Established Blockchains Dominate Latin American Developer Interest
Latin America’s blockchain developer community is showing a clear preference for established ecosystems such as Ethereum and Polygon over the creation of new base-layer protocols, according to a recent report by consultancy firm Sherlock Communications.
The study, incorporating insights from 85 developers across Bolivia, Mexico, Brazil, and Peru, found that the region’s builders prioritize transparency, effective coordination, and regulatory compliance. Developers favor platforms offering intuitive tools, comprehensive documentation, and proven reliability, making Ethereum and Polygon attractive choices.
Technical Maturity Drives Focus on Real-World Solutions
Luiz Eduardo Abreu Hadad, blockchain consultant and researcher at Sherlock Communications, emphasized the technical sophistication of Latin American developers and their commitment to addressing tangible problems. “Latin America has a growing, increasingly skilled developer community,” Hadad told Cointelegraph. However, he noted that while the region possesses the capability to develop new blockchain platforms, the current trend is to innovate within existing, well-established networks.
Ethereum Leads Transaction Activity in Latin America
Supporting this trend, onchain data analyzed in the report showed Ethereum accounted for over 75% of blockchain wallet transactions linked to Latin America between June 2024 and June 2025. Polygon accounted for 11% of activity during the same period, with its share nearly doubling to 20% by June 2025, signaling accelerating adoption.
Local Initiatives Highlight Potential for New Ecosystems
Despite the regional focus on established chains, Hadad pointed to promising local projects with global potential. Tokenization initiatives and national blockchain infrastructures such as Brazil’s Núclea Chain and RBB demonstrate latent capacity to develop new ecosystems within Latin America.
Next Generation Developers Target DApps and Real-World Asset Tokenization
Looking ahead, emerging Latin American developers, including students and hackathon participants, are increasingly focused on decentralized applications (DApps) and the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs). Hadad observed that these developers are interested in DApps that could transform social media and the creator economy, alongside applications in supply chain traceability and decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN).
“They seek stable ecosystems, intuitive development tools, and sustainable economic incentives,” Hadad explained. “Their work centers on solving real problems related to trust, transparency, and usability.”
FinOracleAI — Market View
The report’s findings suggest a positive short-term outlook for Ethereum and Polygon in Latin America, as developer preference and transaction activity concentrate on these established networks. This trend reduces fragmentation risk and may accelerate adoption and innovation within proven platforms. However, the emergence of local initiatives like Núclea Chain and RBB warrants monitoring as potential future disruptors. Market participants should watch for shifts in developer sentiment and transaction volumes that could signal evolving ecosystem dynamics.
Impact: positive
