: if a network is growing in industries like DeFi, NFT, and TVL, it usually means the underlying technology is strong. For blockchains, this technology often comes down to the smart contract language that powers the chain.
Right now, Sui (SUI) and Aptos (APT) are the main players, each trying to win over developers and build the next big “Move” ecosystem. However, data from Electric Capital shows that one chain is pulling ahead.
Source: Electric Capital
As the chart shows, Sui has 954 monthly active developers, or 2x Aptos’ 465, highlighting its stronger traction with builders. More developers generally means more on-chain activity, which allows a network to scale faster.
Notably, this channel strength appears to have helped SUI better withstand the 2025 downcycle. L1 ended the year down 65%, compared to an 80.7% decline for APT, reflecting its relative resilience in the face of market pressures.
But prices and developer numbers only tell part of the story. The real question is whether all this momentum translates into real growth, like NFTs and other on-chain activities. Simply put: Does SUI win there too?
SUI and APT in DeFi: How “Move” Reflects On-Chain Momentum
For L1s, scalability is fundamentally the key to winning in DeFi.
Ultimately, the primary use case for blockchains is to facilitate money transfers without intermediaries. So naturally, the L1 that can process payments smoothly and run complex DeFi applications tends to come out on top.
Total Value Locked (TVL) is a key way to measure this. A higher TVL generally means more liquidity, more activity, and a stronger DeFi ecosystem as a whole. In this context, SUI is ahead, with approximately 2 times the TVL of APT.
Source: DeFiLlama
Operationally, this closely aligns with developer activity.
More builders on SUI mean more projects deployed, which boosts TVL. In other words, SUI’s lead in developer adoption is directly fueling its DeFi growth, showing how it is gaining the upper hand in the ‘Move’ developer war.
Meanwhile, APT is clearly lagging behind on all three fronts (developer activity, technical capacity, and operational performance), showing that it still has ground to make up if it wants to compete in the DeFi ecosystem.
Final Thoughts
- SUI’s higher number of active developers fuels more projects, on-chain activities, and overall ecosystem dynamics.
- With approximately 2x the TVL of APT, SUI translates its development leadership into tangible DeFi growth and network resilience.
