This Crypto Platform Is Making So Much Money It Needs a Wheelbarrow 😳💸

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While the crypto cognoscenti are usually found banging the drum for decentralization, and waxing poetic about the glories of Web3 with the kind of fervor normally reserved for converts at a spiritual retreat, the chaps over at Aptos appear to be rather pleased with themselves for cheerfully stirring the Web2 and Web3 pots and serving up a concoction known—somewhat cheekily—as “Web2.5.”

At Token2049 in Dubai, the ever-genial Ash Pampati, head of ecosystem at Aptos, confided in CryptoMoon that these Web2.5 platforms are raking in “tons of revenue”—the sort of statement that suggests Scrooge McDuck levels of coin-diving are occurring somewhere behind closed doors. Most of this lucre, Ash assures us, is flowing from those plucky, consumer-focused applications built on the Aptos network.

“Web2.5,” for those who haven’t been keeping up with the dizzying crypto nomenclature, is the lovechild of centralization and decentralization. It’s a bit like ordering a vegetarian meal, asking for bacon bits on the side, and calling it a health food. Purists scoff, but revenue speaks louder than high-minded manifestos.

Consumer-Focused Platforms: Making It Rain on Aptos ☔💰

According to Ash—not to be confused with the famous Pokémon trainer, though both seem to enjoy chasing rare creatures—the hot trend on Aptos is designing “great consumer experiences.” That’s right, dear reader: it’s all about making things idiot-proof, so even your technophobic uncle can wander in and click buttons without breaking into a sweat or accidentally opening fifty tabs.

Aptos, with its Meta-flavored developer stack, is tactfully sweeping away the hairier parts of crypto, so users can bask in smooth, Web2-style usability without feeling they’re being dragged through a stranger’s codebase backwards. Pampati opines that these semi-centralized platforms are thriving, because they’ve “created great products.” (Translation: the kind of thing one might actually wish to use, as opposed to a Byzantine maze requiring a PhD in cryptography and a stiff drink.)

“We see a lot of great consumer Web 2.5 platforms emerging. So, those that are focused on distribution and those that are focused on fan loyalty are also generating tons of revenue because they’ve created great products.”

The secret sauce, apparently, is that Aptos offers a developer stack slick enough to make even the most recalcitrant Web2 diehard swoon, attracting broad consumer applications and, evidently, money.

Web2.5 Wants You—Yes, You! (Just Don’t Bring Your Grandma…Yet) 🚪👀

While Web2.5 apps have managed to fix some of the standard crypto user interface circus, there remains the nagging problem of attracting the next million—or, dare one dream, ten million—folks who’ve thus far shown more interest in cat videos than blockchains.

“The biggest challenge,” Pampati muses, “is figuring out what’ll be that glorious, irresistible catalyst that drags new users into crypto.” Alas, too many founders, he sighs, keep reaching for old chestnuts like memecoins and NFTs, inspiring a sense of déjà vu strong enough to make even the most resilient startup founder consider a nap.

But all is not gloom and doom! Pampati encourages founders to train their eyes on the horizon, seeking new lands and not merely rearranging the deck chairs on the S.S. Copycat. There’s a whiff of adventure in the air—provided, of course, someone invents the next big thing before everyone gets distracted by the latest viral dance craze.

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2025-05-05 14:25