The other day, I saw the news about POAP shutting down, and my heart was full of reluctance. Now it’s confirmed—they’re ceasing operations. Five years of youth… I still vaguely remember the days of collecting badges with friends in the community. Tiring, but sweet! From 2021 until now, POAP has been one of the rare early NFTs that truly tried to record offline experiences on-chain. Its shutdown doesn’t mean this path was wrong; it’s just a reminder that in Web3, turning community value into a sustainable business is still incredibly challenging. Those who’ve claimed POAPs before will probably, at some point, open their wallets, look at those badges, and recall the fruits of their labor from back in the day. Some things may stop, but the memories remain on-chain.