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- The founder and CEO of VeChain, Sunny Lu, recently had an AMA session with the BeInCrypto Trading Community.
- One key highlight of the conversation was the recently launched Stargate, which falls under the Vechain Renaissance.
Back in January, VeChain CEO Sunny Lu laid out the company’s 2025 roadmap, spotlighting key initiatives like VeBetter DAO, the VeWorld Wallet, and the launch of the VeChain Renaissance. Together, these efforts aim to transform the VeChain ecosystem, a network celebrated for bringing real-world applications to life with innovative tokenomics and stronger interoperability.
Fast forward to today, Sunny Lu joined the BeInCrypto Trading Community for an Ask Me Anything session, offering fresh insights into how those roadmap goals are unfolding. Lu walked through the progress made so far, reinforcing VeChain’s commitment to building a future-ready blockchain ecosystem.
VeChain’s Stargate and Decentralization
Achieving decentralization is never an easy fix for blockchain networks. Not even Vechain. The community asked, “What makes Stargate such a breakthrough in staking?” Sunny Lu reframed the issue entirely. “The real question,” he said, “is how to eliminate the technical barrier for ordinary users to be part of protocol security to ensure real decentralization.”
This is where the Stargate Staking mechanism comes in. Here, NFT holders do not have to worry about the security of the assets they stake. The solution? There is no middleman, hence the protocol rewards are transferred directly to the holders.
As we reported, Stragate launched on July 1, and so far, its progress is impressive. According to the Stragate website, more than 10,000 NFTs minted or migrated, a total of 5.4B VET staked. Additionally, a staking platform from the VeChain community (Redeno.org) has onboarded 125M+ as new validators, and it’s planned to be in the 250M–350M range as the first target.
When asked how institutional partners are getting involved after the StarGate launch, Sunny Lu explained that onboarding institutions is now a top priority for VeChain. About a year ago, the company created an Institutional Growth team, led by Johnny Garcia, whose sole focus is onboarding institutional partners.
He outlined three main types of engagement: investors such as Keyrock stepping in as validators; BitGo and Redeno, who are helping more institutions participate through staking services or “validator-as-a-service”; and professional service providers like The Tie, which are opening new channels and connections to the institutional world.
He also highlighted VeChain’s recent partnership with Franklin Templeton, which integrated VeChain into its tokenized fund, BENJI, giving tokenized access to the $780 million Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund.
Incentivizing Positive Action
For some context, VeBetter.com is a Web3 platform designed to reward real-life positive actions with crypto. Built on the VeChainThor blockchain, it has been supporting a network of eco-conscious decentralized applications (dApps) where users can earn B3TR tokens for more than a year now.
Sunny Lu shared that as of last week, there were already 42 applications in the ecosystem. When it comes to user growth, Mugshot. Eco is leading the pack with 1.8 million users, followed by GreenCart.ai with over 1.5 million users, encouraging people to shop sustainably and choose eco-friendly products.
There are also other interesting examples. EvEarn.io is integrated with Tesla systems already. Users can log in to EvEarn with their Tesla account, and the charging data will be automatically loaded to the smart contract to incentivize people by charging their car,
ScoopUp.vet takes a different approach; it motivates dog owners to pick up their pets’ poop while out on walks. And one of the latest launches is Build Your Body, created in partnership with the UFC, designed for both UFC fans and fitness enthusiasts.
Regulatory Clarity Sets VeChain Apart
Regulatory uncertainty has long been a stumbling block for institutions considering partnerships or investments. Ripple is a prime example; its legal battle with the SEC caused institutions to hesitate, wary of the risks tied to unclear compliance. But VeChain is charting a different course.
VeChain’s full compliance with MiCAR regulations across 27 European countries is already unlocking doors for institutional and enterprise adoption. And Sunny Lu made it clear that they’re not stopping there. VeChain plans to expand its regulated asset offerings under MiCAR, while simultaneously setting its sights on the U.S., the Middle East, and Asia.
VeChain’s roadmap for the rest of 2025 focuses on three major goals: advancing the VeChain Renaissance through its second phase, Hayabusa, which includes scaling upgrades and a validator target of 600M VET; expanding VeBetter.com to reach 100 apps and 20 million users; and strengthening regulatory compliance.
With UFC president Dana White stepping in as an advisor, VeChain is building a global compliance strategy that’s not just ambitious, it’s actionable. This proactive approach positions VeChain as a contender for long-term institutional trust and cross-border scalability.