Rejecting Mediocrity: Portraits of Web3 College Students
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Rejecting Mediocrity: Portraits of Web3 College Students
Post-00s are flooding into this blue ocean.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsText: Pzai, Foresight News
From smart contracts to MEMEs, from exchanges to on-chain activities, a new generation of college students is diving into the crypto space in diverse ways. When it comes to career choices, they no longer idolize the stable paths offered by traditional internet giants, instead viewing the crypto world as a "digital blue ocean" for individual value leap. In this wave, young people are not only technological explorers and cultural interpreters but also experimenters with new economic models.
As more and more college students flood into the industry, figuring out how to properly enter crypto has become a pressing question. While running a university blockchain association, I attend numerous events each semester (commonly known as "running conferences"). After one such event, I received the following soul-searching questions from a junior—an inquiry far from unique, reflecting the confusion shared by many beginners:
What exactly does Web3 mean to college students? Are we merely chasing trendy events, or participating in an unregulated electronic casino? With these questions in mind, I spoke with several university students, and through their stories, I uncovered the demystified truth of Web3.
Max: Finding Meaning in K-Lines
One weekend in April, Max and his Blockchain Association teammates chose a seaside inn for their team-building retreat. Amidst the lively crowd, Max stayed up all night discussing with senior members. As a sophomore majoring in Financial Technology at Shenzhen University, Max threw himself into the school’s Blockchain Association from day one. Thanks to Shenzhen’s unique advantages bringing people together, Max quickly became a key organizer within the association. The next day, an event hosted by a project team was scheduled at SZU, and Max was tightly coordinating everything—from community distribution and event promotion to venue arrangements. Moonlight reflected off the beach, contrasting with the murmurs in the living room and Max’s relentless hustle.
Max was born in the Chaoshan region of Guangdong, where the local culture of entrepreneurship shaped him from childhood. His father took him to visit Bitcoin mining farms when he was young and introduced him to the crypto market after high school graduation. Influenced early on, Max developed a deep curiosity about blockchain and related concepts. As U.S.-based compliant crypto ETFs gradually launched, he began to see potential opportunities in the market.
In college, starting as a complete beginner, Max tried every possible track—airdropping farming, secondary markets, even technical development—but with little success. "I didn’t get any positive feedback; all were negative. The more I did, the more frustrated I felt. Seeing others succeed online while I struggled created a painful sense of disparity."
The turning point came on an ordinary afternoon. On October 25, 2024, Sotheby's was set to re-auction the banana from Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s duct-tape-and-banana artwork titled “Comedians.” The meme coin BAN, inspired by this, broke out among countless AI-themed projects, surging to a $20 million market cap within 24 hours. "I spotted the opportunity on X and jumped right in," Max recalls. This marked his entry into on-chain MEME trading—and his first profit of over tenfold.
The dazzling array of tokens gave him a novel thrill unlike anything before, driving him to fully embrace being a "P soldier." "After trading MEMEs, I realized MEMEs are truly my sweet spot." Smiling, he opened his laptop, calmly clicking buy and sell orders as K-lines danced across the screen. "You can monitor dozens of tokens at once—it really tests your focus."
From on-chain to offline, Max continuously connected with fellow DEGENs, building his own influence network. "My strength lies in internet intuition, and the MEME space needs exactly that—perfect alignment with my strengths." Now boasting over 6,900 followers on X, Max has achieved notable gains across multiple tokens. "I genuinely enjoy trading MEMEs."
Max explaining to fellow students
Having explored multiple tracks, Max believes crypto remains a blue ocean for college students: "Compared to traditional industries, crypto offers far more opportunities. In traditional fields, positions are already occupied by old money, leaving little room for misjudged or undervalued assets. But crypto is still immature and strongly upward trending—full of undervaluation and misjudgment opportunities. Such chances only exist in emerging industries. That's why I believe entering crypto is the right choice."
On the topic of academic credentials, Bitget CEO Gracy Chen stated on X: "This industry doesn't worship degrees—we worship ability. Ultimately, winners are those ruthless individuals who turn cognitive advantages into execution power." Max agrees, believing degrees can sometimes be a burden. "A degree isn’t always beneficial—precisely because you have a high degree, you might develop unrealistic expectations. If you insist only on doing glamorous things, you’ll miss many real opportunities."
HAO: From Trader to "BUIDLER"
Early April in Hong Kong was bustling with activity as HAO joined his team for the first time at a series of conference events ("running conferences"). Serving as an ambassador for an infrastructure project, HAO had a packed schedule in Hong Kong—assisting his team across three or four side events with project introductions and material organization. From initial planning ideas to meticulous execution details, every moment brought him a strong sense of purpose. Walking among Central’s skyscrapers, HAO felt a growing sense of belonging.
HAO at a BUIDL 2025 project booth
Growing up in a family environment that nurtured interest in business and finance, HAO frequently watched financial documentaries during high school. Once, he skipped evening study to watch *The Big Short* at the library, which sparked his ambition to enter fintech. In his free time, he gradually got into secondary market trading—"felt really interesting." After enrolling at Shenzhen University, he quickly joined the campus Blockchain Association. Before joining, he thought the popular saying "a day in crypto equals a year in real life" was just hyperbole. But once immersed, he was deeply struck by the industry’s unique pace.
A chance referral from a senior in the association led HAO to become a campus ambassador for a project. Every week, he joined Zoom meetings with experienced team members, passionately debating project directions and creative event plans. On social media operations, he constantly experimented with fresh content and interactive formats to boost community engagement. Transitioning from trader to builder mindset felt chaotic at first, yet he remained committed to his path. "Crypto is a trend of our time—external capital is flooding in. I don’t want to miss this wave. For individuals, there are still plenty of opportunities."
Three days later, returning to his dormitory, HAO found his roommate preparing for a research group meeting—a moment that triggered a sense of disconnection. "It made me realize I’ve chosen a different path." Amid today’s challenging job market, he continues down the crypto road because "exploring crypto proactively while ensuring academic progress not only connects me with exceptional people but also opens an alternative career path amid uncertain employment prospects."
The Victoria Harbour night breeze brushed HAO’s face. This year’s journey made him feel he had truly become part of this era.
HAO attending events in Hong Kong with friends
Andy: Diving Deep into Research & Investment
In 2023, the Hong Kong University Blockchain Community (0xU) held a series of courses across local universities. At the time, Andy—a marketing major—had zero understanding of blockchain. Referred by a peer, he immediately sensed a vast gap between the knowledge systems in school and the complex ecosystem of crypto, sparking his initial curiosity.
"At first, everything felt fresh—like experiencing a new movie every day." Within the crypto wave, his emotions oscillated—"sometimes boring, sometimes exciting. The boredom comes from repetitive games; the excitement arises when spotting genuine innovation."
Back then, DeFi's nested mechanisms were widely discussed. Andy identified an arbitrage opportunity arising from information asymmetry: "DeFi isn’t necessarily Lego blocks, but tokenomics—or mechanism design—has certain complexity. You need deeper understanding to figure out the optimal way to maximize returns." Through such arbitrage experiences, Andy realized that bridging cognitive gaps in crypto requires substantial hands-on practice.
Afterward, Andy went through a phase of hopping between internships. From initially grasping project models superficially to eventually handling various tasks proficiently, his professional skills rapidly improved. Finally, leveraging solid expertise and rich internship experience, he landed a role at a top-tier venture capital (VC) firm through a friend’s referral, marking a new chapter in his career.
Meanwhile, as Chinese platforms like Weibo tightened content controls around crypto, crypto KOLs on X began rising in prominence. Initially introverted ("an i-person"), Andy hesitated to share opinions—until he saw Killua analyzing data on X and received encouragement from seniors. Motivated, he started actively operating his Twitter account alongside his day job. "My work involves lots of data analysis, so data-driven X content feels like my comfort zone." A year after graduation, Andy gradually earned recognition from industry veterans.
Reflecting on student entry into crypto, Andy emphasizes mentorship: "Students need guidance—ideally from seniors or friends. At least the chance of being scammed is lower than trusting strangers." In his view, the crypto space is mixed with good and bad actors; having someone familiar guide you helps avoid detours and potential traps. "Don’t fear trying things—you won’t know the real situation without firsthand experience."
Like many students intersecting with crypto, Andy—one year post-graduation—is shedding the naivety of student life and stepping into his own crypto brilliance.
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