Crypto market moves towards mainstream milestone PANews annual selection announced

In 2024, the crypto market will experience a significant turning point towards mainstream adoption. The approval and listing of Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETFs will open the doors to traditional finance. After Bitcoin's halving, the price will surge, significantly increasing market attention. The liquidity of stablecoins will continue to grow, and on-chain activities will become increasingly active. The meme coin craze will rise again, leading to a full-blown MEME super cycle. The integration of AI and encryption technology will become a new hotspot, with smart agents becoming standard in trading. This series of major events will lay a solid foundation for a new market cycle.

Against this background, PANews held its fifth annual selection event with the theme "Becoming Mainstream." After more than a month of registration, voting, and professional review, a total of 141 projects/companies and 10 individuals were selected to receive 22 authoritative awards.

This selection is comprehensively considered from multiple dimensions such as technological innovation, ecological development, market influence, and community building, ultimately awarding the annual outstanding contribution awards to Bitcoin, Base, and Solana.

In terms of innovation, ai16z, Ethena, Fractal Bitcoin, and 7 other projects received the Annual Innovation Award. These projects have made groundbreaking progress in technical mechanisms, economic models, and business models.

The annual application list covers seven categories: DeFi, Web3 games, Web3 social, RWA, DePIN, AI + Web3, and NFTs, with a total of 45 projects selected. Among them, Aave and Uniswap stand out in the DeFi field, while Big Time and Illuvium shine in the Web3 gaming aspect.

In terms of infrastructure, a total of 20 projects were recognized. Among them, Ethereum, Solana, and 3 other projects were selected as the best L1 of the year, while Arbitrum, Base, and 3 other projects were rated as the best L2 of the year. BlockPI, CoinGlass, and 8 other projects received the best tool award of the year.

The selection also focused on the most promising projects in various ecosystems. In the Bitcoin ecosystem, 5 projects including Babylon and Bitlayer were selected; in the Ethereum ecosystem, 10 projects including Arbitrum and EigenLayer; in the TON ecosystem, 5 projects including Catizen and DOGS; and in the Solana ecosystem, 5 projects including Jupiter and Meteora were respectively chosen.

As one of the hottest tracks in 2024, the MEME coin sector is also receiving a lot of attention. AIXBT, BOME, DOGE, and 10 other projects have been rated as the most popular MEMEs of the year.

In terms of personal influence, Ansem, Biteye, and 10 other KOLs received the title of the most influential KOL of the year.

In addition, Bitcoin 2024, BREAK POINT 2024, and 3 other conferences were rated as the most influential Web3 conferences of the year. 10 institutions including a16z and Alliance were rated as the best investment institutions of the year. 8 exchanges including Binance and Bitget were rated as the best exchanges of the year.

PANews also selected 10 best columns, including well-known authors like Arthur Hayes and NingNing.

2024 is seen as a key turning point in the encryption field, with multiple factors driving profound changes in the market structure. With Wall Street giants entering the scene, increasingly clear regulations, and an increase in institutional allocations, crypto assets are expected to gain broader recognition in the global financial system by 2025. This selection aims to showcase new trends and potential in the industry, encouraging more innovators to participate in the long-term construction of the ecosystem.