How Tech Infrastructure Projects Build the Meta of Ecosystems

2024.04.22

How Tech Infrastructure Projects Build the Meta of Ecosystems

Meme tokens will become a trend in this cycle. This prediction came several months earlier than the rise of memes in 2024.

2024.04.22 - 13:00:40

MetaDapp

Navigating Web3 tides with focused insights

Meme tokens will become a trend in this cycle. This prediction came several months earlier than the rise of memes in 2024.

Recap:

In my previous blog post "What kind of DApp do we need?", I shared my thoughts on the key components of a successful application: product, subculture building, and economic model.

I predicted that meme tokens would become a trend in this cycle—months before memes started gaining popularity in 2024.

So the question is:

Why are some blockchains highly active with various meme coins, while others clearly decline after their airdrops, becoming “ghost chains”?

Before diving in, let’s first understand this concept: "meta".

What is “Meta”?

You may have heard “Metaverse” or “Meta” (Facebook) countless times—but what exactly does “Meta” mean?

In video games, “meta” usually refers to the optimal strategy considered best for winning. If you know the game's meta, you can easily win every match.

For example, in *The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*, you can set your arrows on fire and shoot them at your house to obtain infinite arrows—a small meta trick in the game.

Another gaming “meta” is seen in the pick-and-ban phase of all MOBA games (like DOTA, LOL). To master the meta, players must deeply study the current game version, understand the latest hero stats, analyze opponents’ strengths, and grasp win rates between different character matchups.

How to build your ecosystem’s “Meta”?

In the context of a crypto project building its own ecosystem, we can liken layer-1 chains to nations or cities. The “meta” of such an entity can be equated to its culture—encompassing language, history, art, and more.

Name and Mascot

Consider a memorable name for your blockchain, such as Berachain. A name inspired by animals is not only easier to remember but also more consumer-friendly, reducing technical barriers.

If your brand already has a technical or geeky name, consider adopting an official mascot featuring a charming animal.

Solana has dogs (Dogwifhat, Bonkinu) and cats (Wen, Meow), while Monad chose Molandak, a purple hedgehog, as its mascot.

The crypto industry is full of technical jargon and numbers. Cute pets and animal mascots add warmth and approachability to your project.

Language

Language is the soul of culture.

When you use language that only your community understands, it strengthens bonds among members. Speaking a language exclusive to a certain group feels both exciting and unique.

Just like in the magical world of *Harry Potter*, where wizards can cast spells, but Muggles cannot.

The Berachain community uses “Ooga Booga” as a way to say “hello” or “good morning,” mimicking cave-man sounds.

Jesse Pollak, founder of Base Chain, consistently uses the word “Based” when sharing projects related to Base Chain. As a result, “Based” has become Base Chain’s unofficial slogan. In the Base Chain community, “Based” also means “cool” or “awesome.”

Here’s a little puzzle: one project has written its slogan in cipher. Can you guess what it means?

The answer will be revealed at the end of the article. (Hint: find the corresponding letters in the image below)

Community and Applications

Just as a nation’s culture isn’t solely produced by its leaders, a crypto project’s “meta” cannot typically be designed solely by the core team or foundation.

How do you involve the community? One way is by bringing users into non-DeFi projects.

DeFi projects mainly focus on APY, complex calculations, and attract liquidity hedge funds, sophisticated whales, and airdrop hunters. If tokens are airdropped or APY slightly drops, these users tend to migrate to higher-yielding areas, as their primary loyalty lies in DeFi returns.

Base Chain set a strong precedent with its month-long launch program called Onchain Summer. The NFT collection campaign involved over 50 renowned brands, creators, artists, and builders, spanning on-chain art, gaming, music, and more.

Additionally, its flagship app Farcaster, a social network on-chain, provides an open space for the community to share content—not limited to crypto topics. This is why meme coins like “Degen” naturally emerged within the Base community. (To learn what made Degen reach a $1 billion valuation in three months, check my previous blog:

https://www.noweb3.ai/p/what-makes-degen-a-1b-project-in)

Regarding community engagement, KOLs’ influence is undeniable. Instead of recruiting already-popular influencers, elevate early community supporters into ecosystem KOLs. This allows them to grow alongside the project, benefit from ecosystem growth, and strengthen their loyalty.

What should be prepared before building a “Meta”?

Build cheap and reliable infrastructure.

For ordinary users, encountering gas fees over $10 or cross-chain fees reaching $50 can be discouraging. More affordable gas fees, combined with user-friendly bridges (centralized or decentralized), make onboarding smoother.

Give your users some free candy

Users often find it frustrating to complete endless odysseys only to receive minimal rewards. Sometimes, consider introducing a test token or free NFT via fair launch as an alternative.

For example, Jupiter launched a meme coin called “Wen” before its official token release. This free airdropped token is now worth $174 million. Similarly, Hyperliquid distributed its meme token “purr” before launching its native token.

Another example comes from the Asian team Bitmap Tech. They launched BRC-420 at an initial mint price of just $0.10, with its peak price nearing 0.8 BTC (about $50,000). Starting from an NFT collection, the team launched their own Bitcoin Layer2, Merlin, which now has a total value locked (TVL) exceeding $3 billion.

In summary, for convenience, I’ve constructed a triangle model to illustrate how “meta” is built. The diagram below shows the interaction between community, culture, and non-DeFi products.