- SOL token of Solana blockchain won Crypto of the Year award for its triple digit yearly growth as a leading smart contract platform
- BlackRock won Bridge Builder of the Year by launching the largest Bitcoin spot ETF, cementing institutional crypto adoption
- Meme coin Bonk on Solana won Memecoin of the Year after gaining over 5,800% in the past 12 months, showing speculative mania around meme tokens
The crypto price and data tracking platform CoinMarketCap (CMC) has announced the winners of its first ever CMC Crypto Awards. The awards honor extraordinary contributors and projects that shaped crypto and Web3 over the past year. According to CMC, the winners were selected after extensive data analysis, expert input, and ten days of online voting.
Crypto of the Year: SOL
SOL, the native token of Solana, won Crypto of the Year. SOL’s value has risen by triple digits yearly as Solana establishes itself as a leading smart contract platform.
Bridge Builder of the Year: BlackRock
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, emerged as Bridge Builder of the Year by launching the largest Bitcoin spot ETF. This milestone cemented institutional adoption of crypto.
Memecoin of the Year: Bonk
Bonk, a meme coin on Solana, won Memecoin of the Year after gaining over 5,800% in the past 12 months. The viral coin exemplifies the speculative mania around meme tokens.
Social Influencer to Watch: ZachXBT
On-chain sleuth ZachXBT was recognized as the Social Influencer to Watch. Zach has flagged numerous exploits and suspicious activities across blockchains, providing a valuable public service.
Most Innovative Projects
Several innovative crypto projects also received awards. Celestia won Most Innovative Layer1/Layer2/Cross-Chain Project for its modular data availability solution. Uniswap won Most Innovative DeFi Project as a leading DEX. Pudgy Penguins won Most Innovative NFT & Gaming Project for its popular digital collectibles.
Crypto Leader of the Year
For Crypto Leader of the Year, CMC honored five nominees for their diverse contributions: Vitalik Buterin, Changpeng Zhao, Brian Armstrong, Ryan Selkis, and Julia Leung. This array of winners signals the breadth of leadership in crypto.
Conclusion
With innovative projects and leaders recognized at the 2024 CMC Crypto Awards, the future looks bright for the crypto space as it continues to mature. CMC plans to expand the awards next year, reflecting the industry’s rapid growth.
