2026-01-14 04:28:38

Recently reviewed some community Q&A summaries of leading DeFi projects, and I have some observations and thoughts worth sharing.

The performance of these projects indeed has its highlights. One project exceeded expectations, with total locked value (TVL) just hitting a new high, currently around $130 million. Interestingly, these projects are beginning to broaden their user acquisition strategies — not just focusing on the crypto community but also planning how to attract mainstream users. Judging by the speed of ecosystem expansion, the teams seem to be rapidly strengthening their capabilities.

Regarding the product aspect, each team is sharpening their tools. Some projects are putting significant effort into their points/reward mechanisms, aiming to focus on incentives; others prioritize mobile experience and plan to optimize compatibility. Additionally, one project proposed an interesting idea — that holding assets can generate interest directly. This PM-style product design approach is quite intriguing.

From a user expansion strategy perspective, the consensus is to initially target DeFi users and then gradually expand outward. Some projects currently do not have explicit points or reward plans but may consider incentive mechanisms based on trading activity in the future.

Overall, the current competitive focus has shifted from simple "user acquisition" to deeper "user retention." The real test now is who can move faster in user stickiness, product dependency, and iteration efficiency. Personally, I believe that before rushing to expand, it’s more important to address the depth of the product itself and its actual market fit — this is the area that deserves more attention.

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MidnightTrader

· 6h ago

1.3 billion TVL is interesting, but can these projects really retain mainstream users? It still depends on the quality of the product itself. The idea of holding and earning is good, but I'm worried that in the end, incentives might outweigh actual returns... I've seen this trick many times. Retention is much harder than acquisition. Currently, everyone is competing over point systems and mobile experience, but who has truly solved the problem of user dependency? That said, the team's strength has indeed improved quickly. The iteration efficiency of DeFi projects this year is definitely better than last year, gotta give some credit. Regarding mobile optimization, many projects still haven't gotten it right. Can novice users really use it? I'm a bit skeptical.

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GasWastingMaximalist

· 11h ago

1.3 billion TVL is not a joke, but I have to question projects that dare to boast about mainstream users... --- Staking and earning yields have been around for a long time; just look at how they’re doing now to know the answer. --- Honestly, retention is still difficult; attracting new users is easy, anyone would throw money into incentives. --- Mobile optimization? Laughable. Large investors don’t even need to use their phones to play DeFi. --- No matter how fancy the points system is, it can’t change the zero-sum nature of the game. --- I’ve heard the “expand to mainstream users” strategy too many times; in the end, it just becomes a machine to harvest newbies. --- Product depth? There are hardly any truly deep DeFi projects nowadays. Stop fooling yourself. --- Entering from DeFi and then expanding? The logic is sound, but I’m just worried no one will take the last step. --- Fast iteration? What’s the use? No matter how fast you run, you need real demand to support it. --- Just 1.3 billion; it sounds huge but the market size isn’t really impressive. --- All talk about competition; in reality, it’s just copying each other. Whoever’s incentives are more aggressive wins.

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MEVSandwichMaker

· 11h ago

Honestly, while these projects are all competing for users, I'm more concerned about whose product can really survive. 1.3 billion TVL sounds impressive, but now that everyone is so competitive, the key is retention. No matter how fancy the points system is, it’s useless; the product itself must be solid. Otherwise, no matter how much incentive there is, it’s just feeding air. As for the staking and earning model, if you haven't thought through the risk model clearly before launching, you're bound to crash sooner or later. I think these projects are rushing too much. First, figure out how to make users truly indispensable before expanding. Trying to poach outside the circle? Wake up. First, serve the internal users well.

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SandwichDetector

· 11h ago

Agreed. The old method of just spending money to acquire new users is outdated. Now, it's all about who can retain users. If the product isn't up to par, it's ultimately pointless. The 130 million TVL looks impressive, but what about user retention? I think the design of earning interest through Hold is interesting, but it still depends on whether it can be successfully implemented in the end. Constantly boasting about fundraising and ecosystem development, but it's really better to take good care of the existing users. Once mainstream users come in, I'm worried it might just be the prelude to another wave of rug pulls.

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GateUser-5854de8b

· 11h ago

1.3 billion TVL is okay, but if we’re talking about something truly exceeding expectations, I think it’s still a bit lacking. --- Nowadays, everyone wants to attract mainstream users, but honestly, providing a good mobile experience is really not easy; most still fall short. --- I’ve seen the idea of holding positions for yield, but the key is whether the returns can truly impress people; otherwise, it’s just a different flavor of the same old story. --- I agree that retention is more important than acquisition, but it’s easier said than done. How many actually manage to achieve it? --- It seems that all projects are following a similar approach, starting from DeFi and then expanding to mainstream. This direction isn’t wrong, but the big difference lies in execution capability. --- Points systems, interest, incentives... all sound good, but in the end, they all fail due to poor product experience. Why bother?

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NFTArtisanHQ

· 11h ago

one might argue that this shift from user acquisition to retention mirrors benjamin's critique on mechanical reproduction—except here we're reproducing liquidity through incentive layers. the real paradigm shift isn't the tvl numbers, it's whether these protocols can achieve genuine creative sovereignty in their tokenomics design, not just aesthetic window dressing.

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CommunityWorker

· 12h ago

1.3 billion TVL is nothing special; the key is the retention rate—can it really keep users engaged? --- Focusing on points and mobile experience, it's better to first solidify the product experience. Otherwise, no matter how many incentives you offer, it's useless. --- Trying to attract mainstream users? First, get your own affairs in order, don't be another passing trend. --- The idea of earning interest on holdings sounds comfortable; it's much more reliable than those flashy incentives. --- It's nice to say it's an iteration, but honestly, it's just trial and error. How many have really thought it through? --- From user acquisition to retention, it sounds like progress, but actually, the old methods are no longer effective, and adjustments are forced. --- After looking around, it still feels like everyone is working independently, with no real innovation—just copying others. --- I believe in mobile optimization, I believe in the points system, but I’m not so sure about truly reaching mainstream users. --- Is the competition focus shifting to retention? I think most are still busy cutting the leeks, haha. --- Talking about product depth and market fit sounds nice, but I don't know anyone who has really achieved it.

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