Amidst the sound of mouse and keyboard interactions in blockchain, a silent reshuffling is accelerating, and those who persist are redefining the landscape of wealth under new rules.
The recent fluctuations in the airdrop circle have affected every corner, with some once-glorious studios quietly disbanding, and speculators relying on short-term alpha information are on the brink of despair.
But in my view, this is not an end, but a cruel and necessary stratification.
In this round of reshuffling, protocols like Injective that focus on real ecological construction instead highlight their unique value — it is not just another airdrop target that can be 'milked', but demonstrates a sustainable participation model.
01 Paradigm Shift
The once airdrop track was a mechanically repetitive bulk operation. Hundreds of wallets, automated scripts, and the same interaction model could yield considerable returns across multiple projects.
The logic back then was simple and brutal: quantity overwhelmed quality.
The situation has completely changed now. Project parties have learned to identify false interactions, and airdrop rules have become increasingly intricate and complex. The days of 'earning money just by clicking the mouse' are gone forever.
The market has officially transitioned from the 'bulk interaction' era to the 'deep participation' epoch.
02 Survival Rules Under New Regulations
This year, many people have successfully captured large airdrops from Sign, Newton, Sahara, etc. A close observation of these success stories reveals a common point: they are not the smartest, but they are definitely the most patient.
In the Injective ecosystem, this trend is particularly evident. The protocol rewards users who genuinely use its decentralized trading, participate in governance, and contribute liquidity, rather than merely executing mechanical interactions.
Today, project parties favor 'real users' and 'contributors' over dozens of zombie accounts. This shift has eliminated short-sighted speculators and created opportunities for participants who truly understand ecological value.
On Injective, you will see a new type of participant—they are not just in it for the potential airdrops, but genuinely believe in the future of decentralized finance and are willing to spend time learning, contributing, and building.
03 Practical Strategies for Individual Participants
For individual participants, the new game rules require completely different strategies. The once-esteemed 'Hundred Matrix' and 'Device Farm' are no longer applicable.
My principles have become extremely simple:
Those who can participate at zero cost should invest fully; those who need deposits should spread risks with small amounts; if energy is limited, only deeply manage 2-3 main accounts.
In ecosystems like Injective, this means genuinely participating in its governance proposals, utilizing its cross-chain features, and providing liquidity on ecological DEXs, rather than just completing superficial tasks.
The most important long-term investment is 'nurturing accounts'—maintaining a Twitter, Discord, or wallet address with an active history. These will become the entry threshold for all high-quality tasks in the future.
04 Mindset Determines Success or Failure
The harsh truth of this industry is: monotony, slowness, fatigue, being countered, and unknown outcomes—these are all the norms.
This year, I have also experienced setbacks from projects like Monad and Camp. But overall, the returns in this field still outperform my physical business.
This is the fundamental reason why I choose to continue digging deeper.
Protocols like Injective demonstrate the value of sustainable participation— even without sudden airdrop surprises, deeply engaging in a rapidly developing ecosystem provides sufficient long-term value.
In this industry, the number of people who ultimately remain is always few. Those who can endure uncertainty, continue learning, and adjust strategies will occupy top positions in the new stratification.
05 Where are the future opportunities?
Although the apparent 'fleece' has decreased, opportunities have not disappeared; they have merely shifted positions and changed pace.
In addition to focusing on protocols like Injective, other projects worth paying attention to include:
Infrastructure: Zama, Brevis, Nexus, Warden
Trading and Prediction Markets: Polymarket, Infinex, Kalshi, edgeX, Lighter
Social and Identity: Farcaster
Wallets and Markets: MetaMask Points System, OpenSea, Backpack, Abstract
It is worth noting that most of these projects have moved away from simple interactive airdrop models to more complex proof of contribution mechanisms.
The twilight of airdrops is precisely the dawn of builders. As bulk-produced zombie accounts gradually become ineffective, the value of real users is rediscovered.
In ecosystems like Injective, we can see the emergence of a new type of relationship: project parties no longer view users as 'fleece parties' to guard against, but as partners in co-building the ecosystem; users also no longer see projects as short-term ATMs but as protocols worthy of long-term investment.
When the last wave of short-sighted participants leaves, what remains will be a group that truly understands blockchain value and is willing to deeply participate in ecological construction.
After the reshuffling, the real game has just begun.
