A CoinGecko research study on on-chain user behavior reveals significant differences in how well major DLT networks / blockchains maintain their user-bases over extended periods of time. Carefully examining activity from the first quarter of 2025 through the same period in 2026, the research report highlights Ethereum’s leading position in user retention while noting strong absolute numbers from high-volume networks like BNB Chain.
CoinGecko further noted that Ethereum demonstrated the strongest loyalty, with a 26.2% retention rate.
This figure indicates that about one in every four wallets active during January to March 2025—defined as those completing at least five successful transactions—continued engaging with the network a full year later.
This performance underscores Ethereum‘s enduring appeal, even as newer platforms attract larger initial crowds through hype or specialized features.
BNB Chain secured second place with a 20.5% retention rate, but it stood out dramatically in raw figures by keeping approximately 1.49 million users.
This topped the list for absolute retained wallets across the 11 chains analyzed.
Solana followed closely behind in total retained users at around 1.39 million, despite posting a lower 7.9% rate.
The Solana results reflect the unusually high activity spike during the 2025 memecoin surge in Q1, which inflated the baseline cohort and made year-over-year comparisons more challenging.
Other notable performers included Base, Coinbase‘s Layer-2 solution, which retained over 732,000 users thanks to effective onboarding and memecoin-driven growth.
Aptos, a newer non-EVM chain, held onto more than 715,000 users from its initial group of 5.45 million.
Ronin, focused on blockchain gaming titles like Axie Infinity and Pixels, achieved an impressive 19.1% retention—third overall—despite a more specialized ecosystem.
This success likely stems from the habitual, daily engagement patterns inherent in gaming applications, which foster consistent activity less dependent on market volatility than typical DeFi interactions.
The full ranking of retention rates places Arbitrum (16.6%), Optimism (16.4%), Avalanche (15.1%), Polygon (14.2%), and Sui (4.6%) further down the list. Ethereum’s retained cohort reached about 682,000 active wallets from an initial 2.6 million.
Researchers applied a consistent cohort approach using Dune Analytics data.
Wallets needed at least five transactions in the 2025 period to qualify as active, filtering out casual or one-time participants.
Retention required only one transaction in the 2026 window on the same chain.
The research methodology excluded certain networks like Tron due to heavy bot and automated activity, TON because of its complex messaging system that obscures individual user tracking, and others with data limitations or unrepresentative patterns.
These research findings highlights the DLT / blockchain landscape’s diversity.
High retention on established networks like Ethereum points to mature ecosystems and loyal communities, while chains with massive user bases excel in volume but face steeper churn.
Gaming-oriented platforms demonstrate how application-specific design can build stickiness. CoinGecko has concluded in its extensive research report that as the industry evolves, understanding these dynamics will (most likely) prove valuable for developers, investors, and projects aiming to cultivate lasting user engagement beyond short-term trends.
