Astar Network becomes ‘Product of the Year’ of the JBA Annual Blockchain Award

Sota Watanabe, the founder of Astar Network, bagged the 'Person of the Year' Award for the second time in a row.

Tokyo, December 23, 2022 – Astar Network, the smart contract platform for multichain, has been awarded the Product of the Year at the 4th annual Blockchain Award by the Japan Blockchain Association. Astar Network's founder and CEO Sota Watanabe bagged the Person of the Year award for the second consecutive year at the same event.

In a study performed by the Japan Blockchain Association, Astar Network and Sota Watanabe both came out as the favourites of the Japanese Web3 community (JBA). With 171 members, including bitFlyer, Coincheck, Microsoft, GMO, EY, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, Toyota, and ConsenSys, the JBA is the largest blockchain association in Japan.

Sota Watanabe, the founder and CEO of Astar Network, said, "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 is the leading Layer-1 chain in Japan. As a parachain of Polkadot, it enables developers to build interoperable dApps. It supports both EVM and WASM smart contracts with cross-consensus messaging (XCM) and cross-virtual machine messaging (XVM).

Sota Watanabe is assisting the Japanese government in moving forward since Web3 is now a component of its overall national policy. Additionally, Sota was listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Japan and Asia. He is featured on the cover of the most recent issue of Forbes Japan and has been named one of Japan's top businessmen.

Astar Network is the go-to blockchain for developers and enterprises interested in exploring the Japanese Web3 space. It's also the first public blockchain from the country to be listed there despite Japan's strict listing regulations. Astar's native token ASTR is registered as a cryptocurrency, not a security, by the Japanese government.

About Astar Network

With cross-consensus messaging (XCM) and cross-virtual machine, Astar Network provides developers with genuine interoperability and facilitates the development of dApps with EVM and WASM smart contracts (XVM). We were created for and by developers.

Through the innovative Build2Earn concept from Astar, programmers may be compensated for the code they create and the dApps they create.With the backing of all major exchanges and tier 1 VCs, Astar's dynamic ecosystem has emerged as Polkadot's dominant Parachain globally.

Astar gives developers the versatility of all Ethereum and WASM toolings to begin creating their dApps.

 For media queries, please contact: Maarten Henskens, press@astar.network 

 For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Discord | Telegram | GitHub | Reddit