Ankr: 2022 Annual Review and Outlook

Author: Ankr

2022 was a pivotal year for blockchain, and in many ways, it was for Ankr as well. Over the past year, Ankr focused on building, launching, and iterating products that significantly enhance developers' ability to successfully build Web3. These new experiences, applications, and networks have matured the technology and laid the groundwork for the next market cycle.

RPC Business at the Forefront of the Industry

To further enhance the capabilities of the Web3 ecosystem through decentralized innovative technologies and tools, Ankr has formed strategic partnerships with protocols, platforms, and blockchains. We are particularly proud to be one of the first providers for Sui, Aptos, and Optimism, meeting the growing demand for RPC endpoints.

In 2022, Ankr's new RPC services included:

• IoTeX RPC
• Syscoin RPC
• Harmony RPC
• Optimism RPC
• Aptos RPC
• Gnosis RPC
• Klaytn RPC
• Sui RPC
• Optimism RPC
• ……

Additionally, to provide builders with a better way to develop Web3, we introduced a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model for Ankr Premium RPC services. The PAYG plan allows developers to use the service more flexibly and efficiently, replacing the previous model where all users paid the same annual fee.

In 2022, Ankr's RPC business was at the forefront of the industry. During this time, RPC request services grew by 2,000%, supporting 23 blockchains (the most in the industry), serving over 40,000 developers, covering nodes in more than 30 global regions, and setting standards for RPC/API connections across different chains.

Expanding Bare-Metal Server Web3 Infrastructure

Web3 infrastructure, L1 and L2 integration, and dApp development have made significant strides in just a few years, and in 2022, Ankr led the global decentralization process. Ankr's partnership with bare-metal provider Maxihost supports a more distributed global node network and opens new avenues for monetizing existing idle server capacity through the Ankr protocol.

Maxihost's global platform combined with Ankr's 250 billion monthly requests across 50 blockchain networks means we can continue to expand our distributed global network, improve communication latency between nodes, and meet the growing demand for nodes.

Building the Future of Sports Blockchain

Blockchain and sports have always been a successful combination, with pioneers like Chilliz providing new avenues for team and fan engagement and interaction. The collaboration between Chilliz and Ankr will lead the development of Chiliz Chain 2.0 (CC2), a new Layer 1 blockchain that enables sports and entertainment brands to build in a digital paradigm.

Launching Game SDK

In 2022, Ankr successfully launched a game SDK, providing game developers with a full suite of resources, including top-tier Web3 infrastructure, NFTs, marketplace, and multi-chain wallet integration. Following the positive feedback from the launch of the Ankr Game SDK, we elevated it further with the Second Gaming SDK on popular engines like Unity and Unreal, helping developers integrate games with multiple blockchain ecosystems, including Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Fantom, Avalanche, and more.

We are honored that one of the most anticipated Web3 games of 2022, Meta Apes, chose the Ankr Game SDK and AppChain-as-a-Service. Meta Apes is the first game released using the Binance Application Sidechain (BAS) architecture, based on the popular mobile strategy game Age of Apes, combining gameplay that players love with the Web3 that crypto users expect, featuring complete Web3 functionality, scalability, and excellent game mechanics.

Creating a New Environment for Decentralized Development

To meet the growing demand for Web3 projects and dApp scaling solutions, Ankr has launched products that offer developers greater flexibility and autonomy.

• AppChains, an end-to-end solution. AppChains are application-specific chains created on the ecosystem for building highly customizable blockchains with higher performance, availability, and interoperability. One highlight of the AppChain product is the launch of the first Binance Smart Chain Application Sidechain (BAS) testnet in collaboration with Celer and NodeReal, and Ankr is proud to support the BNB ecosystem as an infrastructure partner.

• Chainscanner, an integrated blockchain explorer and crypto analytics platform for specific application blockchains (AppChains).

• Ankr Premium API. The purpose of creating a collection of RPC methods is to simplify the querying of all types of blockchain data, allowing developers to retrieve the blockchain data they need more easily, quickly, and cost-effectively with Ankr Premium API services.

• Assisting with the Erigon client upgrade. The Erigon upgrade focuses on reducing storage requirements for BNB Chain, helping to create a more efficient system. Ankr collaborated on the performance upgrade of the Erigon client and witnessed the remarkable growth of BNB Chain over the past year, especially its popularity among Web3 games and dApp users.

Becoming the Default Infrastructure Provider for Ethers.js Library

Ethereum remains the gold standard for dApp development, and its Ethers.js library is a complete library for interacting with Ethereum and its ecosystem. Becoming the default infrastructure provider for the Ethers.js library is a testament to Ankr's capabilities, providing developers with secure, robust, and simple resources.

Committed to Bridging CeFi and DeFi

In 2022, Ankr joined the Start Path Crypto and Mastercard program. The innovative collaboration between traditional enterprises and Web3, along with ongoing product and service innovations, will continuously optimize financial services, bringing users richer products and experiences, and allowing them to experience the benefits of Crypto and Web3 financial models, effectively driving the evolution of the crypto world from speculative investment to global finance.

Ushering in a New Era of Liquid Staking

2022 was the year Liquid Staking became a dominant trend in DeFi, with over $11 billion in funds deployed through Liquid Staking protocols. Ankr has been at the forefront of Liquid Staking development, having developed and supported liquid staking products on seven different L1s.

Over the past year, Ankr has become the top liquid staking provider with a TVL (Total Value Locked) of $144.9 million and an average annualized return of 4.35%.

Although this year's attacks led to the exploitation of the aBNB Token, we have grown significantly from this incident and have implemented rapid actions to control losses. After the attack, the team patched the vulnerability within hours and deployed a $15 million initial recovery fund to compensate liquidity providers, lenders, and DeFi protocol users affected by the aBNBc vulnerability, and we have fully compensated users for their losses.

Enhancing ANKR Token Utility

ANKR is the glue that connects the entire Ankr ecosystem, and with its listing on Kraken, its popularity has surged once again. Currently, users can find ANKR on platforms such as Binance, Coinmarketcap, Bithumb, Bittrex, Kucoin, and Kraken.

The launch of Ankr Network 2.0 introduces staking for independently running full nodes, where contributors and partners in the ecosystem provide services and earn rewards, collectively driving the development of Web3. Anyone can stake on the Ankr decentralized network, run an independent full node, earn ANKR rewards, and become an "Ankr Bankr."

Innovating for the Growing Web3 Ecosystem in 2023

Web3 is set to disrupt the way people connect, transact, play, and communicate. We are in a builder's market, striving to bridge the last technical gap between Web3 and mass adoption. Our focus is on building for developers while maintaining the fundamental values of decentralization.

In 2023, Ankr will continue to work on creating tools that make it easier for users and developers to benefit from the Web3 ecosystem. Ankr is working hard to ensure that the infrastructure for the next cycle is:

• Ultra-fast global connections between applications and blockchains
• Innovative tools that significantly enhance the user experience of dApps
• Scalable solutions robust enough for global adoption
• Improved node infrastructure supporting all chains

Thank you for being with us throughout 2022, and we look forward to moving forward together with you in 2023!