Crypto Altruists: 2024 Year in Review
By: Tereza Bízková
2024 was a year of steady development for Web3, with some key milestones shaping the ecosystem’s direction.
Ethereum’s Dencun update and other infrastructure advancements laid the groundwork for more scalable and user-friendly applications. Artificial intelligence (AI) came into focus, with its role in governance, data analysis, and capital allocation becoming more relevant. Devcon highlighted Asia’s growing presence in Web3, showcasing builders bringing new perspectives to decentralized technology. And, as a cherry on top, Bitcoin’s historic surge past $100,000 on December 4 drew renewed mainstream attention and curiosity about cryptocurrencies.
Looking back, we saw exciting experiments come to life, and the tangible results of years of work beginning to take shape. There was a strong focus on practical solutions, and we’re excited to see many of the solutions scale. With a potential bull market on the horizon, next year promises even more momentum—though some added noise is inevitable.
There have been some excellent recaps of Web3-for-good developments this year, such as Carbon Copy’s 2024 review and 2025 predictions, as well as Web3ForGood’s newsletter. At Crypto Altruists, we wanted to share some of the developments that stood out to us this year and that we found particularly inspiring.
2024 in Web3 Impact: Crypto Altruists’ Highlights
1. Building the Capital Allocation Mechanisms of the Future
2024 saw exciting advancements in public goods funding, as platforms like Gitcoin and Giveth distributed tens of millions of dollars through their rounds. From Open Source Software to Regen Citizens—a round designed for individuals rather than projects—new categories and refined approaches to capital allocation are already taking shape. This innovation is creating a more precise framework for understanding the desired impact and how it should be valued. We especially loved seeing initiatives such as rounds for previous hackathon winners, which demonstrate how public goods funding can incubate projects that might otherwise remain unrealized.
At an ecosystem level, major protocols like Optimism, Filecoin, and Celo have been optimizing their capital allocation strategies, with the Retroactive public goods funding gaining more traction. This aligns with Juan Benet’s suggestion in a recent Green Pill episode that ecosystems dedicate up to 25% of their resources to public goods funding—a strategy that has already shown promising results.
We also loved seeing the momentum around Octant, a self-sustaining global public goods funding ecosystem that balances the common good and individual financial empowerment. As part of our Trailblazers of Octant miniseries, we spoke with key contributors to the ecosystem, including the Protocol Guild on decentralized funding for Ethereum’s future, SummitShare on empowering communities to reclaim their heritage with blockchain, and the Octant team on building a sustainable Web3 public goods funding ecosystem.
2. On-Chain Giving Has Never Been This Popular
Philanthropy powered by blockchain saw significant growth in 2024, with platforms like The Giving Block reporting record-breaking crypto donations. Over $2 billion in cryptocurrency has been donated to nonprofits to date, fueled by the transparency and efficiency that blockchain provides. Notably, 56% of the top 100 US charities now accept crypto donations through platforms like Endaoment, Givepact, and The Giving Block.
Micro-donations also gained traction, democratizing giving and enabling individuals to contribute small amounts that aggregate into meaningful impact. This trend lowers barriers to entry and invites broader participation. One key trend we’re likely to see more of is organizations leveraging decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO) models to enable collective decisions about resource allocation.
3. Regenerative Finance: BioFi as Key Trend
Regenerative finance (ReFi) remains highly relevant, offering promising tools for addressing environmental challenges—though there’s still plenty of work to do. At COP29, blockchain-powered carbon markets and tokenized incentives were highlighted as critical to advancing global climate goals. Projects like Regen Network continue to innovate with approaches like credit stacking to enhance the financial viability of ecological restoration and initiatives such as the Biocultural Jaguar Credit, which rewards Indigenous-led stewardship of the Amazon. Another unique approach we enjoyed seeing was the regenerative lottery by LottoPGF.
We’re particularly excited about the growing focus on BioFi (bioregional finance). This approach emphasizes connecting global capital to local, place-based regeneration efforts. Thought leaders like Samantha Power, co-founder of the BioFi Project, are helping shape this movement. Drawing on principles of bioregionalism, BioFi integrates ecological and cultural restoration with decentralized tools, creating finance systems that align with the unique needs of communities and ecosystems.
4. DeSci: From Concept to Movement
In 2024, Decentralized Science (DeSci) matured into a dynamic movement, transforming how research is funded and shared. The year saw a surge in funding for DeSci initiatives, including $6.5 million raised by DeSci Labs to launch DeSci Publish, the first fully open-access science publishing infrastructure built on Web3 technology.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin emphasized DeSci’s potential to create fairer systems for collaboration, while events like Binance Labs’ DeSci Day underscored its growing relevance. By offering alternatives to traditional gatekeeping in research, DeSci is becoming an extremely exciting space—getting more mainstream attention.
What an unreal day at our BUIDLer House in Bangkok. Just when we thought our DeSci Day event couldn’t get any better, GOATs @cz_binance and @VitalikButerin dropped in to join the session.
— Binance Labs Fund (@BinanceLabs) November 13, 2024
Our guests not only had the chance to hear directly from DeSci project teams but were also… pic.twitter.com/TLGu06nMcI
5. Real-World Builders Reached Beyond the Hype
In 2024, blockchain projects made strides in tackling real-world challenges, moving beyond the hype to deliver tangible impact in areas like financial inclusion, environmental restoration, and humanitarian aid.
We’re big fans of MiniPay, integrated into the Opera Mini browser, empowering over 3 million users across Africa with a self-custodial stablecoin wallet. Its user-friendly design showcases blockchain's potential for scaling financial inclusion. GainForest’s XPRIZE Rainforest win highlighted blockchain’s role in incentivizing reforestation and biodiversity. Other milestones include Open Forest Protocol’s on-chain carbon credit system, Silvi’s "Operation WebTree" advancing forest stewardship, and Mercy Corps Ventures’ pilot using stablecoins to deliver humanitarian aid in conflict zones—but there’s so much more!
Still, initiatives like these remind us that blockchain’s real-world potential is here—and there’s plenty to watch out for in 2025.
2024: A Big Year for Crypto Altruists
2024 Was a big year for Crypto Altruists, too! Our rebrand from Crypto Altruism to Crypto Altruists reflected a deeper alignment with our mission to amplify the people and projects shaping Web3’s real-world impact. Since our launch in 2021, we’ve produced nearly 200 podcast episodes—including over 60 in 2024 alone—highlighting the builders behind blockchain-for-good initiatives.
It was also a year where we formed exciting partnerships with groups like Endaoment and Pipe gDAO, received a community grant from Octant, collaborated on an edition of Web3ForGood, went to ETHDenver, and much more.
Looking ahead to 2025, we’re excited to expand our efforts—launching new educational resources, deepening partnerships with ecosystem actors, and creating more opportunities for co-creation. Our focus remains on projects that connect Web3 with meaningful impact.
Thank you for being a part of our journey. Here’s to another year of growth & collaboration!
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