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Published On Aug 04, 2025
Updated On Feb 03, 2026
Today, new blockchain projects are adopting frameworks like Hardhat, Foundry, or Viem to ship faster and more securely.
As Web3 development expands into rollups, oracles, and automation, the need for specialised libraries and structured frameworks has never been more critical.
In 2026, success isn't just about writing smart contracts; it's about choosing the right stack to build, scale, and coordinate across chains.
This guide explores the most relevant Web3 libraries and frameworks in 2026, what’s new, what’s dominant, and how to choose the best tools for your next build.
Let’s get started.
Web3 developers in 2026 aren’t just writing smart contracts.
They’re building programmable systems that span execution layers, automation workflows, data pipelines, and cross-chain coordination.
Tooling is no longer optional infrastructure, it’s what enables these systems to scale securely, behave predictably, and remain verifiable across fragmented environments.
Here’s how the development landscape has changed, and why your stack needs to keep up:
Rollups and appchains are no longer experimental.
Frameworks like the OP Stack, Arbitrum Orbit, and Cosmos SDK have made modular architecture a default choice, allowing teams to mix and match execution layers, data availability, and settlement.
Smart contracts are now microservices in a larger onchain system. Tooling must support rollup-aware deployments, custom chain logic, and multi-environment dev loops.
Developers now assume multichain from day one, whether building on the Optimism Superchain, integrating zkSync Era, or bridging Cosmos assets.
Messaging protocols, state relays, and chain-agnostic SDKs have made cross-rollup execution a feature, not a workaround. Libraries must now abstract multiple chains while preserving type safety and latency guarantees.
Tools like GitHub Copilot, fuzzing copilots, and Qodo are no longer novelty add-ons, they’re reshaping how developers test, review, and even refactor smart contracts.
Today, AI copilots generate fuzz tests, highlight gas inefficiencies, and auto-simulate contract calls. Frameworks are evolving to embed these copilots directly into CLI workflows.
The rise of DAOs, RWAs, DePIN networks, and permissionless coordination layers has led to more than 23,615 monthly active developers on chain.
These builders need abstractions that accelerate UX without compromising security, from typed libraries like Viem to secure automation SDKs like RedStone.
Web3 development today is not about reinventing the wheel, but about selecting the right components to build systems that are secure, modular, and verifiable from the outset.
The libraries you choose shape how your application communicates with the blockchain, manages edge cases and scales across chains.
In 2026, it’s not just about what a library can do; it’s about how well it fits your system’s design philosophy and future direction.
Below are the most relevant libraries in use today, along with when to use them, trade-offs to expect, and where they sit in the evolving Web3 development stack.
The backbone of EVM development.
Ethers.js continues to dominate with its reliability, concise API, and deep ecosystem compatibility.
Originally built for Ethereum, it now powers infrastructure across major L2s like Base and Arbitrum Orbit, with integrations seen in protocols like Compound and Safe.
What’s new:
When to use it:
When to avoid:
While well-supported, Ethers.js isn’t modular by default and can lag behind newer tooling in ergonomics and speed. Still, it’s stable, predictable, and production-proven.
The TypeScript-native library, built for modern Web3 apps.
Viem anchors the frontend stacks of projects like Zora, ENS V3, and Rebase where performance, types, and composability matter most.
With first-class TypeScript support, modular design, and fast encoding/decoding, it’s becoming the go-to for frontend-heavy teams building composable dApps across L2s.
Why it’s winning:
It is adopted by teams building on the Optimism Superchain, Base, and Polygon zkEVM. Viem is powering interfaces for DAO tools, NFT platforms, and yield apps that demand reliability and speed.
When to use it:
When to avoid:
While newer and still building ecosystem depth, it offers cleaner abstractions for teams prioritising long-term maintainability.
Web3.js was once the default for Ethereum interaction. In 2026, it's mostly used in legacy systems used only for Educational Purposes or Static Demos, basic tutorials, or cases where minimal updates are expected.
Why it still exists:
When to use it:
When to avoid:
Web3.js lacks modern dev features, typing, and plugin support. For new builds, migration to Viem or Ethers.js is strongly recommended.
The Python gateway to Ethereum.
Web3.py has carved out a crucial niche: enabling researchers, data engineers, and backend developers to interact with smart contracts using Python. It plays a vital role in governance, analytics, automation, and monitoring.
Why it matters:
It's widely adopted by governance tooling teams and protocol analysts at Aave, Optimism, and Uniswap for tasks like treasury automation and proposal tracking.
When to use it:
When to avoid:
Limited support for frontend workflows or gas profiling. But irreplaceable for research and automation layers in data-heavy systems.
The frontend developer's power stack.
Wagmi provides a robust React hook system for interacting with Ethereum smart contracts. RainbowKit adds clean wallet integration with minimal setup.
They’re used in interfaces like Optimism’s RetroPGF app, Zora’s NFT portal, and many Superchain grant dashboards.
2026 upgrades:
Adopted in for minting apps, NFT marketplaces, DAO frontends, and mobile dApps requiring seamless wallet UX.
When to use it:
When to avoid:
Highly opinionated setup. Great for convention-over-configuration use, but may require overrides for edge-case flows.
Built for ZK-powered applications.
Starknet.js is the JavaScript library for interacting with Starknet, while Cairo SDKs enable smart contract development and integration in Rust, Python, and Cairo itself.
2026 improvements:
Zero-knowledge games, DePIN infra projects, and apps needing privacy-preserving computation or scalability beyond EVM.
When to use it:
When to avoid:
Projects like zkLend and Dojo’s ecosystem apps have made this tooling mainstream, but Cairo familiarity remains a key barrier for most EVM-native teams.
Each tool above serves a specific layer in the development stack, whether it’s frontend abstraction, backend automation, or chain-specific interaction.
And as projects mature, the focus shifts from isolated libraries to integrated systems that support faster builds, deeper testing, and production-grade deployment.
That’s where frameworks come in.
Libraries help you talk to blockchains. Frameworks help you build entire systems around them.
Today, Web3 frameworks will be less about boilerplate and more about developer speed, testing guarantees, and full integration across chains, wallets, and deployment environments.
Teams today are choosing stacks based not just on code ergonomics, but on how well they handle edge cases, support automation, and reduce DevOps overhead.
Here’s what’s leading the pack and where each stack fits best.
The default development environment for the EVM.
Hardhat remains the most widely used smart contract development framework.
Its plugin-rich architecture, solid documentation, and widespread community adoption make it the go-to for teams building and maintaining smart contracts at scale.
But in 2026, its role is shifting.
Hardhat is no longer just a starting point, it’s a proven choice for teams that value plugin modularity, legacy compatibility, and developer familiarity across the EVM.
When to use it:
When to avoid:
Hardhat thrives in plugin-driven environments and multi-dev teams who want predictable, debuggable workflows.
It's still widely supported across the Superchain and Orbit chains, but for cutting-edge testing, Foundry may be a better fit.
Performance-first tooling for advanced EVM teams.
Foundry has emerged as the preferred toolkit for advanced EVM teams.
Built in Rust and designed for performance, it delivers fast test execution, native fuzzing, and powerful cheat codes, thus making it ideal for protocols pushing the limits of smart contract design.
In 2026, Foundry isn’t just for auditors or performance fanatics. It’s become the standard for teams that prioritize test coverage, CI integration, and low-level control over their smart contract systems.
When to use it:
When to avoid:
Foundry isn’t built for beginners, but for battle-tested smart contract pipelines, nothing comes close. It offers confidence at scale, especially for teams where failure isn't an option.
Widely used in Optimism Superchain modules, Zora’s custom contracts, and DeFi-native rollups launching on Arbitrum Orbit.
Full-stack boilerplate that evolves with the ecosystem.
Scaffold-ETH 2 has become the go-to stack for rapid prototyping in the EVM world. Built around Viem, Vite, Wagmi, and RainbowKit, it lets teams go from smart contract to usable frontend in hours not days.
In 2026, this isn’t just a hackathon tool. It’s a serious entry point for solo builders, product teams validating ideas, and early-stage startups that need to ship fast, test UX, and iterate quickly.
When to use it:
When to avoid:
Scaffold-ETH 2 trades depth for speed, and that’s the point. It’s not built to scale your mainnet protocol, it’s built to test if the idea is worth scaling in the first place.
Common use cases are token-gated apps, minting flows, DAO frontends, community dashboards.
Low-code framework for Web3 app deployment.
Thirdweb has carved out a clear niche in 2026: abstracting the complexity of blockchain development so non-technical teams, startups, and consumer brands can launch quickly without touching low-level code.
It’s not just a no-code UI, it’s a developer toolkit with SDKs, prebuilt contracts, wallet integrations, and a full deployment pipeline.
Especially for teams building NFTs, DAOs, or token-based reward systems, it reduces time-to-market dramatically.
When to use it:
When to avoid:
Thirdweb trades off flexibility for ease of use. It lowers barriers for Web3 adoption but may not support edge-case logic or scaling needs.
Tooling for verifiable on-chain data delivery.
In 2026, oracles are no longer one-size-fits-all.
As DeFi, RWA protocols, and DePIN systems demand faster updates, custom feeds, and proof-backed data pipelines, RedStone SDK has emerged as the toolkit for developers who need more than static price feeds.
Rather than offering fixed endpoints like traditional oracles, RedStone gives you flexible delivery methods, cryptographic proofs, and full-stack integration hooks to match your protocol's execution model.
When to use it:
When to avoid:
RedStone doesn’t just feed your contracts, it gives you control over what, when, and how data reaches the chain.
The Web3 tooling ecosystem in 2026 is richer than ever, but also more fragmented. Developers are no longer choosing between Ethers.js and Web3.js.
They're deciding between modular frameworks, cross-chain execution layers, ZK tooling, WASM runtimes, and typed contract libraries. It’s a lot.
That’s why the question isn’t just which tool is best, but it’s about which stack fits what you're building, where you're building it, and how fast you need to move.
Here’s how teams are making those decisions today.
Today, teams aren’t just choosing tools; they’re assembling stacks that align with their use case, architecture, product maturity, and execution speed.
But picking the right combination starts with clarity: about the chain you're building on, the stage you're in, and the outcomes you need to optimise for. From there, the trade-offs become easier to navigate.
Let’s break that down.
Every Web3 stack starts with an architectural choice. Based on what chain you are building on, like EVM chains like Optimism or Arbitrum, ZK-rollups like Starknet or Cosmos appchains.
Each of these environments has its own development patterns, supported languages, and tooling preferences.
Choosing the right stack starts by aligning with the execution layer you’re targeting:
Execution Layer
Best-Fit Libraries & Frameworks
EVM (Ethereum, L2s like Base/OP/Arbitrum)
Ethers.js, Viem, Foundry, Hardhat, Wagmi
ZK-Rollups (Starknet, zkSync Era)
Starknet.js, Cairo SDKs, Dojo
Cosmos / WASM
CosmJS, CosmWasm CLI, Rust SDKs
Solana
solana/web3.js, Anchor, Seahorse
Why it matters: Starting with the wrong tooling can create unnecessary overhead. Compatibility issues, missing dev features, or lack of ecosystem support can bottleneck progress from day one.
In the early stages of a product, speed matters more than precision. You’re validating ideas, not perfecting architecture.
Stacks like Scaffold-ETH 2 or Thirdweb help teams move from concept to testnet in hours. It is ideal for hackathons, MVPs, and rapid feedback loops.
Common early-stage stack: Viem and Wagmi for the frontend, Hardhat or Scaffold-ETH for contracts, and RainbowKit for wallet integration.
Best suited for: NFT drops, token-gated experiences, loyalty programs, and lightweight community apps.
But once you find traction, it’s time to optimise for auditability, composability, and upgradeability, which means a deeper tooling transition.
When you're building a DeFi protocol, treasury infrastructure, or anything composable with other apps, your stack needs to account for edge cases, gas costs, and attack surfaces.
That’s where performance-first tools like Foundry shine by offering built-in fuzzing, cheat codes, and gas profiling.
Advanced protocol stack: Foundry for contracts, Web3.py for automation and bots, Ethers.js for backend interactions, and RedStone SDK for oracle integration.
Best suited for: Lending markets, derivatives platforms, automated treasury systems, and stablecoin protocols.
Pro tip: CI/CD matters. If your testing suite isn’t fast or reproducible, you’ll pay for it during audits.
Tooling doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Ecosystems like Optimism, Polygon CDK, or Starknet often standardise on specific tools and choosing those helps unlock grants, dev support, and faster onboarding.
Choosing tools that align with your ecosystem's standards doesn’t just simplify development; it connects you to native dev tooling, documentation, and incentives.
Here’s how leading ecosystems stack up in 2026:
Ecosystem
Recommended Stack
Optimism Superchain
Viem, Foundry, OP CLI, Wagmi
Polygon zkEVM / CDK
Hardhat, Thirdweb, Viem
Starknet
Cairo SDKs, Starknet.js, Dojo
Cosmos
CosmJS, CosmWasm, Ignite CLI
If your goal is to plug into ecosystem incentives or coordinate with other dApps on the same chain, stack alignment makes life easier.
The use case dictates the abstraction level. A DAO building governance bots doesn’t need the same stack as a protocol designing a new AMM.
Here's how tooling depth maps to common Web3 use cases in 2026:
Use Case
Suggested Stack
Why It Works
NFT platform or gamified UX
Wagmi + Viem + RainbowKit + Thirdweb
Quick setup, frontend-first, wallet native
DAO treasury automation
Web3.py + Foundry + event listeners
Backend-heavy with scripting flexibility
Lending/DeFi protocol
Foundry + Ethers.js + RedStone SDK
Performance, test coverage, custom logic
ZK-enabled app
Starknet.js + Cairo SDK
Privacy, scalability, provable computation
Web3 tooling evolves fast. It’s tempting to chase the newest framework or bleeding-edge language.
But in most cases, stability and documentation matter more than novelty, especially if you’re building with a team, hiring developers, or preparing for audits.
Focus on tools with strong communities, up-to-date docs, and long-term roadmap clarity. A tool that’s 90% perfect and 100% maintained beats one that’s 100% cool and 0% supported.
In 2026, the right stack helps you move faster without cutting corners. Start lean, align with your infrastructure, and scale into security as your app matures.
As the ecosystem matures, so do the expectations from tooling. It's no longer just about building faster; it's about building smarter, more verifiable systems that can adapt as the ecosystem shifts.
Here’s what’s shaping the next wave of Web3 development in 2026 and beyond.
Web3 dev stacks in 2026 aren’t just maturing, they’re getting opinionated.
The most significant shifts aren’t just about faster deployment or cleaner syntax; they’re about transforming development into a modular, verifiable, and AI-assisted process that scales across chains.
Here are five major trends redefining how blockchain applications are built.
Tooling is evolving from isolated libraries into stack-level abstractions. Devs aren’t just writing contracts, they’re assembling systems.
Full-stack environments now offer pre-integrated wallets, deployments, and UI kits, allowing builders to go from idea to mainnet without context switching.
Examples:
You’re no longer stitching tools together. You’re adopting a composable environment purpose-built for your use case, whether that’s a DeFi protocol, ZK-based game, or DAO governance system.
Test-first thinking is now default. Tools like Foundry and Hardhat simulate mainnet state locally, giving developers confidence before pushing to production.
Combined with typed ABIs and CI hooks, the result is infra that’s safe by design, not afterthought.
What's driving this:
Smart contract development is becoming more like traditional backend development: observable, reproducible, and confidently testable before mainnet deployment.
AI isn’t just helping write code, it’s shaping how contracts are verified.
Tools like DevGPT are being used to write tests, simulate exploits, and enforce invariants. The result are smarter agents, faster loops, and fewer bugs in prod.
Emerging use cases in 2026:
AI accelerates repetitive tasks and shortens the feedback loop. Developers now focus more on architectural thinking and verifiability, while AI handles syntax and edge case detection.
Devs no longer ask “Which chain?”, they ask “Which execution model?” SDKs are now expected to normalize differences across L2s, appchains, and ZK rollups.
With a single interface to handle signers, RPCs, and state queries, cross-chain isn't complexity, it's just configuration.
Key tooling directions:
The best developers aren’t choosing chains, they’re choosing deployment surfaces. Stack-agnostic tooling is how multichain apps ship without blowing up scope.
Automation in 2020s meant scripts. In 2026, it means execution that’s provable by design.
Services like TriggerX and Chainlink Functions offer cryptographic attestations and slashing-backed uptime, shifting automation from best-effort to guaranteed.
What’s evolving:
Reliability is now measurable. Smart contract automation is no longer best-effort; it’s programmable, verifiable, and reputationally enforced.
The Web3 stack has matured.
What used to be a fragmented mix of libraries and scripts is now evolving into structured environments, complete with typed contracts, simulation layers, cross-chain abstractions, and verifiable automation.
In 2026, building on-chain is less about hacking things together and more about choosing the right building blocks are ones that match your architecture, your ecosystem, and your execution model.
Whether you're launching a DeFi protocol, building a DAO coordination layer, or shipping your first smart wallet app, the stack you choose will shape how you scale, debug, and sustain that system over time.
Choosing the right tools isn't just a technical decision. It’s a strategic one. At Lampros Tech, we help protocol teams build future-ready systems with the right stack which is modular, verifiable, and built to scale. Explore our Web3 Development Services.
Growth Lead
FAQs
Viem, Ethers.js, Web3.py, and Starknet.js lead the way for typed, performant, and chain-specific development.
Foundry is the top choice for audit-ready Solidity development with fuzz testing, cheat codes, and fast CI pipelines.
Viem offers modular, TypeScript-native APIs and better frontend integration. Ethers.js is stable and ideal for legacy or full-stack EVM apps.
AI tools help with test generation, gas profiling, exploit detection, and prompt-based scripting for smart contracts and bots.
The biggest trends include typed & simulated workflows, full-stack abstractions, AI agents, multichain SDKs, and verifiable automation via AVS platforms.
