Top 10 Best New L1/L2, DeFi Tokens to Launch Their Tokens

A wave of new Layer-1, Layer-2, DeFi such MegaETH, Monad.. are preparing to launch their tokens. Among the hundreds of projects currently in testnet or with announced TGE plans

In the dynamic landscape of Web3, the lines between Layer-1 and Layer-2 are blurring as several projects prepare to launch their tokens. Among the hundreds of projects currently in testnet or with announced TGE plans, a few stand out thanks to their strong user traction and impressive fundraising performance.

This article highlights the 10 most notable projects, selected based on two key criteria: real user engagement and the amount of capital successfully raised.

Top 10 Best Projects Before TGE

Polymarket is one of the most noteworthy upcoming projects, functioning as a decentralized prediction market where users can wager on real-world event outcomes. The platform has quickly gained over one million users, drawn by its transparency, intuitive interface, and high practical utility.

Having secured over $70 million in funding from prominent backers like General Catalyst, Peter Thiel, and Balaji Srinivasan, Polymarket is seen as a potential input data layer for future DeFi protocols. As a decentralized prediction model, it could also serve as an “oracle” layer within the broader Web3 ecosystem.

Farcaster is a decentralized social networking protocol that is gaining significant attention for its open architecture and the ability to let anyone build social apps on top of its infrastructure. Unlike centralized Web2 platforms, Farcaster stores all interaction data on-chain, ensuring user data ownership.

The project has raised approximately $150 million and currently has over 350,000 active accounts. One of Farcaster’s standout features is “frames,” which allows users to interact directly with content from other apps without leaving the platform.

Recently, the project’s founders – Dan Romero, have hinted at potential airdrop farming mechanisms, such as creating frames, daily engagement, and building applications using the Farcaster protocol.

Given its current growth momentum, Farcaster is widely expected to launch a token in 2025, likely accompanied by a major airdrop campaign for active contributors.

MetaMask, the decentralized wallet developed by ConsenSys, is currently one of the most widely used applications in the Web3 space, boasting over 30 million monthly active users. Thanks to its browser-native integration and multi-chain support, MetaMask serves as the primary gateway for millions of users entering the world of DeFi and NFTs.

Although MetaMask has not yet launched a token, the development team has hinted at a potential retroactive airdrop. With over $200 million in funding, the question is no longer if MetaMask will release a token, but when.

Monad is an emerging Layer-1 blockchain aiming to compete directly with Ethereum by adopting a parallelized EVM architecture, which allows for faster and more cost-efficient transaction processing. What sets Monad apart is its ability to execute transactions in parallel, unlike Ethereum’s traditional sequential model.

With over $225 million in funding from major investors such as Polychain and Paradigm, Monad has launched its testnet and attracted significant community participation through initiatives like the Monad2048 game. Its focus on community building prior to token launch reflects a long-term strategy, and the project is highly regarded for its TGE potential in 2025.

MegaETH is a new Layer-2 network on Ethereum, designed for parallel processing and built with high performance in mind. The project gained significant attention in the community after announcing the completion of a $20 million seed funding round in June 2024.

The round was led by Dragonfly Capital, with participation from funds such as Figment Capital, Robot Ventures, Big Brain Holdings, and prominent angel investors including Vitalik Buterin (Ethereum co-founder) and Joseph Lubin (ConsenSys CEO).

MegaETH’s roadmap includes a public testnet launch in early fall 2025 and a mainnet release by the end of 2025. Upon mainnet launch, MegaETH plans to introduce a native token, which will be used for staking, ecosystem rewards, and governance through a DAO.

Karak is a project operating in the emerging field of restaking, competing directly with EigenLayer – the current leader in this sector. Restaking is a novel trend allowing users to leverage staked assets to participate in additional services, aiming to maximize returns.

Having raised approximately $50 million, Karak has drawn attention due to its diverse range of AEVS offerings and active development community. With attractive tokenomics and strong real-world demand, Karak is poised to become one of the most significant restaking tokens to launch this year.

Succinct is developing a ZK verifier service as a plug-in, allowing easy integration into any blockchain. This solution aims to simplify the verification process using zero-knowledge proofs – a critical component in high-security applications and rollups.

Backed by over $55 million from prominent investors like Paradigm and Robot Ventures, Succinct positions itself as an infrastructure layer for the zk field, similar to what Chainlink offers for data oracles.