Flow doubles down on consumer crypto with Forte upgrade and $250K hackathon
Flow Monthly Overview - October 2, 2025
Welcome to the Flow Overview. Every month, we dive into the Flow ecosystem to bring you up to speed on the latest updates, metrics, insights and more.
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The State of Flow
$FLOW: $0.38 (-5.58%)
Flow total value locked (TVL): $108.1M (-3.6%)
Flow DEX Volume: $26.33M (-22.17%)
Flow Stablecoin Market Cap: $41.82M (-6.44%)
These metrics are accurate upon publication. The percentages are based on month-over-month change, unless noted otherwise.
Go with the Flow
🌊 What happened: Flow’s Forte network upgrade went live on testnet in mid-September, bringing protocol-level composability and automation to its blockchain. The network also kicked off the Forte Hacks hackathon, which will run throughout October and feature a $250,000 prize pool across four core tracks.
🌊 Why it matters: The upgrade, slated to launch on Flow’s mainnet on October 22, introduces primitives like Flow Actions and Agents, which serve as composable blocks for onchain workflows. These operations enable developers to build automated applications in a single atomic transaction, all without custom code.
Alongside initiatives that help expand the ecosystem, Flow is trying to attract more developers to build on its platform via events like Forte Hacks. The global hackathon is aimed at developers who want to build new consumer apps, find novel ways to use Forte features, vibe-code apps, and showcase their existing projects.
Developer hackathons tend to bring more tokenized assets, smart contracts, and user activity to networks, while enhancing liquidity and adoption volumes. And as we noted in our biannual report, Flow traditionally sees major traction across its developer ecosystem and DeFi ecosystem during and after its hackathons.
Demand for blockchain technology has grown as web2 and web3 companies alike seek to streamline operations and increase efficiency. Since the hackathon will be going on during this upgrade, Flow can showcase its capability to maintain high-speed, consumer-focused architecture.
The hackathon is being supported by a number of partner bounties from collaborators, which include Dune (analytics), QuickNode (infrastructure), MoonPay (fiat onramps), Thirdweb (development tools), Privy (user onboarding), and Crossmint (crypto rails). Ecosystem players like Dapper Labs are also offering dedicated prizes for building with their applications.
🌊 The big picture: Flow’s Forte upgrade can spur developer and user growth on the network by offering a versatile, efficient framework for onchain innovation. The ability to instantly assemble and automate asset workflows, such as DeFi primitives or NFT agents, can create a pathway for more consumer app integrations with decentralized platforms. This will in turn provide better tools for developers to ship faster, help retail users engage seamlessly, and enable infrastructure to scale without compromise.
What’s Flowin’ through the ecosystem?
Diving into the biggest announcements, developments and more happening within the Flow
Here are some standout features of the Flow Forte network upgrade:
Flow Actions are protocol-native, composable operations that allow developers to compose complex workflows in a single atomic transaction, without needing to write custom code
Flow Agents are onchain resources that enable fully automated, owned workflows able to be triggered from scheduled transactions or events
Flow TVL reached an all-time high of $115M on Sept. 19
Stablecoin market cap on Flow hit a new high of $45.55M on Sept. 15
Multi-chain liquid staking protocol Ankr’s TVL on Flow recorded a high of $24.4M on Sept. 14
The number of Core developers on Flow reached a three-year high of 92 on Sept. 23
Watch this video about NBA Top Shot’s new Lava feature that shows asset listing transparency
Beezie, a TCG marketplace built on Flow, partnered with OpenSea for its rewards pool, which includes $100K worth of phygital collectibles
KittyPunch’s Punchswap recorded swap volume of $100M across 230K swaps on Flow
Disney Pinnacle released a limited event edition digital pin, Disney’s Pluto 95 Vol.1, during its marketplace event on Sept. 26
Check out this video featuring NFL ALL DAY digital collectibles
Follow the community’s Flow
Want to build on Flow? Visit the developer portal for more info on documentation and tools. Or go further down the Flow rabbit hole:
Flow is hiring: check out all the open positions here
Check out Disney Pinnacle’s weekly marketplace event from Oct. 3-6
Follow Flow and visit their website to explore additional opportunities
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This information is for entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial advice, nor should it be used to make investment decisions. Cryptocurrencies are high risk and you should consult a financial professional before making any financial decisions. Make sure you do your own research.