Decentralized applications, or dApps, have taken the blockchain world by storm. As the second-largest blockchain network by market capitalization, Ethereum is home to some of the most innovative and popular dApps in the industry. But how many dApps are there on Ethereum, and which are the top ones to look out for?

In this blog post, we’ll dive into the world of Ethereum dApps, exploring the most successful, popular, and profitable projects. Whether you’re a developer looking to build your own dApp or an investor seeking the best ROI dApps, this guide has got you covered. So, let’s take a closer look at the top dApps on Ethereum and what makes them so special.

Let’s take a look at the most popular Ethereum Projects:

1. OpenSea

The most well-known marketplace for purchasing and selling NFTs and other digital assets is OpenSea. Eight blockchains, including Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, and BNB Chain, are supported by OpenSea. It gives people the means to build digital and dynamic, platform-based economies.

OpenSea, founded in 2017, is now valued at $13.3 billion. The platform is currently the largest NFT marketplace with over 1 million registered users. Because of the range of platforms and NFT types it supports, OpenSea will continue to expand as the NFT industry does.

2. Uniswap

Uniswap is a decentralized exchange (DEX) for trading Ethereum tokens. It utilizes a unique liquidity pool model where users can provide liquidity to the exchange in exchange for a share of the fees generated by trades. This allows Uniswap to offer low fees and fast trading, and it has a larger token base as it supports all ERC-20 tokens, which is are Ethereum standard.

By reducing the volume of transactions taking place on Ethereum, Uniswap assists users in cutting gas fees. This makes the platform popular among Ethereum users because it solves one of the platform’s major issues. UNI is trading at $5.35 per token at the time of writing. Following the success of Uniswap, Uniswap V2 and Uniswap V3 are also rapidly gaining popularity in the community.

3. MetaMask

MetaMask is a browser extension that can be used to access DApps. “A crypto wallet and gateway to blockchain apps,” is how MetaMask describes itself. It is one of the most popular cryptocurrency wallets and offers a simple way to access blockchain assets and applications.

Users can create and manage their own wallets. The user receives a secure interface to inspect the transaction before authorizing or rejecting it when a DApp requests to make a transaction. It is simple to set up a MetaMask wallet by adding it as a browser extension on desktop versions of Chrome, Firefox, Brave, and Edge. Additionally, a free mobile app for iOS or Android is available to download.

Security is a top priority for MetaMask, and each wallet has a special 12-word recovery phrase that both protects against hacking and can be used to migrate the wallet. Because the recovery phrase can be used to unlock the wallet, MetaMask recommends that users write it down and store it in a secure location.

Although it also supports other blockchains like BNB Chain, Polygon, Avalanche, and many others, MetaMask is mostly utilized on the Ethereum blockchain.

4. MakerDAO

MakerDAO is a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform best known for its stablecoin, DAI, a stablecoin pegged to the US Dollar that allows users to take out loans using their cryptocurrency as collateral. DAI makes it simpler to use crypto tokens for transactions without being concerned about their volatility. It provides financial freedom and the benefits of decentralized payments while also maintaining the stability of fiat currencies.

The MakerDAO is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization that is not managed by any single company or entity, instead, it is controlled by its users and holders of the MKR token. MKR token holders are allowed to govern the organization using its blockchain.

5. Compound

Compound is an algorithmic, autonomous interest rate protocol built for developers to unlock a universe of open financial applications and is another DeFi platform that is primarily concerned with the financial services of borrowing and lending your crypto. It also allows users to earn interest on their cryptocurrency holdings.

Users can deposit their cryptocurrency into the Compound Protocol and earn a variable interest rate in return. The interest rate is determined by the supply and demand of each cryptocurrency and is adjusted in real-time to ensure that the protocol remains balanced.

6. Aave

Aave is an Open Source Protocol for establishing Non-Custodial Liquidity Markets where investors can make investment deals and supply assets. In simple words, a DeFi platform that allows users to take out loans or earn interest on their cryptocurrency holdings Like Compound, Aave utilizes a variable interest rate based on supply and demand, but it also allows users to borrow cryptocurrency directly rather than just earning interest on their deposits.

Users can lend or borrow 17 different cryptocurrencies, including ETH, BAT, and MANA, thanks to the lending pools that can be created using the Aave software.

7. 1inch Network

1inch is a network that connects multiple decentralized exchanges into one unified platform. Users may compare and optimize their crypto trades and swaps with 1inch Exchange without going through each exchange individually.

The platform stands out because 1inch divides the order and makes use of APIs to determine the optimum path for a token swap. The 1inch protocol seeks to provide users with the best rates possible in this fashion. One of the key goals of the 1inch network is to provide security while also cutting gas fees. The platform claims to lower Ethereum gas fees by allowing the usage of Chi Gas Tokens. Currently, 1inch Network shares a total volume of $3.19 million with 2,630 unique wallet interactions.

8. Axie Infinity

On the Ethereum blockchain, Axie Infinity is one of the most well-liked play-to-earn games. It entails collecting, rearing, and participating in combat with Axies. Different classes and features can be found in each Axie. The major draw for Axie Infinity is its play-to-earn model, which sees players collect and trade digital pets known as Axies.

Axie’s virtual economy is powered by its native tokens, Smooth Love Potion (SLP) and Axie Infinity Token (AXS). Both tokens can be earned by performing different activities within the game. Axie Infinity (AXS) is also tradeable on major exchanges, which makes it unique. Since its inception in 2020, the platform has experienced great success, bringing in more than $1 billion in revenue in 2021.

9. 0x

0x is an open protocol that enables the peer-to-peer exchange of assets and allows users to build their own decentralized exchanges (DEXs) on top of it. It utilizes a unique off-chain order relay model, where orders are signed by users and then broadcast to the network, but the actual matching and settlement of orders are done off-chain. This allows 0x-based DEXs to offer fast and low-cost trading, as well as support for a wide range of Ethereum tokens.

10. Chainlink

Chainlink is a decentralized oracle platform that allows smart contracts to access off-chain data. Oracles are critical to the functionality of smart contracts, as they provide the means for the contracts to interact with the outside world. Chainlink utilizes a network of decentralized nodes to provide reliable and secure data feeds to smart contracts.

Since its launch in 2017, Chainlink has become one of the most widely used Oracle platforms, with over $1 billion in market capitalization and partnerships with major companies such as Google and Oracle.

When it comes to dApps on Ethereum, the possibilities are nearly endless. Whether you’re looking to build a decentralized finance application, a gaming platform, or anything in between, Ethereum provides a robust and flexible framework for development. But with so many dApps on Ethereum, how do you know which ones are the best? From the top 10 Ethereum dApps like MakerDAO and Compound, to Ethereum dapp examples like CryptoKitties there’s no shortage of great projects to explore.

And if you’re interested in building your own dApp on Ethereum, there are plenty of resources available to help you get started. From step-by-step guides on how to create a dApp to dapps list for inspiration, the Ethereum community is rich with knowledge and expertise. So, whether you’re an investor looking for the most successful Ethereum dApps or a developer seeking the best platform, Ethereum is the place to be. Let’s read on.

11. YearnFinance

Yearn Finance is a decentralized suite of products that helps individuals, DAOs, and other protocols earn yield on their digital assets.A DeFi protocol that automatically moves and reinvests users’ money to provide them with the best returns possible.This allows users to earn passive income and trust that their funds are being fully utilized. By doing this, you won’t need to actively track your assets to choose the ones that will produce the highest annual yield. The platform powers the protocol, enables its smart contracts, and powers its yield farms using its own Yearn tokens.

12. Wormhole

Wormhole gives cryptocurrency holders the best of all blockchain worlds. It serves as a bridge between several blockchains, allowing for the efficient movement of digital assets across blockchains. The Wormhole portal gives users on blockchains like Ethereum, BNB Chain, Solana, Polygon, Oasis, etc., a secure and transparent platform for bridging their crypto assets.

Wormhole solves the difficulty of moving tokens across blockchains and ensuring interoperability between chains. In addition, Wormhole supports a range of DApps built on it and seamless cross-bridging for NFTs.

13. CryptoKitties

CryptoKitties enables users to collect and exchange digital cats via a smart contract, with the Ethereum blockchain used to secure and track ownership of these collectibles. The game includes a “genetic algorithm” so users can breed new kitties—either using the cats in their collection or by paying another user a “siring fee” to allow their kitty to breed with theirs.

Each kitty has a unique set of “cattributes”—for example, red fur, blue eyes, and crooked teeth—with some of these attributes being rarer than others. Some are so rare, in fact, that several kitties have been sold for Ether worth more than $100,000. The collectable nature of the game and the luck involved in breeding a rare and potentially expensive kitty have contributed to its success. But its growth has not been without issues. In December 2017, the sheer volume of transactions it was processing caused a major slowdown in the Ethereum network, calling into question the latter’s scalability.

14. Kyber Network

While Ethereum has made it easy to create new tokens, the Kyber network aims to make them useful and accessible. It enables users and businesses to accept payments in a wide range of tokens, as it immediately and seamlessly converts the buyer’s chosen token into the seller’s preferred coin.

This has the potential to make it easy for individuals, other dapps, vendors, payment gateways, and decentralized funds to accept thousands of different coins, which could help the Ethereum network grow. One of Kyber’s key features is “instant liquidity,” though it offers this by paying commissions to users who contribute their idle coins to a liquidity pool rather than by creating “smart tokens” that self-regulate.

15. Decentraland

Decentraland is a virtual reality world that runs on the Ethereum network. Users can buy and sell virtual land, with ownership recorded securely on the blockchain, much like in the Metaverse. Users can also develop their own land and control the content that is displayed there, enabling them to monetize their property however they like. This could be accomplished by operating a casino, an educational workshop, an underwater hotel, or any other type of business desired by the user. 

The game includes a custom ether token called “MANA,” which can be used to buy and sell property, and user-generated content. According to Decentraland, the only real limit is the user’s imagination—a claim that is backed by the developer’s roadmap, which will roll out exciting custom items and control over the laws of physics in the near future.

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16. IDEX

IDEX is a decentralized exchange (DEX)—an exchange that isn’t reliant on a central authority to store funds or enforce trades. It enables users to trade Ethereum tokens, including Tronix (TRX), BNB (BNB), and OmiseGo (OMG), directly with other users.

What sets it apart from some other decentralized exchanges is that it can process transactions in real time, so users can trade continuously. It is able to do this because it does not wait for the Ethereum network to process transactions before confirming them. Instead, it uses a smart contract to process and enforce transactions, with the actual transactions taking place on the Ethereum network.

17. Bancor

Bancor offers two services, the Bancor Network and the Bancor Protocol. The Bancor Network bills itself as a “Decentralized Liquidity Network” which allows you to hold any Ethereum token and convert it into any other token in the network at a price that is automatically calculated through using a web wallet.

The Bancor Protocol offers an upgraded functionality standard for Ethereum tokens, allowing anyone to create a new type of cryptocurrency known as a “Smart Token.” Use cases for this service include complementary currencies, business loyalty point programs, token baskets, content creators, crowdsales, and token changers.

18. Gnosis

Gnosis is a platform that was created in order to deliver a decentralized prediction market. With Gnosis, users can vote on almost everything, from the weather to sports scores and election results. The goal is to offer a prediction market as a service. It allows users to create events that can be subsequently funded by a single investor or by using crowdfunding.

In theory, the platform could be used for many applications. In addition, it is designed to be customizable by offering an application layer, Gnosis services with fees paid by WIZ tokens, and Gnosis Core.

19. BITNATION

BITNATION is a virtual nation that is hosted on the Ethereum blockchain. It has many of the same functions as a traditional, geographical nation in that it has education, insurance, a public notary, diplomacy programs, and identification cards. Users can become citizens or allies, join embassies and consulates, or start their own nations.

According to founder Susanne Tarkowski Tempelhof, BITNATION wants to become the world’s first blockchain-powered Virtual nation that can actually replace the real-world nation-state system with a voluntary form of governance. As a result, everyone will have the ability to choose the nation that they prefer to be a citizen of.

20. Mist

Mist Browser is extremely popular because it functions as the end-user interface for Ethereum, which makes it the tool of choice to browse and use Dapps. It is also specifically designed for non-technical users.

Mist Browser also comes with Mist Wallet, which is the official Ethereum wallet client. It supports two types of wallet solutions, allowing users to set up a simple wallet as well as a multisignature wallet for extra security. While it is designed to be easy to use, it does have a significant drawback given the fact that users must first download the entire Ethereum blockchain before the wallet can be used.

21. Illuvium

Illuvium, the world’s first IBG (Interoperable Blockchain Game) is an upcoming open-world exploration, NFT creature collector, and auto-battle game built on the Ethereum blockchain. The game is an NFT MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) and is available for PC only. In the gameplay, players can enjoy a fantasy open world to explore regions where Illuvials dwell and capture them to form team fights. Illuvium also grants character fusions to its players as another core gameplay element; two Iluvials of different classes and affinities can combine to develop a rarer Iluvial.

22. ENS

Web2 websites use a centralized DNS (Domain Name System), which refers to the model of sites as we see them today (site.com), to assign and direct addresses on the internet, translating IPs.

ENS (Ethereum Name Service) translates complicated Ethereum addresses, made up of random numbers and letters, into memorable names that can also be used for the same function and more. ENS takes a huge step towards accessibility in directing decentralized resources, as it makes it easier to read the addresses. According to the official ENS documentation:

“The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a distributed, open, and extensible naming system based on the Ethereum blockchain. ENS’s job is to map human-readable names like ‘swatilakha.eth’ to machine-readable identifiers such as Ethereum addresses, other cryptocurrency addresses, content hashes, and metadata. ENS also supports ‘reverse resolution’, making it possible to associate metadata such as canonical names or interface descriptions with Ethereum addresses.”

The Ethereum Name Service is operated by a DAO. The DAO itself has its governance working through the vote of the holders of the ENS token, who can submit proposals and vote on them to determine the future development of the protocol.

Read Top dapps on Polygon Chain.

23. Curve

Curve allows investors to avoid more volatile assets while still earning high interest rates from lending protocols. So we can say that compared to other AMM platforms, the Curve model is particularly—as much as you can say in crypto—conservative, as it works in favor of stability. The Curve DAO token (CRV) is the utility token for the DeFi protocol. It is basically an ERC-20 token operating on Curve DEX, and it is basically used as the governance token and can also be used to offer rewards to the liquidity providers.

Curve Finance is very close to launching its own stablecoin,  dubbed crvUSD (according to the initial code released by its developers), which, despite the possibility of having been used in some implemented contracts, has not yet been officially launched. The code library will operate as an interface to the not-yet-implemented crvUSD Smart Contracts and will be the first step toward the eventual issuance of the tokens.

24. Dework

Dework is a good mix of some bounty board features and project management tools, even supporting LinkedIn. The platform can be considered a web3 version of Trello but with more features, especially those related to crypto payments.

Users can create task boards, organize across sectors, and delegate between them. These tasks can be created, and people are free to sign up to claim them, and people are free to sign up to claim them, which improves the way DAOs operate, for example. Dework makes it easy to see the progress of work on the web3 and endorses building a work-based community.

25. Brave

Brave is a free and open-source web browser built on the Chromium platform, developed by Brave Software, Inc. It prioritizes user privacy by automatically blocking online ads and website trackers by default. Users can choose to enable optional ads that pay them in Basic Attention Tokens (BAT), a form of cryptocurrency, for their attention. These tokens can be used to tip content creators and support websites, and users can keep the cryptocurrency they earn. As of today, the price of one BAT is approximately $0.25.

In conclusion, the Ethereum blockchain has emerged as the leading platform for dApp development due to its smart contract functionality and large developer community. The top 10 dApps on the Ethereum blockchain offer a wide range of services and features, including decentralized exchanges, decentralized finance platforms, synthetic asset trading, prediction markets, swap systems, play-to-earn games, margin trading, and much more. These dApps have gained significant traction and adoption among users and have attracted significant investment from major venture capital firms. As the Ethereum ecosystem continues to grow and evolve, it is likely that we will see even more innovative and exciting dApps emerge in the future.