Crypto market moves towards mainstream: 2025 Annual Selection Announced

In 2024, the crypto market will witness a landmark moment. Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETFs have been approved for listing, opening the doors to traditional finance; Bitcoin has completed its halving, causing prices to surge; mainstream media attention has significantly increased; the liquidity of stablecoins continues to grow; on-chain activities are heating up; the phenomenon of meme coins is rising, and the MEME supercycle is fully erupting; the combination of AI and encryption has created a new narrative. All of these signify the growing strength of the crypto forces, providing a perfect start for the new era.

Against this backdrop, an annual selection event themed "Becoming Mainstream" has been launched, aimed at recognizing Web3 projects, teams, and individuals that continuously build and strive to bring the industry into mainstream visibility. After a rigorous evaluation, a total of 141 projects/enterprises and 10 individuals stood out and received 22 authoritative annual awards.

The selection results cover multiple dimensions:

1. Annual Outstanding Contribution Award: Bitcoin, Base, and Solana.

2. Annual Innovation Award: ai16z, Ethena, Fractal Bitcoin, GMGNAi, GOAT, Hyperliquid, Mind Network, Polymarket, Pump.fun, and Virtuals Protocol.

3. Annual Application List:
   • Best DeFi: Aave, Ethena, Hyperliquid and 10 other projects
   • Best Web3 Games: Big Time, Blocklords and 5 other projects
   • Best Web3 Social: 5 projects including Farcaster, Lens Protocol, etc.
   • Best RWA: 5 projects including MANTRA, Ondo Finance, etc.
   • Best DePIN: DBunker, Grass, and 3 other projects
   • Best AI + Web3 Integration: ai16z, DIN, and 3 other projects
   • Most popular NFTs: Azuki, Bitcoin Puppets, and 3 other projects

4. Best Infrastructure of the Year:
   • Best L1: 5 projects including BNB Chain, Ethereum, etc.
   • Best L2: Arbitrum, Base and 5 other projects
   • Best tools: BlockPI, CoinGlass and 10 other projects

5. Most Promising Projects in Each Ecosystem:
   • Bitcoin ecosystem: Babylon, Bitlayer and 5 other projects
   • Ethereum ecosystem: Arbitrum, EigenLayer, and 10 other projects
   • TON Ecosystem: Catizen, DOGS and 3 other projects
   • Solana Ecosystem: Jupiter, Meteora and 5 other projects

6. Most Popular MEME of the Year: 10 projects including AIXBT, BOME, CHILLGUY, etc.

7. Most Influential KOL of the Year: Ansem, Biteye and other 10 individuals

8. The Most Influential Web3 Conferences of the Year: Bitcoin2024, BREAK POINT 2024, and 3 other conferences.

9. Best Investment Institutions of the Year: a16z, Alliance and 10 other institutions

10. Best Exchanges of the Year: Binance, Bitget, and 6 other exchanges

11. PANews Best Column: Arthur Hayes, NingNing and 8 other authors

2024 is seen as a critical turning point in the encryption field. The entry of Wall Street giants, Bitcoin halving, clear regulatory frameworks, traditional institutions opening up to crypto asset allocation, the impact of the U.S. elections, and the continuous maturation of technology are bringing new growth opportunities to the industry, prompting the market to present a diversified narrative. In 2025, cryptocurrencies are expected to gain a more defined and widely recognized role in the global financial system.

This selection aims to showcase the emerging trends and development potential of the encryption industry, encouraging more pioneers and innovators to actively participate in the long-term construction of the ecosystem.