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New classes of blockchains, such as Berachain, Story (IPFI), Unichain, Monad and Megaeth, are leading the wave of specialized blockchain launches designed to help with increasingly diverse decentralized finance applications. However, these chains are more than just niche options. They are releasing users from the constraints of the general purpose current state. This approach challenges the longstanding notion that a handful of generic networks can support all use cases, declaring that the future is competing, collaboration and coexisting, rather than a single monolithic chain for the future to control them all, rather than a competing unit of optimized environments.
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Institutions are coming in response to expectations shaped by decades of traditional finance, and demand is clear. They want a performance-optimized platform for fast trading, tokenized intellectual property, and sophisticated real-world asset markets. As these ecosystems grow, questions about cross-chain interoperability, institutional adoption, and competitive dynamics in Defi infrastructures become increasingly relevant. The game is changing under our feet, and anyone who clings to the generic chain can be left behind.
Free from the general-purpose bottleneck
As financial institutions begin to step into defi, general purpose blockchains begin to show cracks. Advocates of the specialist rightly argue that tailored infrastructure offers more than technological advancements, providing stronger security assurances, improved scalability, and compliance features that appeal to institutional participants. It is especially mission-critical for financial institutions investigating on-chain finance, predictable execution environments, regulatory-friendly frameworks, and lower counterparty risk. These areas where special chains provide edges are embedded to meet the real world demands where these features are already embedded.
Some critics warn that highly fragmented landscapes can dilute liquidity and create inefficiency, making it difficult for assets to flow seamlessly across different platforms. Cross-chain solutions such as the most reliable bridge and the universal fluidity layer are intended to mitigate these risks, but their effectiveness remains a key factor in whether specialization can be expanded without introducing friction. So the trillion dollar questions remain. Can you build this connective tissue quickly enough to specialize?
Nevertheless, new data from beta deployments show that professional networks can attract robust ecosystems, allowing developers to innovate more freely in areas such as algorithmic credit scoring, IP rights management, and tokenized products. Specialization may be a pain in theory, but it is already working.
The future of Defi is not easy. It’s smarter
Recent traction in venture funding strengthens this shift, and projects integrate the end of advanced >blockchain maximalism
Competing networks such as Berachain and Unichain could redefine how Defi applications are built and adopted, and could foster a more mature market structure where specialized blockchains thrive along with established platforms. If these emerging networks can maintain liquidity, integrate seamlessly with existing ecosystems, and maintain institutional trust, they can unlock the new era of on-chain finance. This is not just a technological change, it is a philosophical change.
The long-term viability of this multi-chain paradigm depends on whether the interoperability framework can promote a frictionless asset movement, and whether institutions gain trust in the governance and security of the specialized chain. Whether this shift will lead to a more efficient defi landscape or a web of isolated networks remains uncertain, but specialization is already reshaping the trajectory of the blockchain industry. What’s certain is that the future of blockchain is not monolithic. It is modular, professional, and takes off.
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Marcin Kazmierczak
Marcin Kazmierczak He is co-founder of Redstone Oracles, the fastest growing blockchain oracle, backed by Arrington Capital. In Crypto since 2017, Marcin has played a key role in developing several innovative Defi prototypes. He is also a co-founder of Ethwarsaw and a recipient of the Forbes 30 Poland under the Forbes 30. With a deeper understanding of cross-chain infrastructure, Marcin’s expertise ranges from Defi applications to Oracle and Blockchain data solutions.
