The increasingly multilayered nature of the blockchain ecosystem has created a growth spurt in user activity and liquidity, but the challenges it throws up are also seemingly intractable. Scalability requires more platforms to increase bandwidth, yet interoperability barriers and the complexity of a crowded ecosystem risk constraining forward-looking innovation. How can developers focus on building user-friendly apps that meet real-world needs rather than chasing the tail of the newest problem caused by the latest solution?