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Solana Conference Returns to Istanbul as Solana’s Institutional Interest and Adoption Surge

The largest community-organized Solana ecosystem event returns to Istanbul for its annual conference, bringing together builders, investors, and Solana enthusiasts to celebrate achievements and chart the future of the network. 12 March, 2025 – Solana Crossroads , the largest community-organized Solana conference for the ecosystem, returns to Istanbul April 25-26, 2025 . Building on last year’s conference success of 2,500 attendees, Crossroads will unite the top ecosystem projects, investors, and thought leaders of Web3. “ Istanbul sits at the crossroads of the East and West and one-third of the population maintains a crypto exchange account. It’s the perfect backdrop for highlighting everything the ecosystem has already achieved while exploring what’s next with Solana’s largest projects and top contributors.” says George Harrap, Co-Founder of Step Finance and Solana Crossroads. The conference arrives at a pivotal moment as Solana turns 5 years old in March 2025, and i n this short time, the ecosystem has achieved remarkable milestones, flipping many of Ethereum’s key metrics, including Monthly DEX volume . In November 2024, Solana’s DEX volume reached a record-breaking $129 billion , surpassing Ethereum’s all-time high of $117 billion set in May 2021. Recent developments have elevated Solana’s influence and mainstream recognition, with U.S. President Donald Trump including the high-performing blockchain in his strategic crypto reserve initiative. This presidential attention comes as institutional adoption continues to accelerate, with Franklin Templeton managing $1.2 trillion in assets and identifying Solana as the future home for AI agents and real-world assets . Major partnerships with Shopify , Stripe and Hamilton Lane , alongside Solana’s upcoming Firedancer validator client—capable of processing over 1 million TPS — also solidify the network’s vision as ‘Nasdaq on the Blockchain. Solana led new developer onboarding in 2024, surpassing Ethereum for the first time. Additionally, Coinbase Prime’s strategic integration with Marinade Finance has made institutional-grade staking accessible to traditional finance players. Set against this backdrop of rapid innovation, the two-day conference in Istanbul will feature top industry leaders, with more speakers to be announced soon! Speakers include: Luca Netz , CEO of Pudgy Penguins Zano Sherwani , Co-Founder & CEO of Jito Labs Michael Repetný , Co-Founder of Marinade Labs Eric Chen , Co-Founder of Injective Labs Austin Federa , Co-Founder of Double Zero Kash Dhanda , CMO of Jupiter Chris Heaney , Co-Founder of Drift Solana Crossroads has a history of facilitating groundbreaking announcements, with last year’s event featuring Jupiter’s mobile app launch and Marinade Finance’s V2 staking protocol reveal. With the ecosystem’s unprecedented institutional momentum and technical breakthroughs, this year’s event is positioned to unveil the next wave of innovations shaping Solana’s future. Secure your tickets now and join thousands of Web3 enthusiasts in Istanbul this April. About Solana Crossroads: Solana Crossroads is the flagship conference for the Solana ecosystem, bringing together influential thought leaders, developers, and community members. Through captivating keynotes and insightful panel discussions, the conference showcases the latest developments, implementations, and innovations within the Solana ecosystem while fostering collaboration and partnership opportunities. Apply for a press pass . Find us at: X Youtube Sponsor Form Media contacts: Gigi Fung Email: Gigi@yapglobal.com Telegram: @GigiFung Samvidha Sharma Email: samvidha@yapglobal.com Telegram: @samvidhasharma RVSP: If you would like to join Solana Crossroads and be set up with press access or pursue interview requests, or access any previews or exclusives, please reply to this email. CoinOtag

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Aptos Ecosystem Sees Explosive Growth and New Developments in Early March

One of the most promising blockchain ecosystems, Aptos , has had an exciting start to March 2025, marked by fantastic growth in both its ecosystem and institutional support. This past week, Aptos has seen a surge in activity, attracting more whales, expanding its presence in multiple sectors, and getting increasing attention from top financial institutions. With high-profile additions like its presence on the Coinbase 50 Index and further developments around blockchain adoption, Aptos seems well on its way to achieving the runaway success that so many (not us, obviously) have forecasted. Growing Whale Presence and Institutional Interest A notable development in the last week within the Aptos ecosystem is the increasing number of super whales. These investors, who hold not just any amount but substantial quantities of the native $APT token, are now being counted among the assurances of the project that serve to enhance and elevate its standing. Over the last 10 days, we have watched the number of super whales—in this case, investors holding over a million $APT—rise from 48 to 55. This is happening amidst a countdown to a series of purported massive Catalyst events (which we take on faith) that might just liven up the otherwise somewhat anemic picture of Aptos that has thus far emerged. Among the 55 deep-sea divers now being counted, the two largest are supposedly carrying around 10 million $APT each. By my back-of-the-envelope calculations, that’s about $60 million per wallet at current prices, and they don’t seem inclined to come up for air anytime soon. Weekly $APT @Aptos Recap – Tuần 1, tháng 03 Số lượng siêu cá voi trong hệ sinh thái Aptos đã tăng từ 48 lên 55 trong 10 ngày. – Hai cá voi lớn nhất nắm giữ hơn 10 triệu $APT mỗi người, tương đương ít nhất 60 triệu USD mỗi ví. Aptos đang thúc đẩy việc… https://t.co/8zjHtTQeYk pic.twitter.com/RHFR5baxZy — Blog Tiền Ảo (@blogtienao_hq) March 10, 2025 The growing partnerships and collaborations across multiple industries speak to Aptos’ appeal. Numerous projects based on the Aptos blockchain are generating excitement, especially in sectors like social media, gaming, lending, and decentralized exchanges (DEX). Some of the standout applications in the Aptos ecosystem include Chingari, a popular platform for social media; KGeN, an emerging powerhouse in the gaming space; Pact, which is involved in DeFi and financial services; Eragon, a gaming protocol; and Panora Exchange, a decentralized exchange. These projects underscore the diverse applications of Aptos’ technology across many verticals. Institutional Support and Growing Blockchain Adoption There is a steady increase in institutional interest in Aptos, with several crucial developments from the past week. Aptos Labs representatives took part in the prestigious “Future of Fintech” roundtable, which was organized by the Milken Institute and held in Washington DC. This high-profile event afforded Aptos the chance to dialogue with global leaders and influencers in finance, as well as to further entrench the blockchain’s positioning in the large, presumably profitable financial ecosystem. Aptos is not only involved with the fintech community but has also drawn the interest of Bitwise, a top digital asset manager. Bitwise has started the process that could lead to the first Aptos ETF. This follows the significant milestone represented by the Aptos Staking ETP, which Bitwise launched in November 2023 on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The potential ETF is a further indication of Apot’s becoming an increasingly mainstream project. Additionally, BitGo—a leader in digital asset custody for institutions—has said it will support Aptos across several custody platforms. These range from self-custody hot wallets to cold wallets and qualified custody wallets. This move puts Aptos on the same accessibility and security level as other top cryptocurrencies for institutional investors. Now, it’s just as easy to hold Aptos as it is to hold Ethereum or Bitcoin. Aptos on the Rise: Coinbase Listing and Ecosystem Expansion Aptos is now among the top digital assets that institutional investors and traders keep an eye on, thanks to its recent addition to the Coinbase 50 Index. That is a big deal for the project. The index is a benchmark for digital assets, and being included in it adds a certain kind of legitimacy that is hard to come by in the crypto space. For Aptos, it is a huge step in that direction. The Aptos ecosystem keeps expanding through ongoing evolution. It’s now teeming with fresh and exciting projects. One that’s captured a fair amount of attention is Emojicoindotfun, which has a distinct take on integrating NFTs and cryptocurrency into the digital art and social media sectors. It’s a completely interactive installation—users actually participate in creating the art. And because Emojicoindotfun resides on the Aptos blockchain, it further underscores that Aptos is a place for not only solid projects but also real innovation. Increasing developer and application adoption of Aptos across the diverse sectors of the economy bodes well for the blockchain’s future. Institutional investment is strong. The network of decentralized applications (dApps) built on the platform is expanding rapidly. Support from crypto “whales” (big holders of cryptocurrency) is growing. In this competitive environment, Aptos stands out for its strengths in driving across-the-board adoption, attracting premier industry players, and integrating with the financial infrastructure of the economy. Aptos is one to watch now that March has started off so promisingly. It aims to clear its path and help wet its nascent ecosystem as it seeks to establish its place at the forefront of the blockchain revolution. Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services. Follow us on Twitter @nulltxnews to stay updated with the latest Crypto, NFT, AI, Cybersecurity, Distributed Computing, and Metaverse news ! Image Source: iaroslav777/ 123RF // Image Effects by Colorcinch CoinOtag