Sui is a high-performance, scalable blockchain platform built on an object-centric architecture and powered by the Move programming language. With its parallel execution engine enabling massive transaction throughput and near-instant finality, Sui has rapidly evolved into a leading Layer 1 ecosystem. By 2025, the network has cemented its position as a top contender in the Web3 space, drawing strong traction in decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, and real-world asset (RWA) applications.
This article explores some of the most promising projects shaping the Sui ecosystem in 2025 — including DeepBook, Cetus Protocol, Walrus, and MemeFi — highlighting their core innovations, technological advantages, and economic models.
The Rapid Growth of the Sui Ecosystem
As of April 2025, Sui ranks among the top 15 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with a valuation of approximately $8.92 billion. The circulating supply of SUI tokens stands at 3.24 billion, trading around $2.75 per token.
In the DeFi sector, Sui achieved a peak total value locked (TVL) of $2.065 billion in January 2025. While TVL settled at $1.226 billion by April, this reflects healthy volatility rather than decline — especially considering it grew from under $500 million in early 2024. This upward trend underscores increasing developer activity and user adoption.
Stablecoin adoption has also surged, with over $877.88 million worth of stablecoins now on the network — more than triple the amount since December 2024. The integration of major stable assets like USDC, AUSD, FDUSD, and USDY has significantly enhanced liquidity and usability across lending platforms, decentralized exchanges, and cross-border payment systems.
This growth is driven by a robust suite of protocols operating across DeFi, infrastructure, gaming (GameFi), and decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN). Among them, DeepBook, Cetus Protocol, Walrus, and MemeFi stand out as foundational pillars of the Sui ecosystem.
DeepBook: The Native Liquidity Engine of Sui
DeepBook is Sui’s native decentralized central limit order book (CLOB) protocol, launched in July 2023. It serves as the core liquidity layer for the entire ecosystem, enabling fast, low-latency trading experiences directly on-chain.
Unlike traditional DEXs with user-facing interfaces, DeepBook operates as a backend infrastructure protocol. It allows wallets, dApps, and DeFi platforms to embed seamless trading functionality through API-like integration.
Key Features
- On-Chain CLOB Architecture: All orders, cancellations, and executions are processed transparently on-chain, ensuring verifiable fairness and censorship resistance.
- Ultra-Fast Settlement: Leveraging Sui’s parallel execution engine, DeepBook achieves settlement times as low as 390 milliseconds, ideal for high-frequency traders.
- Advanced Market Making Algorithms: Dynamic algorithms maintain tight spreads and ensure deep liquidity across trading pairs.
- Fee Incentives: Market makers earn rebates during low-liquidity periods, while active traders receive fee discounts — encouraging continuous participation.
- Composability: Designed for easy integration into other DeFi applications, making it a foundational building block for future innovation.
Security is paramount: DeepBook has undergone rigorous third-party audits and maintains a bug bounty program in collaboration with leading cybersecurity experts.
Tokenomics: The DEEP Token
The DEEP token plays a central role in governance, utility, and incentives within the ecosystem.
Use Cases:
- Pay transaction fees and pool creation costs
- Earn rebates for providing liquidity
- Stake for governance rights — voting on upgrades and fee structures
Supply & Distribution:
- Total Supply: 10 billion DEEP
- TGE Unlock: 25% (2.5 billion tokens)
Breakdown:
- 10%: Community airdrop (fully unlocked)
- 28.43%: Core contributors and early supporters
- 61.57%: Ecosystem development (developer grants, campaigns)
Vesting Schedule:
- Community allocations: 14% unlocked at TGE; remainder over 7 years
- Team/investor tokens: 1-year cliff followed by 24-month linear release
- Mysten Labs allocation: 1% unlocked at TGE; rest linear over 48 months
Cetus Protocol: Powering Efficient DeFi on Sui
Launched on May 10, 2023, Cetus Protocol is a leading decentralized exchange (DEX) on Sui that leverages concentrated liquidity to maximize capital efficiency.
Using a Concentrated Liquidity Market Maker (CLMM) model similar to Uniswap V3, Cetus enables liquidity providers (LPs) to allocate funds within custom price ranges — increasing yield potential while reducing idle capital.
Core Innovations
- Concentrated Liquidity (CLMM): LPs focus liquidity where trades occur most frequently, boosting fee earnings.
- Infinity Pools: Permissionless pools with multiple fee tiers give LPs greater control over risk and return.
- Cetus Vault: Automated vaults optimize position management for users of all experience levels.
- Intent Trading: Users can set strategies like dollar-cost averaging (DCA) or limit orders for smarter execution.
- Super Aggregator: Routes trades across all major liquidity sources on Sui to deliver optimal prices and slippage reduction.
These features make Cetus one of the most advanced DEXs in the ecosystem.
Tokenomics: The CETUS Token
CETUS is the native utility and governance token with a max supply of 1 billion.
Utility:
- Fee payments across services
- Liquidity mining rewards
- Governance participation via voting
- Staking to receive xCETUS — a yield-bearing governance token
Allocation:
- 50%: Community & liquidity providers
- 20%: Core team & advisors (vested)
- 15%: Early investors (vested)
- 15%: Liquidity treasury
This distribution prioritizes long-term decentralization and community-driven growth.
Walrus: Decentralized Storage Built for Sui
Developed by Mysten Labs, Walrus is a decentralized storage and data availability protocol designed specifically for large binary files ("blobs"). It fills a critical gap in Web3 infrastructure by offering scalable, secure, and programmable storage solutions.
Key Features
- Erasure Coding: Data is split into “slivers” and distributed across nodes — ensuring fault tolerance even if up to two-thirds of nodes go offline.
- Seamless Sui Integration: Smart contracts can directly interact with stored data, enabling rich use cases like NFT marketplaces and media platforms.
- High Reliability: Fully decentralized with no single point of failure; users retain full data sovereignty.
- User-Friendly Tools: Offers CLI, SDKs, and web-based dashboards to lower entry barriers for developers.
Walrus sets a new standard for cost-effective, high-performance decentralized storage.
Tokenomics: The WAL Token
The WAL token powers the entire Walrus economy.
Use Cases:
- Pay for storage services (price-stable mechanism avoids volatility issues)
- Stake to secure the network — nodes compete for delegated stakes
- Participate in governance — vote on parameters and penalty rules
Supply & Distribution:
- Total Supply: 5 billion WAL
Breakdown:
- 43%: Community reserve (long-term growth)
- 10%: User airdrop (fully unlocked)
- 20%: Early developers (1-year cliff + 4-year vesting)
- 10%: Mysten Labs (linear unlock until March 2030)
- 10%: App subsidies (released over 50 months)
- 7%: Investors (unlock starts 12 months post-mainnet)
This structure ensures sustainable development and alignment between stakeholders.
MemeFi: The Flagship Consumer App on Sui
Originally launched as a Telegram-based tap-to-earn game in April 2024, MemeFi transitioned fully to the Sui blockchain in November 2024. Today, it stands as one of the most popular consumer-facing dApps on Sui — blending meme culture with GameFi mechanics.
Gameplay Highlights
- Tap-to-Earn Combat: Players click to battle meme-themed bosses — simple yet addictive gameplay.
- Clan System: Join or create clans tied to popular meme coins (e.g., Dogecoin, Shiba Inu) and engage in large-scale raids.
- Leaderboards: Competitive rankings reward top performers with exclusive tokens and in-game perks.
Its migration to Sui unlocked near-instant transactions and ultra-low fees — essential for smooth mobile gaming experiences.
Tokenomics: The MEMEFI Token
Launched via a token generation event (TGE) in late 2024, MEMEFI is both a utility and governance token.
Functions:
- Buy in-game items and upgrades
- Govern the MemeFi DAO — influence game updates and roadmap
- Stake or farm for additional yield
Supply & Distribution:
- Max Supply: 10 billion MEMEFI
Breakdown:
- 90%: Community rewards (no vesting — immediate access)
- 5.5%: Liquidity pools
- 3%: Strategic partners
- 1.5%: Seed investors
The instant release of community tokens fueled rapid adoption and organic growth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What makes Sui different from other blockchains?
A: Sui uses an object-centric data model and Move language to enable parallel transaction processing — resulting in higher speed, lower fees, and better scalability than account-based chains like Ethereum.
Q: Is Sui suitable for gaming applications?
A: Yes — its sub-second finality and high throughput make it ideal for real-time games like MemeFi. Developers benefit from predictable costs and seamless scalability.
Q: How do I start using DeFi apps on Sui?
A: You’ll need a Sui-compatible wallet (e.g., Sui Wallet or Ethos). Then connect to platforms like Cetus or DeepBook-integrated dApps to trade or provide liquidity.
Q: Are DEEP, CETUS, WAL, and MEMEFI available on major exchanges?
A: While availability varies, many of these tokens are listed on growing decentralized exchanges on Sui. Some may also appear on tier-2 centralized platforms depending on regional regulations.
Q: Can I stake SUI or project tokens?
A: Yes — you can stake SUI directly for network validation rewards. Project tokens like CETUS and WAL also support staking for governance and yield opportunities.
Q: What’s the long-term vision for the Sui ecosystem?
A: To become a developer-first platform that powers mass-market Web3 applications — from finance to social media — with seamless performance and intuitive user experiences.
Final Thoughts
By 2025, the Sui blockchain has matured into a powerful engine for innovation — combining cutting-edge architecture with real-world utility. Projects like DeepBook, Cetus Protocol, Walrus, and MemeFi exemplify the breadth of possibilities now available on this scalable Layer 1 network.
Whether you're interested in decentralized trading, secure data storage, or engaging GameFi experiences, the Sui ecosystem offers compelling solutions built for speed, efficiency, and global accessibility.
As adoption continues to grow, staying informed about these key projects will be essential for developers, investors, and Web3 enthusiasts alike.
Keywords: Sui blockchain projects 2025, DeepBook protocol, Cetus Protocol DEX, Walrus storage protocol, MemeFi game Sui, Move programming language, DeFi on Sui