ApeCoin DAO Launches ApeChain Using Arbitrum's Orbit Technology

The ApeCoin DAO has officially launched ApeChain using Arbitrum's Orbit technology, aiming to solve major scalability issues and create a more developer-friendly environment

The ApeCoin DAO has officially launched ApeChain using Arbitrum’s Orbit technology to solve major scalability issues and create a more developer-friendly environment for the ApeCoin ecosystem.

Why ApeChain Was Needed

The push to build a dedicated chain came after the ApeCoin ecosystem faced serious challenges during periods of high activity. For example, the Otherside NFT mint by Yuga Labs caused extreme congestion on Ethereum and resulted in over $157 million in gas fees, while many users lost money or couldn't complete transactions. This highlighted the need for a scalable alternative.

Another key issue was fragmentation. $APE was used on multiple chains, but no single environment was designed for developers, making it harder to build and launch projects using the token. ApeChain aims to address these problems by offering a purpose-built solution that supports high traffic, streamlines development, and keeps the community’s tools and liquidity together.

Why Arbitrum Orbit Was Chosen

The ApeCoin DAO explored several blockchain technologies, including Optimism, Polygon, and zkSync, before putting several to a community vote, which Arbitrum Orbit won by a margin of 50%.

The deciding factors included Orbit’s compatibility with Ethereum, support for custom gas tokens, and robust developer tools. With Orbit, ApeChain could directly integrate $APE as its gas token, a capability that other platforms lacked. The system also supports Stylus, a tool that enables developers to use familiar programming languages like Rust and C++, which is especially useful for building complex applications such as games.

Cross-chain functionality was another priority, and ApeChain integrated LayerZero to facilitate seamless asset transfer between networks, further enhancing both developer and user experience.

Ecosystem Growth and Performance

At launch, ApeChain was supported by a wide infrastructure stack, including Alchemy and Nirvana for RPC services, Pyth Network for oracle data, Etherscan for transaction tracking, and Goldsky and Covalent for data indexing.

The community's response was swift. Within 24 hours of launching ApeExpress—a meme coin launchpad—55 new tokens were deployed, with several reaching market caps in the millions. Today, more than 60 applications run on ApeChain, ranging from games to trading platforms and community-driven reward systems.

The low latency, with block times as fast as 100 milliseconds, and shared costs with Arbitrum One contribute to its efficiency, allowing developers to operate with both speed and cost-effectiveness.