Flow is back in the spotlight—and not just because of NBA Top Shot. Messari’s newly released Q1 2025 report shows Flow isn’t just surviving the bear—it’s building, onboarding, and scaling with surprising momentum. — According to Messari, Flow became the fastest-growing Layer 1 ecosystem for developer growth in Q1, while hitting an all-time high TVL of $44.4M and driving $8.1M in NFT trading volume through major brand platforms like NBA Top Shot, NFL All Day, Disney, and Mattel. Dev Growth + EVM = Real Momentum Let’s start with the data: Flow posted the #1 growth rate for weekly developers in Q1 across all L1s. With an average of 67.8 core contributors and a 26.5% jump in weekly commits, the chain is clearly regaining developer mindshare. Flow’s EVM environment, launched last year with the Crescendo upgrade, is paying off—offering builders Solidity compatibility, lightning-fast 800ms block times, and sub-cent fees. Hackathons also played a big role. January’s Flow Asia Hackathon and February’s ETHGlobal Agentic Virtual event sparked surges in transactions (peaking at 581K) and developer activity—proving that Flow can still turn on the gas when it comes to builder engagement. TVL Hits Record High as DeFi Takes Shape Flow isn’t just a culture chain anymore. Total Value Locked (TVL) surged 17.7% to $44.4 million, led by a new class of DeFi protocols like KittyPunch and MORE Markets. The old DeFi leader, Increment Finance, still holds the largest pool—but KittyPunch’s StableKitty stableswap rocketed 585% QoQ, nearly tying Increment’s dominance. KittyPunch TVL: $19.2M (+585%) MORE Markets: $3.9M (+631%) Increment: $19.3M (down 32%) Flow is quickly shedding its one-app reputation. The network is building out diverse DeFi tooling with Curve-style swaps, NFT-Fi marketplaces, liquid staking, and even DAO treasuries accumulating $FLOW. Sports, IP & NFTs Still Dominate Flow’s bread and butter remains IP-backed digital assets. Sports, collectibles, and licensed media drove the majority of activity: NBA Top Shot: $5.6M in Q1 volume NFL All Day: $2.5M Metaverse Football League (MFL): $1.06M (+130% QoQ) Hot Wheels Garage V2: +85.7% QoQ UFC Strike: $360K (+63% QoQ) And with OpenSea’s integration going live in Q1, NBA Top Shot cracked the top 5 trending collections for four straight weeks. That’s a big milestone, not just for Flow, but for the narrative around consumer NFTs in a post-hype market. Cross-Chain Play Expands Thanks to new integrations with LayerZero, Axelar, and deBridge, Flow is now connected to 100+ external networks. Wrapped USDC, PayPal’s PYUSD, and cross-chain swaps are now live—lowering barriers for new users and assets to move freely across ecosystems. And with EVM equivalence in place, developers no longer need to choose between speed, cost, or composability. Flow has quietly built one of the most complete cross-chain experiences on the market. Culture Meets Tech—Flow’s Dual Identity While other L1s are chasing liquidity or memecoins, Flow is thriving in a lane that’s equal parts entertainment, tech, and consumer adoption. That’s a tough balance, but it’s paying off: 144% jump in daily active wallets 10.6% increase in daily transactions Active OpenSea ecosystem with mobile-first UX Seamless onboarding for non-crypto natives (see: Disney’s digital pins and Seussibles) Flow’s EVM expansion and DeFi ecosystem suggest a shift toward more technical use cases, but the real moat is still cultural—NBA, NFL, Barbie, Disney, and Dr. Seuss don’t just bring volume, they bring trust. The Bottom Line With EVM tools, cross-chain bridges, NFT traction, and rising DeFi utility, Flow is showing what it looks like to build for both mainstream consumers and crypto-native users at the same time. If Q1 is any indication, Flow may be the most overlooked contender heading into the next wave of adoption. 🔗 Dive deeper in the full Messari report