List of the Top 5 Smart Contract Platforms for Ankr in 2025

MultiversX, which was formerly known as Elrond, represents a decentralized blockchain ecosystem that prioritizes scalability and security, with the goal of enabling groundbreaking applications for individuals, enterprises, and society while also delving into the burgeoning metaverse. Harness the power of the Multiverse to bring your ideas to life by crafting new applications, economies, and environments. Featuring a self-governing blockchain module along with key core applications, this platform allows for rapid solution deployment in just minutes, while offering a wide range of customization possibilities. Its expansive array of features caters to creatives, brands, and organizations, fostering innovation and collaboration. As a gateway to the Metaverse, it creates a digital space for your avatar that includes a comprehensive suite of financial services—such as a debit card—alongside social functionalities that let users chat and connect with friends. Designed to be accessible to a global audience, it paves the way for users everywhere, acting as a vibrant world-building engine that links various interoperable metaverses, and ultimately sets the stage for the debut of the first Metaverse planet within this evolving digital realm. Furthermore, the platform continuously seeks to adapt and expand, ensuring it remains at the forefront of technological advancements and user engagement.

Moonbeam transcends a mere EVM implementation by acting as a sophisticated Layer 1.5 chain that mirrors Ethereum’s Web3 RPC, alongside essential components such as accounts, keys, subscriptions, logs, and more. This platform not only enhances Ethereum's core features but also integrates functionalities like on-chain governance, staking, and cross-chain compatibility, thus offering a well-rounded solution for developers. By leveraging Moonbeam, developers can explore market segments that are often inaccessible to Ethereum due to its high gas fees. Furthermore, launching projects ahead of the competition within Polkadot’s rapidly evolving parachain ecosystem grants a significant advantage. With native support for assets including DOT and ERC-20 tokens, along with crucial infrastructure services like Chainlink and The Graph, Moonbeam emerges as a formidable choice for decentralized application development. Ultimately, the Moonbeam platform greatly expands the potential of what developers can accomplish, surpassing the limitations of conventional Ethereum functionalities and paving the way for innovative solutions.

Moonriver operates as a supportive network to Moonbeam, acting as a canary network that provides ongoing incentives for developers. It enables the introduction and testing of new code in genuine economic conditions prior to its migration to Moonbeam on Polkadot. Developers have the ability to promptly deploy their existing or novel Solidity DApps onto the Moonriver parachain with minimal changes, while also enjoying seamless integration with the Kusama ecosystem. By closely mimicking Ethereum’s Web3 RPC setup, Moonriver simplifies the process of executing existing Solidity smart contracts on its platform. Projects that originated on Ethereum can conveniently replicate their DApp and deploy it on Moonbeam using widely used frameworks such as Hardhat, Truffle, and Remix. This efficient approach allows developers to concentrate on innovation without the burden of extensive modifications. Additionally, Moonriver plays a crucial role in enhancing the deployment experience and cultivating a strong testing environment for projects prior to their launch on the primary network. Ultimately, it serves as an essential step in the development pipeline, ensuring that projects are well-prepared for wider adoption.

Boost your decentralized application (DApp) on the Polkadot network by harnessing the capabilities of Acala, a smart contract platform that effortlessly connects with Ethereum and is designed specifically for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Acting as the central liquidity hub and DeFi network within the Polkadot ecosystem, Acala operates as a layer-1 platform focused on scalability, compatibility with Ethereum, and augmented DeFi features, including integrated liquidity and pre-existing financial solutions. Developers can take advantage of Acala’s trustless exchange, the decentralized stablecoin aUSD, and DOT Liquid Staking (LDOT), along with EVM+ capabilities, to capitalize on the benefits of both Ethereum and the extensive features offered by substrate technology. This integration facilitates the management of assets and derivatives based on DOT, as well as access to a stablecoin native to Polkadot and various cross-chain assets from leading platforms such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Moreover, Acala's framework is meticulously designed for enhancements in DeFi, allowing for continuous upgrades without the need for forks, thus enabling new functionalities to be seamlessly integrated based on developer requirements. Additionally, the innovative on-chain 'keepers' serve to automate operations within the protocol, which not only improves risk management and user experience but also permits transaction fees to be paid using almost any token available, showcasing the platform's versatility and user-centric approach. This comprehensive ecosystem empowers developers to create more robust and efficient financial applications while fostering a more interconnected blockchain environment.

Darwinia Network acts as a bridge connecting the Polkadot ecosystem to projects that originate from public blockchains such as Ethereum and BSC. Its Darwinia Smart App is specifically built to support the Ethereum Virtual Machine, facilitating the effortless transition of decentralized applications, particularly in the areas of DeFi and NFTs, to the Polkadot platform. Users interacting with the Darwinia Network experience an outstanding service marked by low transaction fees and incredibly fast transaction confirmations. The network is also equipped with a comprehensive governance system that empowers token holders to suggest modifications and enhancements. On-chain upgrades are carried out autonomously, ensuring that Darwinia’s development reflects the community's principles and avoids stagnation. The ecosystem features native tokens RING and KTON, the latter serving as a commitment token linked to RING, which encourages sustained involvement from users. Established in Singapore in 2018, Darwinia Network is recognized as a trailblazer in the realm of blockchain innovation. Furthermore, the platform consistently strives to boost user interaction and community engagement through forward-thinking governance strategies, fostering a vibrant ecosystem for all participants.