Road to Success

• Astar Network emerged as the winner of the Product of the Year category. 

• Founder and CEO Sota Watanabe also won the Person of the Year for the second time in a row. 

Astar Network is a smart contract platform for multi-chain that provides true interoperability with cross-consensus messaging (XCM) and cross-virtual machine (XVM) to developers. In the recent 4th annual Blockchain Award organized by the Japan Blockchain Association (JPA), Astar Network emerged as the winner of the Product of the Year category. Founder and CEO Sota Watanabe also won the Person of the Year for the second time in a row. 

JPA exists as the largest blockchain association in Japan with about 171 companies. They include “bitFlyer, Coincheck, Microsoft, GMO, EY, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, Toyota, and ConsenSys”. In a survey conducted by the JBA, both Watanabe and his company were adjudged the favorites of the Japanese Web3 community. Watanabe has made a tremendous contribution to the Japanese government’s decision of making Web3 a part of its national strategy.

In his comment, Watanabe lauded the organizers of the awards for recognizing their commitment to accelerating web3 innovation in the country. 

We are delighted to have been recognized by the Japanese Web3 community. As Japan’s leading blockchain project, we remain committed to accelerating Web3 innovation through Astar. In 2023 and beyond, we will leverage our presence in Japan to unlock opportunities for entrepreneurs, developers, and users alike.

Astar Network collaborates with NTT Docomo

Watanabe was also featured in the Forbes 30 under 30 for Asia and Japan. On top of that, he made it to the cover of the Forbes Japan magazine, the latest edition. Astar Network was the first public blockchain from the country to be listed there. This is more plausible considering the strict listing regulation in Japan. 

Last month, it was reported that Astar Network had onboarded NTT Docomo, Japan’s top mobile carrier to work together for mass adoption as well as social implementation. Their collaboration focused on three fundamental areas which are sustainable development goals, elimination of technology gaps and insecurities, and nurturing Web3 talents. 

Watanabe said:

Web3 and related technologies are about to cross the chasm and are on the verge of mass adoption. In this context, more robust cases with excellent user experience on an infrastructure that is accessible to everyone are essential. It is about making a society where more people can truly enjoy the benefits of Web3, not just engineers. Collaborating with NTT Docomo, a company that has created case studies that have been used by tens of millions of people, we will further spread Web3.

Astar Network is the leading Layer-1 chain in Japan with its native token ASTR registered by the Japanese government as a cryptocurrency. It has become Polkadot’s leading parachain globally and is supported by major exchanges and tier 1 VCs.