Crypto market moves towards mainstream The 2025 annual selection reveals 22 authoritative awards

2024 is a landmark moment for the crypto market to truly move towards the mainstream. The approval of Bitcoin spot ETF and Ethereum spot ETF for listing successfully enters the traditional financial sector; Bitcoin undergoes another halving, and its price surges significantly; mainstream media's attention to the crypto field has significantly increased; the liquidity of stablecoins continues to grow, and on-chain activities are heating up; phenomenal meme coins rise rapidly, and the MEME super cycle fully erupts; the combination of AI and encryption technology becomes a new hotspot, with intelligent trading agents becoming the new standard configuration. These events lay a solid foundation for a new round of crypto cycles.

Against this backdrop, the 2025 annual selection will have the theme "Becoming Mainstream", aimed at recognizing Web3 projects, teams, and individuals that continuously build and strive to bring the industry into the mainstream spotlight. After more than a month of registration collection, online voting, and evaluation by a professional jury, a total of 22 authoritative annual awards have been selected, with 141 projects/companies and 10 individuals receiving awards.

This selection combines multiple criteria such as technological innovation, ecological development, market influence, and community building to award three Annual Outstanding Contribution Awards: Bitcoin, Base, and Solana.

In the field of innovation, 10 annual innovation award projects have been selected, including ai16z, Ethena, Fractal Bitcoin, GMGNAi, GOAT, Hyperliquid, Mind Network, Polymarket, Pump.fun, and Virtuals Protocol. These projects have made innovative breakthroughs in technical mechanisms, economic models, business models, investment models, and methods of asset issuance.

The annual application list covers seven categories including DeFi, Web3 games, Web3 social, RWA, DePIN, AI + Web3 integration, and NFTs, with a total of 45 outstanding projects selected.

In the infrastructure sector, 20 annual best infrastructure projects were selected, covering three categories: L1, L2, and tools. The continuous iteration and upgrading of these infrastructures inject new vitality into the entire market.

In addition, the selection also identified 25 of the most promising projects in the Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and TON ecosystems, as well as the 10 most popular MEME coins of the year.

In terms of individuals and institutions, select the 10 most influential KOLs of the year, 5 most influential Web3 conferences of the year, 10 best investment institutions of the year, 8 best exchanges of the year, and 10 best column authors.

The year 2024 is seen as a critical turning point in the encryption field, with multiple factors shaping profound changes in the market structure. As these factors intertwine and accelerate, cryptocurrencies are expected to gain a clearer definition and wider recognition within the global financial system by 2025. This selection aims to showcase the emerging trends and development potential of the crypto industry, encouraging more industry pioneers and innovators to actively participate in the long-term construction of the crypto ecosystem.