CryptoDaily, one of the industry’s most dynamic media platforms, announced the winners of the 2025 CryptoDaily Awards, marking the fourth year running that the publication has recognized the personalities pushing Web3 into new territory. Since the awards first launched in 2022, they have spotlighted movers and shakers who turn volatility into momentum and creativity into lasting progress.
This year’s edition once again cast the spotlight on seven core categories: entrepreneurship, development, design, PR and marketing, public speakership, opinion leadership, and trading. The 2025 honorees reflect a simple truth: Web3 keeps growing because its builders keep experimenting, creating, and speaking with conviction.
How the Awards Came Together
For 2025, the awards carried forward a familiar idea: headlines may have focused on crises and corrections, but the real story came from those who kept showing up. The jury, backed by CryptoDaily’s editorial board, selected winners after weighing impact, consistency, and originality across the field. Each category highlighted not only a jury’s choice, but also a runner-up and a CryptoDaily honorable mention – a format designed to show that progress in Web3 takes both front-line leadership and the often overlooked contributions happening in the background.
This year’s jury panel featured:
- Zach Bruch – serial entrepreneur, founder of MyPrize, co-founder of RECUR and Switchboard
- Muneeb Ali – co-founder of Stacks, pioneer of proof-of-transfer consensus
- Mo Shaikh – co-founder of Aptos Labs, layer 1 innovator
- Mike Ermolaev – founder of Outset PR, author of the “Crypto Opinion” series
- Gracy Chen – CEO of Bitget, global speaker and advocate for inclusion
- Maria Carola – CEO of StealthEX, leading growth in non-custodial exchanges
- Brett Harrison – founder and CEO of Architect, former president of FTX US
- William Entriken – honorable jury member, lead author of ERC-721 and NFT standard-setter
Who Took Home the 2025 Awards
Entrepreneurship: Vlad Gorbunov, founder of Choise.ai, took jury’s choice for building a $1B crypto-fiat ecosystem. Diana Biggs of 1kx was runner-up, while Lionel Iruk of NAVMarkets earned an honorable mention for his work bridging crypto with global regulation.
Development: Ivan Liljeqvist (Ivan on Tech), founder of Moralis Academy, was named jury’s choice for his impact on blockchain education worldwide. Denis Angell of XRPL-Labs was runner-up, while Reece Williams received an honorable mention for his work across the Cosmos ecosystem.
Design: Mirko Pratofiorito of LayerZero Labs took Jury’s Choice for pushing Web3 design into bold new territory. Plinio Braga of Kleros followed as runner-up, and Laura Bosazzi of BlockSplit earned an honorable mention for her user-focused approach.
PR & Marketing: Julia Magas, co-founder of Magas PR and M8M Agency, was jury’s choice for blending financial analysis with media storytelling. Oded Onn of StarkWare was runner-up, while Nikita Sachdev of Luna PR received an honorable mention for her global campaigns and broadcast work.
Public speakership: Dan Held, partner at Asymmetric, took jury’s choice for a decade of Bitcoin education and industry leadership. Anton Golub of Freedx was runner-up, and Pedro Vidal of Floki earned an honorable mention for his community-driven voice.
Opinion leadership: Sam Elfarra, TRON spokesperson, was recognized as jury’s choice for shaping blockchain adoption narratives. Tim Kotzman, host of The Bitcoin Treasuries Podcast, was runner-up, and Alex Matsuo of AWS earned an honorable mention for bridging enterprise and Web3.
Trading: Adrian Zduńczyk, founder of Birb Nest, was the jury’s choice for his trading methodology and global community. Avi Felman of GoldenTree was runner-up, and Elroy Heisterkamp of DayTradingCommunity earned an honorable mention for combining trading with coaching.
Where the Awards Go From Here
Speaking on the awards, a CryptoDaily editor noted:
“Every cycle has its turbulence, but what stands out year after year is the resilience of the people behind Web3. This class of honorees rode the waves and built the ships that carried everyone forward. These are the names that remind us why the industry matters, and why it keeps moving.”
Now in its fourth year, the CryptoDaily Awards have evolved into a fixture of the Web3 calendar, offering a moment to pause and celebrate the personalities shaping the ecosystem’s direction.
This year’s ceremony closed with a reminder that the story is far from over. 2026 will bring new challenges, new breakthroughs, and new voices ready to step into the spotlight.
About CryptoDaily
CryptoDaily is a global media platform covering the latest in cryptocurrency, blockchain, and Web3. Known for sharp commentary and fast coverage, CryptoDaily delivers daily news, analysis, and insights to a worldwide audience. Since 2022, the CryptoDaily Awards have celebrated the doers who make Web3 real, with plans to keep honoring new voices year after year.
