Latin America’s developer community is increasingly concentrating on established blockchain ecosystems like Ethereum and Polygon, rather than launching new base-layer protocols, according to a report from consultancy firm Sherlock Communications.
The study, which gathered insights from 85 developers across Bolivia, Mexico, Brazil, and Peru, highlighted that regional builders prioritize transparency, coordination, and compliance. Developers in the region also value intuitive tools, thorough documentation, and proven track records, making Ethereum and Polygon particularly attractive platforms.
Luiz Eduardo Abreu Hadad, blockchain consultant and researcher at Sherlock Communications, told that Latin American developers demonstrate “strong technical maturity” and focus on solving real-world problems.
“Latin America has a growing and increasingly skilled developer community,” Hadad said. He added that while the region is capable of creating new platforms, the current trend shows it becoming a hub for development and adoption within existing ecosystems.
On-chain data further supports this trend. An analysis of 697,000 blockchain transactions linked to wallets in Latin America revealed that Ethereum accounted for more than 75% of activity in the region between June 2024 and June 2025.
Meanwhile, Polygon accounted for 11% of total blockchain activity in the region over the same period, with its adoption continuing to grow. By June 2025, Polygon’s activity had nearly doubled, reaching 20%.
Although Latin American developers are gravitating toward established ecosystems, Hadad told that the region is also home to initiatives with global potential.
He highlighted tokenization projects and national blockchain infrastructures, such as Brazil’s Núclea Chain and RBB, as examples of the region’s ability to develop entirely new ecosystems.
Next generation of developers to focus on DApps and RWAs
When asked about the focus of the next generation of Latin American developers—including students and hackathon participants—Hadad pointed to decentralized applications (DApps) and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization.
He explained that emerging developers are interested in creating DApps that could transform social media or the creator economy. Supply chain traceability, DePIN, and RWA initiatives are also drawing significant attention.
“They look for stable ecosystems, intuitive tools, and sustainable economic incentives, focusing on solving real problems around trust, transparency, and usability,” Hadad told.
