Asia Leads the World in Web3 Talent As US Developer Numbers Dwindle Which Country Emerges as the Talent Hub

What happened?
Recent reports indicate that Asia has surpassed North America in the proportion of talent in cryptocurrency and blockchain development, becoming the leading region for global developer talent.
According to data from Maria Shen, a partner at blockchain venture capital firm Electric Capital, the share of cryptocurrency developers in Asia increased from 13% in 2015 to 32% in 2024, making it the region with the most developer talent, while North America saw a significant decline from 44% in 2015 to 24%.
Despite the slow growth rate of developers in the Web3 industry, experts believe that as time and opportunities progress, the global pool of professional talent will continue to expand.
The proportion of Asian cryptocurrency developers skyrocketed to 32%, while the United States dropped to 24%.
Electric Capital released the 2024 Developer Report, analyzing over 20 billion GitHub data points and data from 110,000 globally active developer wallets. The data shows that Asia has surpassed North America, becoming the leader in cryptocurrency and blockchain development talent.
Maria Shen recently posted on the social platform X, noting that Asia is now the frontrunner in crypto development talent, while American developers are rapidly leaving the field.
Developers in North America have dropped from 44% in 2015 to 24% in 2024, a decline of over 50% compared to 2015. This shift not only impacts technological development in the United States but also provides Asia with the opportunity to seize innovation advantages.
In recent years, the increasing number of developers in Asia indicates significant growth potential in blockchain innovation, and the rise in developers is crucial for promoting the widespread adoption of blockchain technology.
Shen further analyzed that the primary reason for the loss of American crypto developers is the strict regulatory policies on cryptocurrency in the United States, which also reflects a weakening of competitiveness in related industries.
However, although the proportion of developers in the United States has been declining annually, the United States (18.8%) remains the country with the most developers globally. According to the report, approximately 18.8% of crypto developers are located in the U.S., followed by India at 11.8% and the UK at 4.2%.
Decline in Web3 developer numbers, but experts are optimistic about long-term growth potential
The Web3 industry has a high entry barrier and a steep learning curve, resulting in slower growth rates for new Web3 developers compared to other industries.
The Electric Capital report states that the total number of Web3 developers decreased by 24% in 2023, with the number of novice developers who have been active for less than 12 months also declining by 53%.
However, Noëlle Becker Moreno, Chief Marketing Officer at blockchain company Edge & Node, stated that as industry tools and frameworks mature, the number of Web3 developers is expected to rebound.
Noëlle believes that by providing more community collaboration and educational resources, new developers can overcome technical complexities and continue to progress in this rapidly growing ecosystem.
Additionally, Ethereum remains the dominant force in the current cryptocurrency development field, attracting over 16,000 new developers this year, while platforms like Polygon are also gaining popularity, indicating that emerging platforms have greater potential in attracting new talent and expanding ecosystems.
Reference: cointelegraph, cryptonews