The 2024 Crypto Market Moves Towards Mainstream, PANews Annual Awards Reveal 22 Authoritative Awards

In 2024, the crypto market witnessed significant breakthroughs. Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETFs were approved for listing, opening the doors to traditional finance; Bitcoin completed its halving, causing prices to soar; mainstream media's attention to the crypto industry significantly increased; the liquidity of stablecoins continued to grow, and on-chain activities remained vibrant; phenomenally popular meme coins rapidly emerged, leading to a full-blown MEME super cycle; the integration of AI and encryption technology became a new hotspot, with smart agents becoming the new standard in crypto trading. This series of events marks the true beginning of the crypto market's transition to mainstream, laying the foundation for the start of a new cycle.

In this context, PANews held the PARTY AWARD 2025 selection activity with the theme "Becoming Mainstream." After more than a month of registration, voting, and professional review, a total of 22 authoritative awards were selected, with 141 projects/companies and 10 individuals winning awards.

This selection covers multiple dimensions, including technological innovation, ecological development, market influence, and community building. Among them, Bitcoin, Base, and Solana received the Annual Outstanding Contribution Award.

In terms of innovation awards, 10 projects including ai16z, Ethena, Fractal Bitcoin, GMGNAi, GOAT, Hyperliquid, Mind Network, Polymarket, Pump.fun, and Virtuals Protocol stood out. These projects have demonstrated innovation in technical mechanisms, economic models, business models, investment models, and asset issuance methods, promoting the optimization of the trading environment and the diversification of asset allocation.

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 projects awarded. This includes DeFi projects such as Aave, Ethena, and Hyperliquid, Web3 games like Big Time and Blocklords, Web3 social platforms such as Farcaster and Lens Protocol, as well as popular NFT projects like Azuki and Bitcoin Puppets.

In terms of infrastructure, 20 of the best projects were selected, covering L1, L2, and various tools. Among them, BNB Chain, Ethereum, and Solana won the best L1 awards, while Arbitrum, Base, and zkSync won the best L2 awards.

In addition, the selection also focused on the most promising projects in various ecosystems. Projects such as Babylon and Bitlayer in the Bitcoin ecosystem, Arbitrum and EigenLayer in the Ethereum ecosystem, Catizen and DOGS in the TON ecosystem, as well as Jupiter and Meteora in the Solana ecosystem have all been recognized.

In the MEME field, AIXBT, BOME, CHILLGUY, and 7 other projects have been rated as the most popular MEMEs of the year. These projects not only demonstrate strong dissemination power and cultural influence but also become important indicators of on-chain liquidity.

In the annual selection of the most influential KOLs, 10 industry opinion leaders, including Ansem, Biteye, and dingaling, are highly recognized for their professionalism and insight.

In terms of conference events, five large Web3 conferences such as Bitcoin2024 and BREAK POINT 2024 have been recognized for their contributions to the development of the industry and the dissemination of knowledge.

In the selection of investment institutions, a16z, Alliance, Binance Labs Fund, and other 10 institutions have been awarded the title of Best Investment Institution of the Year for their market insights and strategic vision.

Exchanges, as an important part of the encryption ecosystem, have been awarded the Annual Best Exchange Award, with 8 exchanges including Binance, Bitget, and Bybit recognized for their performance in product diversity, user experience, compliance, and security.

Finally, PANews also selected the 10 best columns, including authors such as Arthur Hayes, NingNing, and 0xGreythorn, to recognize their contributions to industry analysis and thought leadership.

2024 is seen as a critical turning point in the encryption field, with multiple factors driving profound changes in the market structure. With the entry of Wall Street giants, Bitcoin halving, the gradual clarification of regulatory frameworks, traditional institutions opening up to crypto asset allocation, the impact of the U.S. elections, and the continuous maturation of technology, cryptocurrencies are expected to gain a clearer positioning and broader recognition in the global financial system by 2025. The PARTY AWARD 2025 showcases emerging trends and development potential in the crypto industry through this list, aiming to encourage more industry pioneers and innovators to actively participate in the long-term construction of the crypto ecosystem.