Asia has emerged as the top region for cryptocurrency and blockchain development talent, surpassing North America, according to a recent report. As of 2024, Asia accounts for 32% of all crypto developers globally, a significant rise from just 13% in 2015. Meanwhile, North America’s share has declined from 44% to 24%, reflecting a noticeable shift in global blockchain innovation hubs.
Asia’s Growing Developer Base Signals Blockchain Adoption
The increase in crypto developer talent in Asia underscores the region’s potential to lead the next wave of blockchain innovation. A larger developer community typically indicates stronger future adoption of blockchain applications, which can drive consumer engagement with the technology. In a recent post, Electric Capital general partner Maria Shen highlighted this trend, noting, “Asia is now #1 for crypto devs. The US is losing market share.”
U.S. Retains Lead in Developer Numbers but Faces Decline
Despite the shift, the United States remains home to the highest number of crypto developers, with 18.8% of the global total. India follows at 11.8%, and the United Kingdom at 4.2%. Within the U.S., 22.3% of developers are based in California, with New York housing 13.7%. However, 64% of U.S. crypto developers reside outside these two states, indicating a spread across the nation.
Since 2015, the U.S. has seen its share of crypto developers decrease by over 51%, despite industry growth. This decline comes as other regions, particularly Asia, ramp up institutional support for blockchain technology. In South Korea, for example, crypto investment has surged by 21% in the latter half of 2024, with leading centralized exchanges (CEXs) reporting profits surpassing $4.2 billion, a 106% increase from the previous year.
Methodology: Developer Data Analysis
The findings were based on a comprehensive analysis of over 200 million GitHub commits in crypto-related projects across 350,000 repositories. Location data was verified using information from over 110,000 developer wallets, reflecting the geographic distribution of blockchain talent globally.
With this growing focus on crypto development, Asia is positioned to play a central role in advancing blockchain technology, while the U.S. may need to address regulatory and policy challenges to retain its influence in the industry.
