Dear Andy,
2025 rewarded long-term believers in blockchain with proof that the technology can scale and support meaningful applications. Across the Algorand ecosystem, builders did what they do best - they shipped.
While the industry debated, the Algorand ecosystem continued building. From staking rewards going live to over 500 developers experimenting and building across global hackathons, this year was about execution.
What we shipped
Staking rewards arrived. For the first time, anyone can help secure the network and collect rewards. Whether through liquid staking on Folks Finance and Tinyman, pooling with Reti, or staking directly on exchanges like Binance and Bitpanda, participation became accessible to all.
Developer experience got sharper. AlgoKit expanded with TypeScript 1.0 and language servers for both Python and TypeScript, cutting feedback cycles and opening Algorand to millions of new developers. Over 1,200 developers joined live workshops, learning the full stack from protocol fundamentals to deployment.
The protocol strengthened. On-chain xGov launched, bringing grants distribution on-chain and moving governance closer to the community. P2P networking went live as an opt-in feature, enabling nodes to connect to permissionless Repeaters across a global mesh. In 2025, online stake doubled from 1 billion to 2 billion ALGO, and validator count increased by 121% and reached 3,125.
Post-quantum progress began. The team executed the first post-quantum transaction on mainnet using Falcon signatures, demonstrating quantum-resistant cryptography that protects real digital assets on a live public blockchain.
What you shipped
Ecosystem teams didn't wait for perfect conditions to launch.
MiCA-compliant stablecoins EURQ and USDQ from Quantoz went live. Mann Deshi and SEWA brought digital identity and credit scorecards to over 400,000 women in India. Alpha Arcade became Algorand's first prediction market, crossing $5 million in volume. Haystack's mobile DeFi app sold out its first two token tranches in under 10 minutes.
Folks Finance launched its FOLKS token, reaching 2,600 holders. Lofty hit profitability and surpassed $99 million in TVL. Tinyman DEX volume crossed $500 million. Reti Pooling reached 480 million ALGO staked. Over 250,000 USDC moved through Pera Card across 12 countries.
Beyond mainnet launches, teams shipped relentlessly: UI upgrades, new tooling, integrations with Wormhole NTT for multichain interoperability, and partnerships that brought ALGO payments to over 20 million merchants through AEON Pay.
Where builders came together
Five in-person hackathons held across Berlin, Boston, Bengaluru, Istanbul, and London brought together over 500 builders. Projects ranged from AI-powered NFT generators to micropayment streaming platforms, conditional charity donations to DeFi analytics oracles.
Two Web3 Masterclasses cohorts guided founders from idea to POC in just a matter of weeks, with projects tackling real-world challenges in healthcare, sustainability, accessibility, and programmable finance. The Hackathon Showcase gave teams a platform to present progress months after their initial builds, proving momentum beyond the weekend sprint.
Over 1,200 developers registered for live AlgoKit workshops, gaining hands-on experience with smart contract development, testing, and deployment.
Looking ahead
2025 proved a fundamental truth: When you remove friction and support builders at every stage, they ship, no matter the circumstances.
In 2026, expect AlgoKit 4.0 with composable smart-contract libraries and AI-assisted tooling. Rocca Wallet launches as a Web2-friendly, self-custody solution. Progress continues on network economics, tokenized financial product standards, and agentic commerce tooling.
But the real story will be the same as this year: we’ll keep shipping, together..
The infrastructure is ready. The momentum is undeniable.
What will you ship in 2026?
