Moonbeam Completes Polkadot Parachain Launch: Key Ecosystem Projects to Watch

·

Moonbeam has officially become the first fully operational parachain on Polkadot, marking a pivotal milestone in the multi-chain ecosystem. After removing its Sudo (super user) key on January 11, Moonbeam activated its Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and native token transfer capabilities, unlocking full decentralization and smart contract functionality. Within just days of launch, over 111 projects have announced intentions to build on Moonbeam, signaling strong developer interest in its Ethereum-compatible environment.

As of January 17, major cross-chain bridges like Multichain and Connext have integrated with Moonbeam, enabling asset transfers from Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain (BSC), and other networks. Projects such as Solarflare and Zenlink have already deployed, setting the stage for a rapidly expanding decentralized application (dApp) ecosystem.

This article explores the most promising projects across DeFi, NFTs, cross-chain infrastructure, and more—highlighting what makes Moonbeam a compelling platform for developers and users alike.

🔹 Live Projects on Moonbeam

The early dApp landscape on Moonbeam mirrors the success seen on its canary network, Moonriver. According to Moonbeam’s State of the DApps dashboard, Moonriver recorded 3,060 unique user interactions with dApps in the past 24 hours as of January 18, 2022. Top-performing applications were dominated by decentralized exchanges (DEXs), with Solarbeam leading in daily active users at 2,585.

This trend continues on Moonbeam, where DEXs are among the first live projects due to their technical maturity, high liquidity potential, and ability to incentivize participation through yield farming.

Solarflare

Solarflare is the Moonbeam counterpart of Solarbeam—Moonriver’s most popular DEX—developed by the same team but featuring a new token. It quickly gained traction post-launch, reaching approximately $63.3 million in total value locked (TVL). The GLMR/USDC pool offers $9.95 million in liquidity with an annual percentage rate (APR) of 149%, making it one of the most attractive yield opportunities on the network.

👉 Discover how cross-chain yield strategies are evolving with next-gen EVM platforms.

Zenlink

Launched on January 12, Zenlink made history as Polkadot’s first native cross-chain DEX. Already deployed across multiple parachains including Moonriver and Shiden, Zenlink brings aggregated liquidity across ecosystems. On Moonbeam, its largest pool is ceUSDT/ceUSDC with $13.76 million in liquidity. While GLMR-based pairs have lower depth—such as GLMR/ceUSDC at $1.28 million—they offer higher yields, with APRs reaching 230%.

StellaSwap

Claiming to be the first DEX live on Moonbeam, StellaSwap launched on January 12 in partnership with Multichain for cross-chain integration. Despite limited public history—its Twitter account began activity only in early January—it has amassed around $58.69 million in TVL. The WGLMR/USDC pool provides $2.54 million in liquidity with an impressive APR of 455%, drawing significant attention from yield seekers.

🔹 Cross-Chain Bridges: Enabling Asset Flow

Interoperability is core to Moonbeam’s vision, and cross-chain bridges play a critical role in bringing assets onto the network. Multichain, Connext, and Nomad were among the first to integrate, allowing seamless transfers of tokens like USDC and WETH from Ethereum and BSC.

However, this rapid bridge adoption introduces a challenge: asset fragmentation. When the same token (e.g., USDC) arrives via different bridges, it gets wrapped into distinct contract addresses on Moonbeam, making these versions non-interchangeable. This splits liquidity and confuses users.

While each project can choose its preferred bridge partner—offering flexibility—it also complicates efforts toward standardized asset representation across the ecosystem.

🔹 DeFi Ecosystem: From Blue-Chips to Native Innovators

Moonbeam has already attracted 21 DeFi protocols, many of which are established names from Ethereum and other chains.

Notable integrations include:

Among native Moonbeam projects, Minterest stands out as a promising lending protocol backed by significant investment. It generates revenue through interest, flash loans, and liquidations—automatically buying back its MNT token to boost long-term value accrual for users.

🔹 NFT Projects: Expanding Digital Ownership

NFTs represent a growing segment of Moonbeam’s ecosystem, with several innovative projects focusing on utility, composability, and real-world integration.

👉 Explore how NFT ecosystems are integrating with cross-chain DeFi protocols today.

🔹 Launchpads & Token Issuance Platforms

Token launches are vital for community building and price discovery. Moonbeam supports multiple multi-chain launchpads:

Additionally, it collaborates with:

These tools empower startups to raise capital efficiently while maintaining regulatory compliance and technical flexibility.

🔹 Infrastructure & Developer Tools

A thriving ecosystem relies on robust infrastructure. Moonbeam integrates with key services across storage, oracles, APIs, and monitoring.

Storage Solutions

Oracles

Reliable data feeds come from:

APIs & Development Tools

Essential tooling includes:

🔹 Wallets & Explorers

User accessibility is enhanced through broad wallet support:

Blockchain explorers include:

These ensure both Ethereum-savvy and Polkadot-native users can interact seamlessly with Moonbeam.

🔹 Validators & Collators

Collators are essential to Polkadot’s architecture—they collect transactions, produce blocks, and submit proofs to relay chain validators. Trusted partners include:

Their involvement ensures network security and reliability.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is Moonbeam’s relationship to Polkadot?

Moonbeam is a fully interoperable parachain on Polkadot designed to provide Ethereum compatibility via EVM support. It allows developers to deploy Solidity-based dApps seamlessly within the Polkadot ecosystem.

Why are most early projects DEXs?

DEXs are technically mature, easy to deploy, and attract capital quickly through liquidity mining incentives. Their success helps bootstrap initial TVL and user engagement.

How does Moonbeam handle asset fragmentation from multiple bridges?

Currently, there’s no unified standard—each bridge wraps assets separately. The community may eventually adopt bridge aggregators or canonical token standards to resolve this issue.

Can I use MetaMask with Moonbeam?

Yes! Moonbeam supports MetaMask and other Ethereum wallets out of the box due to its EVM compatibility.

What are the risks of high-yield farms like StellaSwap?

High APRs often indicate early-stage incentives that may not be sustainable long-term. Users should assess project transparency, audit status, and team credibility before participating.

Is Moonbeam focused only on DeFi?

No—while DeFi leads initial adoption, Moonbeam actively supports NFTs, gaming (GameFi), social platforms, prediction markets, and enterprise-grade applications.

Final Thoughts

Despite launching less than a week ago, Moonbeam has already catalyzed a vibrant ecosystem with over 111 partnered projects. While current TVL leaders like Solarflare haven’t yet surpassed $100 million—and most projects are ported from other chains—the foundation is strong.

The real opportunity lies ahead: fostering native innovation, solving cross-chain fragmentation, and scaling developer tooling. With Ethereum compatibility, deep Polkadot integration, and growing institutional support, Moonbeam is well-positioned to become a central hub for multi-chain applications.

👉 Learn how emerging EVM-compatible blockchains are reshaping decentralized finance in 2025.