Stop staring at YGG's K-line chart, that thing will only make you anxious. Last month, I almost cleared all my YGG because of the price stagnation, plus seeing some "analyst" on X shouting that the guild track was dead. After calming down, I decided to take matters into my own hands and spent an entire weekend immersed in Dune Analytics. Guess what? I found that although the activity level of YGG's main treasury is average, its two subDAOs focused on the Southeast Asian market have seen their game NFT rental rates and the payback period for new scholars reach new highs for three consecutive months. This micro data that the market overlooks is the true lifeline of the guild and helped me avoid a wrong decision.
So today, I won't talk about those abstract things, but rather something practical: how to start from scratch and build a truly reflective on-chain data dashboard for YGG's health. Let's go in three steps: first, figure out what key data others cannot see; then discuss what tools can help you get started the fastest; and finally, talk about how to string these data together to form your own investment logic.
First, we must shift our focus from the total value of the treasury, which is a superficial project, to the real 'substance'—that is, the operational efficiency of the guild. It's like looking at a company; you cannot just look at how much money is in its bank account, but rather at its cash flow and turnover rate. For YGG, the core metric is its asset utilization rate. For example, you can focus on several key data points: First, what is the idle rate of NFT assets held by the core subDAO? A healthy guild should maintain a high rental rate for its core assets over the long term. Second, the average return cycle for scholars. The shorter this cycle, the more efficient the guild's profit model is, and the stronger its appeal to newcomers. Third, the collaboration and asset acquisition situation for new games. This reflects the guild's ability to expand new growth points. These data may not directly reflect on the coin price, but together they form the moat of the YGG ecosystem. Of course, these data are hard to find; they are scattered across different chains and may even require tracking through specific smart contract events, which is why most people choose to look at ready-made reports. But 'difficulty' is precisely where the value lies.
After figuring out what to look at, the next step is the question of 'how to look'. Don't be intimidated by the term 'data analysis'; you don't need to be a programmer to do this. Tools like Dune Analytics or Nansen are now very user-friendly. For beginners, I highly recommend the 'copy homework' approach. On Dune, there are a lot of ready-made data dashboards; you can search for the keyword 'Gaming Guild' or directly find YGG-related dashboards, then click 'fork'. This action is equivalent to copying someone else's entire analytical logic into your account. Next, what you need to do is replace the contract addresses inside with the address of a specific subDAO you wish to study or the asset contract address of a specific cooperative game instead of the main treasury address. Imagine Dune as a Lego building box, with on-chain data being countless small Lego blocks. Others' dashboards are already built models, and what you need to do is take apart their model, replace a few blocks with exclusive blocks representing the YGG ecosystem, and recombine them into the shape you want. The key to this process is finding the right 'blocks'—that is, the smart contract addresses related to YGG, which can usually be found in official documentation or on Etherscan.
Once you can skillfully extract these core operational data from the chain, you possess a unique perspective that differentiates you from the market. While others panic or get excited about the short-term fluctuations of YGG's price, you can open your dashboard and calmly assess: Are the number of scholars in the guild increasing or shrinking? Is the asset return rate improving or declining? Have any new blockbuster game assets been added to the treasury? Building your own data dashboard is essentially creating your own information cocoon, but it is a proactive and positive cocoon. When the market is filled with noise and FUD, your dashboard serves as your anchor, allowing you to make decisions based on facts, not emotions. This is a survival skill more valuable than any wealth secret in the Web3 world.
Have you ever tried digging data yourself? What was the deepest pit you fell into while building your dashboard? Let's chat in the comments, and together we can pave this road.
Disclaimer: This article is for personal research and thought only and does not constitute any investment advice. The risk in the crypto market is extremely high; please conduct your own due diligence before making any decisions.
