Web3 apps saw 124% growth in 2023, led by Near, Klaytn, Arbitrum — DappRadar

The number of unique active wallets (UAW) that engaged with Web3 apps increased by 124% in 2023, according to a Jan. 11 report from blockchain analytics platform DappRadar. Near, Klaytn and Arbitrum led the year in growth, while Harmony, Solana and Hive saw a decline in users.

UAW is a measurement of how many wallets interact with a Web3 app, also known as a decentralized application (DApp), over a particular time period.

Over the course of the year, an average of 4.2 million UAWs interacted with these apps daily, more than double the previous year’s users. Nonfungible token (NFT) products led the way in growth, posting a 166% increase over 2022, while decentralized finance (DeFi) came in second with a 112% increase. Social media apps posted a 29% gain, thanks to “leading protocols” Friend.tech, Lens Protocol and Galxe, according to the report.

Near, Klaytn and Arbitrum had the highest growth rates out of all blockchain networks. Near posted a 1,902% increase, Klaytn 1,099% and Arbitrum 624%. Some of the top DApps on these networks include loyalty rewards platform Kai-Ching, fitness app SuperWalk and decentralized exchange Uniswap v3.

Related: Czech car company launches NFT platform on Near

Harmony, Solana and Hive were the biggest losers of the year. Harmony’s UAW fell by 96%, Solana’s by 76% and Hive’s by 68%. The report attributed Harmony’s decline to its bridge exploit in June 2022 and its inability to recover the following year.

Solana faced similar problems due to its association with FTX. However, Solana “saw an impressive recovery during the last months of 2023,” which allowed it to finish the year with fewer losses than it otherwise would have had, the report claimed.

In the case of Hive network, the report speculated that its loss of users may have been caused by “missing financial targets and reporting significant losses.” Hive network is the host of Splinterlands, the 11th-ranked Web3 game by UAW, according to DappRadar.

The report provides further confirmation that activity has picked up on blockchain networks over the past year. In October, social media app Stars Arena drove over 10,000 UAW to the Arbitrum network . In November, the Ethereum network  collected over $54.3 million in fees in a single week  due to a surge in the number of transactions being submitted.