The key to staying ahead lies in: grasping the pulse of the field, drawing inspiration from outside the crypto circle, and adhering to first principles thinking.
Written by: Emily Lai
Translated by: AididiaoJP, Foresight News
The cryptocurrency field is ever-changing, user attention is fleeting, and the lifecycle of trends is getting shorter.
I have summarized my observations and insights from the past 12 months and made predictions for trends in 2026.
The core purpose of this article is to share with founders, growth leaders, and marketers my judgments on industry trends, the impact of these trends on your market strategies, and how to maintain a leading position, in collaboration with the @hypepartners team.
10 months is enough to change a lot
Since my last keynote speech at EthDenver in February 2025, we have witnessed:
The addition of over 319 new stablecoins (data from @DefiLlama)
Institutions and Wall Street entering the market through corporate blockchain, DATs, ETFs, etc., with fintech giants adopting stablecoins
A relaxed regulatory environment, thanks to the GENIUS Act and a "crypto-friendly" U.S. president
A growth of over 27% in the number of newly issued tokens, reaching 567 million as of the time of writing (data from @Dune)
A surge in cryptocurrency payment card options, with on-chain card transaction volume reaching $375 million in October 2025 alone
Record trading volumes in prediction markets (such as @Kalshi, @Polymarket), with new participants continuously emerging
The launch of digital banks and mobile fintech applications based on crypto technology (notably @aave's heavyweight mobile app released this week)
Comparison of 2024 and current cryptocurrency marketing
Mainstream trends in 2024 include: team-led marketing, founder branding, AI agents, "reply experts," mascots, airdrops, intern accounts, and the concept of "mind share" proposed by the InfoFi platform.
Today, the situation is vastly different. The focus has shifted from liquidity in the Asia-Pacific region to the return of ICOs and "CT Leads," with the pace of the cryptocurrency field remaining as fast as ever.
Is mind share outdated? Mind share ≠ growth
In the past year, several highly anticipated token generation events have shown that even with a very high mind share, if price performance does not meet the expectations of the crypto Twitter community, buying demand remains weak.
From a key performance indicator perspective, the focus has shifted back to user acquisition (B2B and B2C) and retention rates. From a narrative and macro perspective, ecosystems and applications are beginning to emphasize revenue and buyback information.
Internal discussions are increasingly centered around token strategies, token economics, and incentive design, aimed at alleviating selling pressure.
As industry infrastructure, foundational components, and middleware gradually mature, the focus of ecosystems and public chains has shifted to the application layer. When traditional financial institutions enter the market and mature fintech applications with millions of users adopt blockchain technology, the legitimacy of cryptocurrency is enhanced.
More importantly, this allows us to reach new users outside the crypto Twitter circle. With improved user experiences, new applications emerging, and trust being established, the addressable target market and audience are expanding. This means that user acquisition strategies from Web2 that previously had negative ROI/ROAS may become viable again.
Trend Direction: What is Rising, What is Fading
Below is a subjective and non-exhaustive list of what is trending and what is outdated, combining perspectives from myself, crypto venture capital friends, the crypto marketing circle, and the crypto Twitter community.
I have categorized these trends into 7 major themes, with a high-level summary of observations for 2025.
Recruitment and Employment Market for Growth Positions
As the industry matures, later-stage companies and Web2 companies are more inclined to hire specialized crypto marketing talent rather than "jack-of-all-trades" marketing generalists.
Recruiters report an increased demand for senior/lead marketing talent such as Chief Marketing Officers, with reduced flexibility for remote work and a more open attitude towards Web2 marketing talent.
The bar has been raised for junior marketers without Web2 marketing experience, as the market is flooded with crypto-native talent (think of the ecosystems that have failed or faded over the past four years).
Return of Performance Marketing
With the focus shifting to user acquisition and retention, performance marketing is on the rise again. This requires a robust tracking system (on-chain, product/website, channels), growth experiments, a combination of paid and free media, and the evolution from social tasks to liquidity tasks, as well as precise KOL marketing.
The use of relevant tools is increasing, such as: @spindlxyz, @gohypelab, @themiracleio, @tunnlio, @yapdotmarket, @turtledotxyz, @liquidityland, etc.
Strategies are becoming more precise: some decentralized exchanges for perpetual contracts offer white-glove services and one-on-one communication for whale users, or leverage trading KOLs in the Asia-Pacific region to gain initial traffic.
Web2 paid advertising channels (social ads, search ads, outdoor ads) remain important. Telegram ads are currently an underutilized channel.
As large language models and AI ecosystems like OpenAI develop advertising products, new advertising placements will emerge in the future.
Content is King, Continual Saturation
In 2025, the timeline is flooded with a massive number of content creators and videos. The types of creators are diverse: vloggers, short video creators, tech explainers, live streamers, film narrators, etc.
The InfoFi platform has spawned a large number of "ambassador" accounts that seek rewards through "active voice." However, I believe this trend is difficult to sustain, and "talkers" are on my "outdated" list.
Brands are beginning to hire actors, using Hollywood-level studios and cinematographers to produce high-quality content and advertisements. For example, @aave laid out on Instagram before launching their mobile app, and @ethereumfnd introduced storytellers like @lou3ee.
Content formats are diverse: live series (like @boysclubworld), static series, podcasts, short video clips, 3D/AI announcement videos, etc.
@OctantApp provides funding for creators, and I personally hold workshops for creators to explain the psychological needs of brands.
Core Insight: Content will continue to saturate. Quality, substance, and production level will become increasingly critical. It is equally important to break through the crypto Twitter circle and reach new audiences.
Exploring Vast Horizons Beyond Platform X
This year, we explored channels like YouTube, Reddit, AI search engine optimization (like Perplexity, GPT), Instagram, Whop, etc. The presentation highlighted LinkedIn and TikTok.
LinkedIn Example: @Scroll_ZKP co-founder @sandypeng continued operations in 2025, growing from 0 to 6.3 million impressions and 31,000 followers. (Showcasing her data and insights.)
TikTok Layout: In January 2025, we noticed an increased demand for presence on channels like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. We hired @web3nikki to build a short video department focused on brand growth and user acquisition on channels like TikTok. All team members are native TikTok users, well-versed in algorithms and viral logic, and can adjust strategies with a crypto perspective. Since the department's establishment, we have served 12 clients and accumulated rich experience.
Events are Moving Towards Experience and Exclusivity
Surrounding events are overly saturated (often exceeding 500 per week), and organizers need to work harder to attract participants. Merchandise is also pursuing higher quality, design, and exclusivity.
The number of private dinners is increasing. @metamask set a new benchmark with its invitation-only event at EthCC Cannes in July, involving speedboats, helicopters, and flights for KOLs/creators. @raave continues to define the standards for crypto music events.
The methods for obtaining tickets are trending towards hierarchical, exclusive, and serialized marketing activation. Digital experiences are also increasing: airdrop unboxing, mini-games, Buzzfeed-style shareable personality tests, etc. More inspiration is drawn from Web2 brand events, pop-up concepts, and influencer activities, which are being introduced into the crypto space.
Reconstruction and Redesign of Incentives
The trend is shifting from airdrop events back to ICOs, with some incentive activities being repositioned as "privileges":
"The ability to purchase this token is a privilege in itself" (analogous to 2021 NFT whitelist).
"Buy now and enjoy discount privileges."
"Stake immediately to earn enhanced yields or points from multiple protocols."
To receive the maximum airdrop, discount, or points, one must be at the top tier (analogous to airline and hotel programs).
This evokes the marketing approach of banks and Web2 fintech companies that shape their products as "privileges" (e.g., "Congratulations, you are pre-qualified!").
Prediction: Incentive programs will further evolve, becoming closer to traditional loyalty and membership programs.
Application of AI in Marketing and Operations
AI search engine optimization / large language model search engine optimization ensures that company information appears in the training data sources of AI prompts. Web2 tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush have already provided measures for AI visibility. OpenAI has officially announced the exploration of an advertising platform, which will bring new placements and marketing strategies.
How to Stay Ahead
The shortening of trend lifecycles is due to the following points:
Weakened moats (AI, the internet, and tools lower the barriers to content creation).
Limited audience size within the crypto circle.
New companies emerging continuously, competing for attention daily.
Marketing needs to continuously innovate, test, and experiment. Tactical pioneers can capture brand awareness through novelty until that tactic becomes saturated. Retesting old tactics and aesthetics can sometimes reignite a sense of novelty. This is a cycle.
"When they turn right, you turn left. When they sway left and right, you sit quietly under the tree, seeking higher-dimensional awareness and introducing the unknown. Then it cycles back."
The key to staying ahead lies in: grasping the pulse of the field, drawing inspiration from outside the crypto circle, and adhering to first principles thinking. The following questions can help you form your own predictions and marketing strategies:
Ultimately, you are betting on the future.
免责声明：本文章仅代表作者个人观点，不代表本平台的立场和观点。本文章仅供信息分享，不构成对任何人的任何投资建议。用户与作者之间的任何争议，与本平台无关。如网页中刊载的文章或图片涉及侵权，请提供相关的权利证明和身份证明发送邮件到support@aicoin.com，本平台相关工作人员将会进行核查。
