Why Narratives Matter in Crypto

In previous market cycles, we've seen stories that captured the attention of crypto enthusiasts, such as:

• Expanding Blockchain Capabilities: Promises of scalability and high throughput to revolutionize finance.
• Driving Real On-Chain Adoption: Efforts to onboard millions to Web3 and decentralized applications.
• Building Thriving Crypto Communities: The rise of token-based ecosystems and DAOs.
• Getting Rich Overnight: Riding the next NFT mint that skyrockets 100x in value.

What's the Common Thread?

Low Market Cap: Most infrastructure coins started their rallies with market caps under $100 million—an accessible level for dreaming about 100x returns. However, real adoption remains scarce.

Many projects sold promises, attracting waves of speculative investors. Coins like $ADA and $AVAX soared in value based largely on hype and speculation. When the hype cooled, these assets became overvalued and eventually lost most of their gains.

The Entire Boom Was Built on Dreams: Not on deep details or solid fundamentals, but on compelling stories.

What’s Happening with Legacy Infrastructure Coins?

Older infrastructure projects like Cardano ($ADA) and Avalanche ($AVAX) have had years to deliver on their promises. They've seen development, driven adoption, and evolved, but their market caps remain high. For new dreamers, this high market cap creates a psychological barrier.

Investors who bought at peak prices and are now down 90% have lost interest. The appeal of these older projects has diminished as newer, shinier dreams emerge.

Enter the New Infrastructure Coins

New infrastructure tokens are launching with Fully Diluted Valuations (FDVs) of billions of dollars, backed heavily by venture capital (VC) funds. This shift has changed the narrative. Retail investors find it difficult to connect with VC-backed projects, which feel less fair and offer limited upside.

Retail Investors Want to Chase Fresh Dreams

Retail participants are drawn to what feels fair and promising. They’re not interested in complex infrastructure or the intricacies of DeFi. They want the excitement of a new narrative, which has fueled the meme wave.

While on-chain data reveals real adoption, the irony is that such growth doesn’t necessarily drive prices higher. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t attract the same attention.

We’re at Peak Narrative Chasing

The desire for quick profits is at an all-time high. This hunger has magnified the appeal of anything that offers hope of exponential returns. Memes or utility—it doesn’t matter.

What Matters Are Dreams: The stories people tell themselves about a better future, whether it’s through a new meme coin or an “undervalued” project about to moon. Complex details get ignored until reality forces a reckoning.

Eventually, Reality Sets In

This phase of intense speculation rarely ends well. But the illusion—the hope for a brighter financial future—is what keeps people going. Many will try and fail, yet as long as hope remains, they won’t stop chasing.

The crypto market runs on the energy of dreams and narratives. And while these dreams often lead to disappointment, they also fuel the innovation and risk-taking that keep the ecosystem alive.

Sources:

• Market observations from past cycles and current on-chain data trends.
• Real examples include $ADA and $AVAX speculative runs and current meme coin hype.

‍