BlockDAG: From Scalability to a New Layer 1 Paradigm

Scalability used to be the end goal—but now it’s just the starting line. By fusing Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) architecture with Proof-of-Work (PoW), BlockDAG isn't polishing up an old formula—it's designing something completely fresh.

Scalability used to be the end goal—but now it’s just the starting line. In a rapidly changing crypto landscape, Ondo Finance and Mantle have tackled real issues like DeFi limitations and Ethereum congestion, each gaining serious attention in the process. Ondo made tokenized assets more accessible, and Mantle enhanced Ethereum’s efficiency.

But BlockDAG? It’s not just solving problems—it’s challenging the way Layer 1s are even built.

Instead of a linear chain, BlockDAG uses Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) architecture, merging it with Proof-of-Work. It’s not polishing up an old formula—it’s designing something completely fresh. And with the ecosystem heating up, the real question becomes: who’s building the smartest foundation for the future?

Ondo Finance Brings Real-World Assets to the Blockchain

Ondo Finance, founded in 2021, came in strong with a bold goal: bring institutional-grade assets to everyday investors. Launching with OUSG, a token giving users exposure to U.S. Treasuries via blockchain, Ondo set its sights high.

Fast forward to March 2025, and Ondo smashed past $1 billion in Total Value Locked (TVL)—a major milestone for tokenized finance. This follows the impressive feat of reaching $500 million in TVL back in June 2024.

Further highlighting Ondo's success, the ONDO token has seen remarkable gains. Commencing with an initial market cap of $78.6 million and a token price of $0.38 at the beginning of the year, it has experienced significant growth.

At present, ONDO's fully diluted value is about $9.49 billion, with the token trading at around $1.2 on CoinGecko. This reflects a substantial increase from its initial market cap. Moreover, new ONDO wallet addresses saw a 390% surge in 24 hours, jumping from 935 to 4,559.

Mantle Helps Ethereum Scale, But How Far Can It Go?

Launched in July 2023, Mantle came out swinging as a Layer-2 solution focused on making Ethereum transactions faster and cheaper. Aiming to solve issues like high gas fees and slow throughput, Mantle uses optimistic rollups to boost efficiency without compromising Ethereum’s core security.

Its MNT token has had an up-and-down journey. Peaking at $1.51 on April 8, 2024, it later dipped but managed to stabilize above $1 by December. As of January 24, 2025, MNT is sitting at around $1.20.

According to cryptocurrency price predictor Gov Capital, the token could climb to $1.68 by the end of 2025—an 84.5% potential return.

Both Ondo and Mantle are tackling critical problems. Ondo's tokenized real-world assets have captured major interest, and Mantle's Layer-2 boost for Ethereum is aiming to solve issues like high gas fees and slow throughput.

Still, neither is fundamentally changing the way Layer 1s operate. But BlockDAG is rewriting the playbook.

BlockDAG Is Betting On A New Technical Architecture

While Ethereum battles congestion and Solana grapples with outages, BlockDAG is building a different foundation. Its hybrid model combines Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) technology with the security of Proof-of-Work.

Unlike traditional chains, this setup allows transactions to be confirmed in parallel, boasting more speed, lower fees, and serious scalability. With thousands of transactions per second and MEV resistance built-in, BlockDAG is setting a new technical bar for Layer 1s.

The numbers speak for themselves. BlockDAG has already raised $208 million—without any venture capital. Over 19 billion coins have been sold, and the price has shot up from $0.001 in batch 1 to $0.0248 in batch 27. That’s a 2,380% return for early buyers.

And it’s not just stats on paper. Over 800,000 people are mining through the X1 App, 400,000+ are playing Tap Miner, and nearly 10,000 X-series miners are already shipping. Testnet is live, and the mainnet—complete with full DeFi, 2,000+ TPS, and governance—is on track for 2025.

Summing Up!

Ondo is bringing traditional finance assets like U.S. Treasuries and REITs to the blockchain in a bid to broaden investment opportunities. Mantle is aiming to help Ethereum become more efficient by tackling issues like high gas fees and slow throughput with its Layer-2 optimistic rollup technology.

But BlockDAG