As we look back on 2024, it’s clear that our industry is at a pivotal moment. Web3 is finally embracing “consumer” applications, or as we prefer to call them “social” apps, as the catalyst to take crypto adoption from steady linear growth to an exponential curve.
But at Cyber, we don’t believe in calling these “consumer apps” because term oversimplifies the incredible diversity of users engaging with these. We see users as so much more than consumers: they’re creators, builders, collaborators, and even AI agents.
For us, social applications go beyond enabling simple financial transactions. They’re any interfaces that create or facilitate meaningful onchain experiences—whether as platforms for collaboration, connection, and even friendly competition. Bringing these onchain has been our mission since day one at Cyber, starting with our work on CyberConnect in 2021.
As the internet evolves, so must the definition of social apps. And in 2024, we’ve seen our thesis start to be validated in amazing ways. Let’s reflect on the incredible progress Cyber and our community have made this year.
What We Achieved in 2024
This year has been nothing short of huge for Cyber. Here are some of the highlights:
- Cyber L2 Mainnet Launch (May): In May, we launched Cyber as the Layer 2 for social applications by rebranding from CyberConnect and launching the first L2 for social applications to mainnet. Since then, we’ve surpassed 33 million transactions, planting a flag as the onchain ecosystem for social apps.
- Social Summer: Our six-week Social Summer campaign showcased social apps across the OP Superchain, with 160K+ users minting over 3M NFTs. This diversity of applications demonstrated just how expansive and inclusive social apps can be. Social Summer also onboarded hundreds of amazing artists to the Cyber ecosystem, by showing them we value them as creators, not only consumers.
- Community Mascot Contest: Our community decided our official mascot, Raf, through an onchain competition powered by JokeRace. This unprecedented contest was so engaging and popular that it has started to become the norm, with several projects replicating it with their own mascot contests. (It’s okay, we aren’t mad, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!)
- Community Rewards: We distributed over 2M CYBER in rewards to community members, across various campaigns and initiatives, welcoming millions of new users and creators into the Cyber ecosystem.
- 500K OP Grant Secured: This grant will empower builders to create exciting social apps on Cyber and incentivize users to explore and engage with these new experiences.
The Bigger Picture: What Our Community Built and Is Building
While our achievements as a team are exciting, what truly inspires us is the creativity and passion of the Cyber community. Here are a few standout projects that are positioned to grow on Cyber in the new year:
- XO: One of Cyber’s earliest ecosystem projects, XO has already contributed 10M+ transactions with its innovative “chat-to-earn” model, redefining how people approach dating and social interactions with its mobile app.
- Commit: Launched in November, Commit helps users set goals, connect/compete with like-minded individuals, and win rewards. This protocol transforms personal growth into a shared, rewarding experience.
- Raf Mafia: January will see the launch of Cyber’s first-ever PFP collection, Raf Mafia, with just 666 pieces for sale created by web3 artist Singularity. This project will blend NFTs with AI-powered social experiences in the future, paving the way for a new kind of NFT community with even more benefits. Cyber is proud to support Raf Mafia with a grant to push NFT innovation and utility even further.
- Iro.xyz: Newly on our radar, Iro is an innovative AI-powered minting platform that helps creators to effortlessly deploy NFTs from their art directly on Twitter and Warpcast, using their personal networks as distribution channels to monetize their creativity socially. AI agents, like Irona, elevate the platform by enabling anyone to transform simple text prompts into stunning onchain art, making artistic expression more accessible than ever. We’re excited to support Iro and its expanding network of AI agents with grants, empowering even more users to unlock their creative potential through user-focused incentives.
Looking Ahead
As 2024 comes to a close, we’re more excited than ever about the future. What makes this journey special isn’t just what we’ve accomplished as a team—it’s what we’ve achieved as a community.
Together, we’re transforming what social applications can be and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible onchain. We’ve been advocating for onchain social experiences in all their forms since day one, so as more creators and builders experiment with new social experiences—such as those enabled by AI, we’re doubling down on supporting them.
In 2025, we’ll continue to champion the builders creating the next wave of social experiences. From deeper support for creators to exciting new products, the best is yet to come.
Here’s to an incredible first year as Cyber—and an even brighter future ahead. Thank you for being part of this journey!