Cellulosic biomass is considered as one of the abundant and easily available renewable source of multi-purpose raw materials able to deliver a span of bio-based 'platform molecules', that are compounds that can be catalytically transformed into a wide spectrum of useful chemical derivatives. A paramount example of lignocellulosic biomass-derived platform molecule is 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF), sometimes referred to as a sleeping giant due to its high synthetic potential. Both reductive and oxidative approach are viable options for the catalytic valorization of HMF, with the former having a much broader prospects.