Leading L1 Ecosystem
IOPn
“Surgence Labs helped scale IOPn's Layer 1 into a leading ecosystem, driving real traction through smart positioning, community building, and full-funnel growth.”
Jimi
Co-Founder, IOPn
L1s & L2s Growthgrants / devrel / TVL
Ecosystem Expansion, Developer Onboarding and Narrative Dominance for L1s & L2s
Ecosystem expansion programs, developer onboarding funnels, and narrative-led campaigns for Layer 1 networks, Layer 2 rollups, app-chains, modular DAs, and restaking-secured chains. One partner. Every channel. Every metric verifiable on-chain.
Surgence Labs runs the full growth stack for L1s and L2s: grants and ecosystem BD, hackathon and devrel programs, narrative architecture, mindshare campaigns, validator and node-sale funnels, and tier-1 PR through one engine.
Ecosystem explorer
onchain live
Mainnet readiness
1.5M+
testnet users routed into ecosystem loops
apps
42
grants
live
TVL
$1B+
volume
$12B+
Protocol growth path
01Narrative
02Grants
03Hackathons
04Deployments
05TVL
current run
grants.open() -> apps.deploy() -> tvl.retain()
Developer funnel
source verified
active devs
docs -> deploy
+312/wk
contracts
testnet + mainnet
18,404
bridge flow
inbound liquidity
$42M
anchor apps
retained TVL
27
modularZKSVMMoveVMRaaS
Grant funnelDevrel loopsAnchor appsOnchain metrics
ecosystem expansion / developer onboarding / narrative dominance
1.5M+
Testnet Users
$1B+
Ecosystem Value
300K+
Social Growth
$12B+
Volume Indexed
10M+
Impressions
500+
Campaigns
Ecosystem receipts
Trusted by teams scaling protocols, ecosystems, and onchain value.
Real traction from infrastructure-grade campaigns: ecosystem positioning, community growth, and measurable onchain outcomes.
$1B+ On-chain Value
ORBT Protocol
“Surgence was a pleasure to work with, executing full-scale marketing and product campaigns that generated $1B+ in community on-chain value.”
Connor
CMO, ORBT Protocol
$1B+ FDV
QORPO WORLD
“Surgence Labs helped us scale to $1B+ FDV and position the project as one of the leading tokens in Q1. Their Web3 go-to-market execution, community growth strategy, and relentless pace made a measurable difference.”
Rastislav
CEO, QORPO WORLD
Trusted Web3 Partner
DWF Labs
“Few partners match their speed, commitment, and execution quality. They consistently bring fresh perspective and follow through.”
Lydia
Head of Partnerships, DWF Labs
Why Surgence
What Makes Surgence Different for L1s & L2s.
Most agencies sell L1s and L2s a content calendar. We sell deployed apps, retained TVL, and developer mindshare, the metrics your ecosystem foundation answers to.
01
Ecosystem Expansion
Ecosystem Expansion as a BD Function
The L2 with the most apps wins the next cycle. We treat ecosystem expansion as a BD funnel: anchor app shortlist, grant pipeline, deployment-day comms, post-launch co-marketing, and retention reporting. We measure the funnel from intro call to live deployment to retained TVL, not from a press release.
1.5M+ Testnet Users
02
Developer Onboarding
Developer Onboarding That Ships Code, Not Tweets
A hackathon that produces no deployments is theatre. We design developer onboarding programs that bridge from awareness to first commit to mainnet deployment: technical content, codebase walkthroughs, dev-rel office hours, hackathon partnerships, retroactive grants, and post-deploy co-marketing.
20+ Hackathons Possible per Cycle
03
Narrative Dominance
Narrative Dominance Across Modular, ZK and Sovereign
The chain that owns the framing wins the deployment. We architect your narrative across the live battlegrounds, modular vs monolithic, ZK vs optimistic, restaking-secured vs sovereign, EVM vs SVM vs MoveVM, app-chain vs general-purpose, and run it through Kaito mindshare campaigns, analyst-desk research, tier-1 press, founder thought leadership, and conference keynotes.
$1B+ Ecosystem Value
04
Specialist-Only
Built by Specialists Who Read Yellow Papers
Ecosystem marketing fails when the marketers can't read a yellow paper. Our team understands the difference between a ZK rollup and an optimistic rollup, between EigenDA and Celestia, between an app-chain and a general-purpose L2. Every claim we publish is verifiable in a docs site or onchain.
Specialist-Only
Services
Services for L1s & L2s.
Four pillars. One growth system. Pick the engagement that fits your stage.
01
Ecosystem Expansion
- Anchor-app shortlist and BD intros
- Grants-program design and operations
- Bridge, oracle, infra, and wallet partnerships
- Co-marketing playbooks for ecosystem deployments
- TVL and MAU rollup reporting for the foundation
- Validator, sequencer, and node-operator BD
02
Developer Onboarding
- Hackathon partnerships
- Developer-relations content
- Dev-influencer and OSS-maintainer outreach
- Bounty programs and retroactive deployment incentives
- Tooling and SDK launch campaigns
- Office hours, AMAs, and live build sessions
03
Narrative Dominance & PR
- Narrative architecture
- Kaito mindshare campaigns for L1 / L2 leaderboards
- Analyst-desk and research-house programs
- Tier-1 PR
- Founder thought-leadership and conference keynote programs
- Spaces, podcasts, and longform content distribution
04
Community & Retention
- Discord, Telegram, and Farcaster ecosystem ops
- Ambassador, regional, and language-localized programs
- Validator, delegate, and governance participation flows
- Sentiment monitoring and crisis response
- Cross-protocol community partnership programs
Layer 1 & Layer 2 Verticals We Serve
Rollups, alt-L1s, app-chains, DA layers, validators, sequencers, and RaaS ecosystems.
Ethereum L2 RollupsZK RollupsOptimistic RollupsAlt-L1sApp-ChainsSovereign RollupsModular Data AvailabilityRestaking-Secured L2sCosmos App-ChainsSolana SVM ChainsMove-Based ChainsL3sRollup-as-a-Service ProvidersValidator NetworksSequencer Markets
Methodology
How We Approach Growth for L1s & L2s.
Systems-level growth for base-layer protocols. We don't sell content calendars.
System 01
We Architect Narrative Before Activation
Before grants open or hackathons launch, we clarify the wedge: modular or monolithic, ZK or optimistic, EVM equivalent or SVM, app-chain or general-purpose, restaking-secured or sovereign. Every channel reinforces the same story so developers, analysts, and validators repeat your pitch in their own words.
System 02
We Map Channels to the Developer Journey
Every channel is mapped to a stage of the developer journey: discovery to docs read to first commit to testnet deploy to mainnet deploy to retained protocol. We track conversion at every step and double down where the funnel widens.
System 03
We Measure Onchain Outcomes, Not Marketing Metrics
Active developers by week. Contract deployments. TVL by anchor app. Bridge volume in. Validator and sequencer adoption. Cross-protocol usage. We report what your data team would report, verifiable onchain.
System 04
We Vet Every Partner for Credibility
Trust compounds in ecosystems. We evaluate dev-influencers by GitHub history. We screen analyst coverage by audience quality. We pursue grant recipients by deployment track record, not pitch deck.
Engagement
How an Engagement Works.
Audit, strategy, execution, optimization. One operating cadence from first gap report to board-ready metrics.
01
Week 1 to 2
Discovery & Audit
Deep audit on your chain: TVL, daily active developers, deployments per week, grant funnel, hackathon ROI, mindshare footprint, narrative posture, validator and sequencer health, and competitive benchmarking against rival L1s and L2s.
02
Week 2 to 4
Strategy & GTM Design
Custom GTM playbook covering narrative architecture, grant-program structure, hackathon calendar, anchor-app shortlist, developer-onboarding funnel, and quarterly KPI framework. Your team owns the playbook; we own the execution.
03
Week 4 onwards
Execution & Distribution
40+ specialists run the system in parallel. Hackathons book, grant pipeline opens, analyst desks brief, narrative content ships, conference keynotes confirm, ecosystem co-marketing scales. One Slack channel, one weekly stand-up, one roadmap.
04
Ongoing
Optimization & Scaling
Weekly tracking on active developers, deployments, TVL by app, bridge flow, validator adoption, and mindshare. Underperforming channels get cut. Winning loops get scaled. Monthly board-ready reporting for the foundation and the token holder base.
Case studies
L1 & L2 Ecosystem Case Studies.
Real chains. Real ecosystems. Real on-chain receipts.
Case 01
IOPn
Layer 1
Scaled IOPn's Layer 1 into a leading ecosystem through smart positioning, community building, and full-funnel growth.
Leading L1 Ecosystem
Full-funnel positioning
Mainnet-ready community
Case 02
Incentiv
Layer 1
Drove pre-mainnet ecosystem readiness with testnet acquisition and developer-cohort building.
1.5M+ Testnet Users
300K+ Social Growth
Mainnet GTM Readiness
Case 03
ORBT Protocol
DeFi · DEX, ecosystem-adjacent
Co-built a viral product loop that converted wallet history into shareable on-chain reputation, the kind of distribution mechanic an ecosystem foundation can plug into.
200,000+ Net New Followers
70,000+ DeFi Score Cards Shared
$12B+ DEX Volume Indexed
$1B+ Community On-Chain Value
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions.
01What kinds of L1s and L2s do you work with?+
Ethereum L2 rollups (ZK and optimistic), alt-L1s, app-chains, sovereign rollups, modular DA layers, restaking-secured L2s, Cosmos app-chains, Solana SVM chains, Move-based chains, L3s, RaaS providers, and validator and sequencer networks. We've supported a Layer 1 to leading-ecosystem status and driven 1.5M+ testnet users for a separate Layer 1 in pre-mainnet.
02Can you actually move developers, or just impressions?+
Yes. We track active developers by week, contract deployments, hackathon-to-deployment conversion, and grant-funnel velocity. KOLs and dev-influencers are vetted by GitHub history. Every campaign maps to a step in the developer journey.
03Do you handle grants programs?+
We design and operate grants programs end-to-end: RFP, evaluation rubric, retroactive payouts, deployment co-marketing, and post-deploy reporting. We do not sit on the grant committee for our own clients, the grant pipeline is your team's call; the operations and distribution are ours.
04Can you book hackathons and conference keynotes?+
Yes. We partner with ETHGlobal, EthCC, Devcon, Solana Breakpoint, Dappcon, and regional hackathon circuits. We run keynote pitches, sponsor packages, side-event hosting, and post-event ecosystem follow-up.
05How do you handle the modular vs monolithic narrative?+
We don't pick a winner; we pick yours. We architect the narrative around what your chain actually does best, then run it through Kaito mindshare campaigns, analyst desks, tier-1 PR, and founder content so the framing sticks.
06How long until we see ecosystem impact?+
Mindshare and developer signal in 30 to 45 days. Grant-funnel and hackathon impact in 60 to 120 days. Anchor-app deployment cycles run 60 to 180 days. Sustainable ecosystem retention compounds over quarters. We share weekly KPI reporting from week one.
07Which channels actually drive L1 and L2 ecosystem growth right now?+
Grants and retroactive funding programs, hackathon partnerships, developer-relations content, dev-influencer outreach, Kaito mindshare campaigns, analyst-desk and research-house coverage, tier-1 PR, founder thought leadership, conference keynotes, and ecosystem co-marketing with anchor apps.
08How do you measure ROI?+
Onchain. We attribute active developers, contract deployments, TVL by anchor app, bridge flow, validator adoption, and ecosystem revenue back to the channel that drove them. Monthly reporting is structured so the foundation, the token holders, and the foundation board can all defend the spend.
Free L1 / L2 Ecosystem Audit
Ready to Engineer Ecosystem Expansion, Developer Onboarding and Narrative Dominance?
Book a call. We'll start with a free L1 / L2 ecosystem audit covering active developers, deployments, grant funnel, hackathon ROI, mindshare footprint, narrative posture, and competitor benchmarking, then rank the three biggest growth levers for your chain by expected ecosystem impact. No deck, no pitch.
