IMPORTANT - This article is not financial advice and is written purely for entertainment purposes.
January 20 2025 - several days ago Donald Trump’s team released the $TRUMP memecoin and the result of this hyper-viral release has been jaw dropping to say the least.
In a matter of hours $TRUMP rose to multiple Billions of dollars of market capitalisation and even started to suck out the liquidity from the entire market - causing a cascade of liquidations on the biggest centralized exchanges.
Here at D3LTA our mission is to look beyond the glitter, the glamour and the hype - with our feet firmly planted in reality at all times. We can safely conclude that indeed, “everything popular is wrong”. Why?
It’s no secret that hype and narrative chasers, as well as the majority of short term speculators always lose in the end. Only the true believers - the HODLers - emerge victorious. What sets these people apart is their patience, resilience and the ability to see the big picture.
For the uninitiated among us, this simply means that the people with a long term view always look for undervalued and unappreciated digital assets. Coincidently the Trump team understands this better than anyone. His DAO is currently SELLING meme coins and BUYING undervalued digital assets like LINK and ETH. The Trump team is not drinking its own kool-aid. Are you?
The problem with popularity
When we peel off the layers of mystery, we end up with a basic understanding of psychology and human nature. Like moths to a flame we are attracted by green candles. KOLs and media gladly pour gallons of gasoline on an open flame of “the pump,” easily capitalizing on the free attention and hype. The FOMO (fear of missing out) has just been activated.
Once the coin/token has reached the stratosphere, you can bet your bottom dollar that the early insiders have already stepped out of the line of fire and secured a hefty return on their investment, leaving the retail investors holding the bag. Surely this only happens to uneducated investors, right?
Wrong! You may be surprised to hear this, but FOMO is such a powerful psychological vacuum, that it even sucks up the most cautious and seasoned professionals, including institutions and family offices. It happens much more often than you think. Popularity and profit are in fact arch enemies. As you slowly learn to release yourself from the iron grip of FOMO, you can reprogram your consciousness to “go fishing where nobody goes”. Pack up the fishing gear and let’s go!
Don’t chase hype
Today the most valuable commodity in the world is your attention. We are bombarded with unnecessary distractions that are either outside of our control or don’t benefit our lives in the slightest. Chasing hype means:
Diminished returns - Once a project is popular, its valuation is often inflated. Ask yourself this: are you buying at a massive premium or at a discount? Do you see the value that others don’t?
Lack of fundamentals - The sad truth is that the majority of Web3 projects don’t have the right to exist. They lack a clear use case, strong team, or long-term vision. When the buzz dies down, these projects often collapse. Revisit this article in 2027 and see for yourself.
Market saturation - The Web3 space moves fast. What’s “hot” today could be forgotten tomorrow as the next big thing takes the spotlight. Before $TRUMP, we saw 3 NFT projects being released. Now these NFT holders are yet again chasing a new hype.
The power of looking elsewhere
Scammers often utilize tactics that put time pressure on their victims. In these cases it’s important to step back and take an objective look at what’s happening around you. Learn to slow down and don’t let anyone randomly hijack your time and attention. Once you slow down, you’ll start noticing certain patterns that will take you closer to finding the hidden value that nobody has yet noticed;
Fundamentals
Web3 projects that solve real-world problems or disrupt entire industries are often overlooked. They are boring and usually arrive at the “green candle” party quite late. The teams that build this technology are not interested in hype. They are too busy building!
Tokenomics vs ponzinomics
Most projects are launching a token for the sake of launching a token. Oftentimes large insiders and VC’s will get involved at an early stage. If retail investors cannot participate in the token sale, this token is not meant for you (it’s meant to enrich this small early community). Yes, reading whitepapers and studying tokenomics is not “sexy”, but it sure is effective in avoiding zombie projects with poorly designed tokenomics. More often than not they collapse under the weight of their own inflation.
Are the devs cooking?
Hype doesn’t build success - developers do! Be sure to regularly audit GitHub activity, partnership and developer engagement. Builders are the first people to spot long term value. Would you learn a whole new programming language just to be able to build on a dead blockchain?
Community
You already know that attention is everything. When a project fails to connect with the core community - the long term hodlers, this is a massive red flag. During the good times these HODLers will advocate for (and spread the gospel of) their favorite Web3 project. During the bad times they will hold strong and be anti-fragile. Lack of community means lack of success.
Look where nobody is looking
The biggest opportunities are often hiding in plain sight. Spend time researching lesser-known blockchains, innovative DeFi protocols, or emerging ecosystems. By the time these projects hit the mainstream, you’ll already be well aware of their existence and you’ll have plenty of time to try out the ecosystems.
Conclusion
In Web3 only the patient and the cool-headed survive. Resist the urge to jump from one token to another. Don’t trade and don’t get swept away by FOMO. Your focus should always be on the long term value. Learn to find value where nobody is seeing it. Learn to love the red candles. They are the best indicator that the market is overlooking something.
In 2025 you will be dazzled and mesmerized by hype and mania of truly epic proportions. Your ability to stay cold blooded and rational will be the defining factor in your strategy. Most of us have learned these virtues the hard way. Never repeat the mistakes of the majority and remember: Everything popular is wrong!
