Messari: Crypto Industry's 2024 Protocols and Figures of the Year

Author: Messari, Source: Messari crypto thesis 2025; Compiler: 0xjs@黄金财经

To celebrate a brilliant year in the cryptocurrency field, we launched the first annual Messari Awards. In this section, we highlight some of the best protocols and people in their respective categories based on their contributions to cryptocurrency in 2024. All results are voted by the Messari team.

Best Rookie of the Year

Our Best Rookie of the Year award is given to the most groundbreaking crypto protocol this year.

pump.fun was launched in January 2024 and quickly became a sensation in the cryptocurrency world. The launchpad is now the highest-grossing launchpad on Solana, with continued growth in volume. Without pump.fun, we wouldn’t have GOAT, PNUT, FART, ZEREBRO, MOODENG, and many of our other favorite tokens this year. It’s safe to say that the application has changed the token launch game forever, and we’re excited to see what pump has in store for us as it enters its second year. Pump.fun is Messari’s 2024 Rookie of the Year.

Layer1 of the Year

L1 of the Year is awarded to the best performing L1 of 2024.

2024 is the year of Solana. Driven by a vibrant user and application-led ecosystem, the Solana network delivers lightning-fast performance and low transaction costs under high activity loads in 2024. The emergence of memecoin culture on Solana has sparked a thriving new crypto space, demonstrating the inherent strengths of the network. As Solana’s metrics continue to grow exponentially, it sets the standard for the look and feel of a modern L1 blockchain. Congratulations to Solana for winning Messari’s L1 of the Year Award.

DeFi Protocol of the Year

The DeFi Protocol of the Year award is given to the best performing DeFi application in 2024.

Hyperliquid’s order book redefines the boundaries of what’s possible on-chain. With continued growth in volume, open interest, and user adoption, the protocol is emerging as one of DeFi’s key leaders in the battle to take share from centralized exchanges. Looking ahead to 2025, we’re eager to see continued development of the L1 ecosystem.

DePIN Protocol of the Year

The DePIN Protocol of the Year award is given to the best performing DePIN protocol in 2024.

Helium has redefined the DePIN landscape, proving that cryptocurrencies can drive real-world value and utility. Since launching in December 2023, Helium Mobile has surged to over 120,000 subscribers, offering the most affordable unlimited data plan on the market for just $20 per month. Additionally, Helium's groundbreaking carrier programs support an average of 250,000-300,000 subscribers per day for some of the largest mobile operators in the U.S., demonstrating its ability to revolutionize connectivity infrastructure. Helium was named the 2024 DePIN for its innovation, impact, and ability to connect cryptocurrencies to the “real world.”

Best Consumer App of the Year

The Consumer App of the Year award is given to the best performing consumer app of 2024.

Polymarket proved that on-chain prediction markets are here to stay, registering nearly 1 million new accounts during this election year. On the demand side, users invested billions of dollars in election markets, catching up with off-chain prediction markets. Meanwhile, Polymarket’s real-time probabilities of election results were widely cited by mainstream media and became a leading source of objective news. For anyone looking to bet on the election or just stay informed, Polymarket is the go-to destination.

Memeccoin of the Year

The memecoin of the year award goes to the best performing memecoin of 2024.

While GOAT wasn’t the biggest memecoin of the year, it was quite possibly the most influential. Its incredible lore, integration with AI, and impact on one of crypto’s most exciting new metas has captured everyone’s attention. If AI agents and their respective memecoins continue to dominate attention in 2025, GOAT will be forever cemented as the one that started it all.

Account of the Year

Our X-Account of the Year award goes to the top performing Crypto Twitter (CT) member of 2024.

This was a hotly contested award, but in the end, only the AI ​​agent was able to come out on top. @aixbt_agent has grown his account to over 100,000 followers in less than a month, while consistently ranking high in Kaito’s influence rankings. The agent’s tireless analysis, constant replies, and growing alpha pool are quickly becoming a must-see for anyone on CT.

Most Active Fund of the Year

The Most Active Fund of the Year award is given to the venture capital fund that completed the most deals in 2024.

Animoca Brands leads the way with 107 deals this year. While Animoca has typically focused on consumer and gaming, over time its portfolio has diversified, investing in a variety of categories including DePIN and AI.

Bounce Coin of the Year

The Bounce Coin of the Year award is given to the token that saw the most unexpected price reversal in 2024.

After facing endless FUD in previous years, SOL has made a stunning turnaround in 2024, with its token price experiencing one of the most dramatic reversals the market has ever seen. The token hit a new all-time high at the end of the year and currently ranks among the top 5 most valuable tokens in the cryptocurrency space.

Investment Fund Blog of the Year

The Investment Fund Blog of the Year award is given to the liquidity fund or VC blog that published the best content in 2024.

Syncracy Capital has done an excellent job with their content this year, providing a wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics. We particularly appreciate the contrarian and forward-thinking perspectives of their blog, challenging existing views and proposing new frameworks. From pushing the market to focus less on infrastructure and more on applications, to continually defining the Solana narrative, Syncracy Capital drives critical conversations across the industry.

Independent Analyst of the Year

The Independent Analyst of the Year award is given to the independent analyst who published the best content in 2024.

In 2024, Kel's insights as an independent analyst shined. His posts on the memecoin super cycle and recent substack articles are among the best free content in the space.

Person of the Year

The Person of the Year award is given to the most influential individual in the cryptocurrency space in 2024.

Michael Saylor needs no introduction. From doubling down on Bitcoin with MicroStrategy to uttering wisecracks that we will be living out in the coming years, Michael Saylor makes sure everyone knows where he stands. His unwavering belief in Bitcoin and tireless advocacy have made him a polarizing yet undeniable force in the space. This year may be his best year ever, and he deserves to celebrate the win. There is no second best protagonist.