While many crypto ecosystems focus on decentralization as the core tenet of Web3, Aptos is seeing success with hybrid platforms that blend Web2 and Web3 technologies, commonly referred to as “Web2.5.”

In an interview at the Token2049 event in Dubai, Aptos’ head of ecosystem, Ash Pampati, told Cointelegraph that Web2.5 platforms are earning “tons of revenue” within Aptos. He noted that consumer-focused applications, in particular, are thriving in the network.

Web2.5 is a term used to describe platforms or applications that blend centralized Web2 experiences with decentralized Web3 elements. 

These applications avoid full decentralization, often drawing criticism for not fully embracing the Web3 vision.

Ash Pampati at the Token2049 media lounge in Dubai. Source: Cointelegraph

Consumer-focused Web2.5 platforms generate revenue on Aptos

Pampati told Cointelegraph that one of the trends he sees within the Aptos ecosystem is that founders want to build “great consumer experiences.” 

He said the Aptos network was built to support projects with almost a Web2-like scale. Because of its Meta origins, Aptos has a developer stack focusing on abstracting friction away from Web3. 

Pampati described this as more of a Web2 user experience “without sacrificing Web3 principles.” He said platforms that followed such models had found success within the ecosystem:

“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.”

Pampati said the trend is mainly influenced by their developer stack and what the Aptos platform offers, which focuses on broad consumer applications. 

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The challenge of attracting the next million users

While Web2.5 applications address some of the user experience problems for crypto and Web3, Pampati said that one of the challenges in the space remains the onboarding of non-crypto natives to the industry. 

“I think the biggest challenge is trying to predict the next catalyst that pulls forward the next million, 10 million users into crypto. I think there’s a lot of tendency to go and refight old wars,” Pampati told Cointelegraph, adding that founders often move back into concepts like memecoins and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Still, he said, finding the next catalyst to spur broader mainstream adoption will require creating something new. 

Pampati added that collaborating and motivating founders to “see through the corners and not just try to recreate what’s already been created before” remains a challenge. He said that founders should be prepared for the next catalyst.

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