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crypto-web3.md
86 lines · skills/reverse-engineer-marketing/references/industries/crypto-web3.md at 88c79f6
Most marks come from matching words in the file, so treat them as pointers.
1# Crypto and Web3: Teardown Pack
3Load this pack for exchanges, wallets, DeFi protocols, layer-1 and layer-2 networks, and NFT or token projects. Crypto is the one industry where much of the growth evidence is public by design: activity is recorded on-chain, and incentive programs are announced openly.
Crypto and Web3: Teardown Pack
Load this pack for exchanges, wallets, DeFi protocols, layer-1 and layer-2 networks, and NFT or token projects. Crypto is the one industry where much of the growth evidence is public by design: activity is recorded on-chain, and incentive programs are announced openly.
Raw lines 1 to 45## Contents
6- How to recognize it
7- What drives growth here
8- Signals to collect
9- Going inside
10- Rules that limit copying
11- Plays that usually transfer
12- Metrics to ask about
14---
Contents
- How to recognize it
- What drives growth here
- Signals to collect
- Going inside
- Rules that limit copying
- Plays that usually transfer
- Metrics to ask about
Raw lines 5 to 15
16## How to Recognize It
18- Wallet connection libraries (WalletConnect, RainbowKit, wagmi, ethers, web3.js) in the app's scripts. `teardown.mjs stack` flags WalletConnect; check the app page's source for the others
19- "Connect wallet" buttons, `app.` subdomains for the protocol interface, and links to block explorers
20- Token tickers, contract addresses, audits, docs on GitBook or Mintlify, and governance forums (often Discourse at `gov.` or `forum.`)
21- Community links to Discord, Telegram, and X before any email signup
22- `teardown.mjs detect <domain>` flags WalletConnect and wallet and on-chain language; `teardown.mjs subdomains <domain>` shows `app.`, `gov.`, `bridge.`, `stake.` launches by date
How to Recognize It
- Wallet connection libraries (WalletConnect, RainbowKit, wagmi, ethers, web3.js) in the app's scripts.
teardown.mjs stackflags WalletConnect; check the app page's source for the others - "Connect wallet" buttons,
app.subdomains for the protocol interface, and links to block explorers - Token tickers, contract addresses, audits, docs on GitBook or Mintlify, and governance forums (often Discourse at
gov.orforum.) - Community links to Discord, Telegram, and X before any email signup
teardown.mjs detect <domain>flags WalletConnect and wallet and on-chain language;teardown.mjs subdomains <domain>showsapp.,gov.,bridge.,stake.launches by date
24## What Drives Growth Here
26- **Incentives drive most spikes.** Points programs, airdrops, liquidity mining, and fee rebates bring users fast. The question is how many stay after the incentive ends.
27- **Market cycles move everything.** Activity across the whole category rises and falls with prices. Compare the target against peers in the same period before crediting any move.
28- **Community is the main owned channel.** Discord, Telegram, and X often matter more than email or search, and founders' accounts carry outsized reach.
29- **Integrations are distribution.** Being listed in wallets, aggregators, and other protocols' interfaces brings volume without marketing spend.
30- **Exchanges grow on listings and regions.** New token listings, new country licenses, and fiat on-ramps change what users can do.
What Drives Growth Here
- Incentives drive most spikes. Points programs, airdrops, liquidity mining, and fee rebates bring users fast. The question is how many stay after the incentive ends.
- Market cycles move everything. Activity across the whole category rises and falls with prices. Compare the target against peers in the same period before crediting any move.
- Community is the main owned channel. Discord, Telegram, and X often matter more than email or search, and founders' accounts carry outsized reach.
- Integrations are distribution. Being listed in wallets, aggregators, and other protocols' interfaces brings volume without marketing spend.
- Exchanges grow on listings and regions. New token listings, new country licenses, and fiat on-ramps change what users can do.
32## Signals to Collect
34| Signal | Where or how | What it shows |
35|---|---|---|
36| ★ On-chain activity over time | Block explorers and public analytics dashboards (Dune, DefiLlama, Token Terminal) | Daily active addresses, transactions, volume, and fees: real usage, not estimates |
37| ★ Total value locked (TVL) by day | DefiLlama for DeFi protocols | Deposits over time, by chain. Jumps line up with incentive launches |
38| ★ Points and airdrop announcements | The project's blog, docs, X, and governance forum | Dated incentive moves. Each launch, season, and end becomes a move in moves.csv |
39| ★ Retention after incentives | On-chain activity in the weeks after a points season or airdrop ends | Whether the incentive bought lasting users or only mercenary activity |
40| Governance proposals | The governance forum and voting platform (Snapshot, Tally) | Budgets for growth, grants, incentives, and partnerships, with amounts and dates |
41| Ecosystem grants | The foundation's grants page and announcements | Which builders and integrations they fund to grow usage |
42| Integration listings | Wallet app directories, aggregators, partner pages | Where they get distribution, and when each listing started |
43| Exchange listings | Exchange announcement pages | Dated listings that changed liquidity and reach |
44| Referral and affiliate codes | Their referral page; creator links with codes | The reward structure and who promotes them |
45| ★ Token unlocks and treasury moves | The token's vesting schedule in docs, and treasury addresses on explorers | Dated supply unlocks and treasury spending; growth pushes often cluster around unlocks |
46| Paid attention programs | Creator or KOL rounds, posting leaderboards that reward mentions, ambassador programs | Whether reach on X was bought; label these posts as paid, not organic |
47| Community size over time | Discord and Telegram member counts, X followers (Wayback for older counts) | Community growth around launches and incentives |
48| Audits and incidents | Audit reports, post-mortems, incident trackers | Exploits and outages that stalled growth |
49| Licensing by region | Their legal or regions page; regulator registers | Countries added or exited, dated |
Signals to Collect
| Signal | Where or how | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| ★ On-chain activity over time | Block explorers and public analytics dashboards (Dune, DefiLlama, Token Terminal) | Daily active addresses, transactions, volume, and fees: real usage, not estimates |
| ★ Total value locked (TVL) by day | DefiLlama for DeFi protocols | Deposits over time, by chain. Jumps line up with incentive launches |
| ★ Points and airdrop announcements | The project's blog, docs, X, and governance forum | Dated incentive moves. Each launch, season, and end becomes a move in moves.csv |
| ★ Retention after incentives | On-chain activity in the weeks after a points season or airdrop ends | Whether the incentive bought lasting users or only mercenary activity |
| Governance proposals | The governance forum and voting platform (Snapshot, Tally) | Budgets for growth, grants, incentives, and partnerships, with amounts and dates |
| Ecosystem grants | The foundation's grants page and announcements | Which builders and integrations they fund to grow usage |
| Integration listings | Wallet app directories, aggregators, partner pages | Where they get distribution, and when each listing started |
| Exchange listings | Exchange announcement pages | Dated listings that changed liquidity and reach |
| Referral and affiliate codes | Their referral page; creator links with codes | The reward structure and who promotes them |
| ★ Token unlocks and treasury moves | The token's vesting schedule in docs, and treasury addresses on explorers | Dated supply unlocks and treasury spending; growth pushes often cluster around unlocks |
| Paid attention programs | Creator or KOL rounds, posting leaderboards that reward mentions, ambassador programs | Whether reach on X was bought; label these posts as paid, not organic |
| Community size over time | Discord and Telegram member counts, X followers (Wayback for older counts) | Community growth around launches and incentives |
| Audits and incidents | Audit reports, post-mortems, incident trackers | Exploits and outages that stalled growth |
| Licensing by region | Their legal or regions page; regulator registers | Countries added or exited, dated |
51## Going Inside
53- Use a wallet the user controls and approves for research. Never ask for seed phrases or private keys, and never sign transactions the user hasn't reviewed.
54- Don't move or spend funds without explicit approval, including gas fees.
55- Screenshot onboarding: wallet connection, the first-action prompt, the points dashboard, and the referral prompt.
56- For exchanges, account creation means identity verification (KYC). Do it only under the user's real identity with approval.
57- Never farm an airdrop or points program with multiple wallets, wash trade, or game any incentive. That breaks the program's rules and often the law.
Going Inside
- Use a wallet the user controls and approves for research. Never ask for seed phrases or private keys, and never sign transactions the user hasn't reviewed.
- Don't move or spend funds without explicit approval, including gas fees.
- Screenshot onboarding: wallet connection, the first-action prompt, the points dashboard, and the referral prompt.
- For exchanges, account creation means identity verification (KYC). Do it only under the user's real identity with approval.
- Never farm an airdrop or points program with multiple wallets, wash trade, or game any incentive. That breaks the program's rules and often the law.
Involves a person without explicit approval :54
59## Rules That Limit Copying
61- **Securities rules:** regulators in the US and elsewhere can treat some tokens, yield products, and staking programs as securities, and the US position has been shifting. Copying a token incentive or a yield claim can carry legal risk. Check with counsel.
62- **Stablecoins:** the US GENIUS Act (signed July 18, 2025) set federal rules for payment stablecoin issuers, including limits on marketing them as government-backed or insured.
63- **Ad platform policies:** Google Ads requires certification for crypto exchange and wallet ads in many countries and bans some products outright. Meta requires prior written permission or a qualifying license for most crypto ads. Both vary by country.
64- **Regional rules:** the EU's MiCA framework, the UK FCA's financial promotions regime, and others limit how crypto can be marketed to retail users.
65- **Sanctions and KYC rules** limit where exchanges can operate and who they can serve.
66- **Influencer disclosure:** paid promotion must be disclosed under FTC rules in the US and similar rules elsewhere.
Rules That Limit Copying
- Securities rules: regulators in the US and elsewhere can treat some tokens, yield products, and staking programs as securities, and the US position has been shifting. Copying a token incentive or a yield claim can carry legal risk. Check with counsel.
- Stablecoins: the US GENIUS Act (signed July 18, 2025) set federal rules for payment stablecoin issuers, including limits on marketing them as government-backed or insured.
- Ad platform policies: Google Ads requires certification for crypto exchange and wallet ads in many countries and bans some products outright. Meta requires prior written permission or a qualifying license for most crypto ads. Both vary by country.
- Regional rules: the EU's MiCA framework, the UK FCA's financial promotions regime, and others limit how crypto can be marketed to retail users.
- Sanctions and KYC rules limit where exchanges can operate and who they can serve.
- Influencer disclosure: paid promotion must be disclosed under FTC rules in the US and similar rules elsewhere.
68## Plays That Usually Transfer
70| Play | Run it with |
71|---|---|
72| A referral program with on-chain or account rewards | **referrals** |
73| Integration and partner listings that bring distribution | **co-marketing** |
74| A founder-led presence on X with build-in-public updates | **social** |
75| Docs and guides that rank for "how to" searches in the category | **content-strategy**, **programmatic-seo** |
76| A community program with clear roles and recognition | **community-marketing** |
77| A launch sequence for new features, chains, or seasons | **launch** |
Plays That Usually Transfer
| Play | Run it with |
|---|---|
| A referral program with on-chain or account rewards | referrals |
| Integration and partner listings that bring distribution | co-marketing |
| A founder-led presence on X with build-in-public updates | social |
| Docs and guides that rank for "how to" searches in the category | content-strategy, programmatic-seo |
| A community program with clear roles and recognition | community-marketing |
| A launch sequence for new features, chains, or seasons | launch |
79## Metrics to Ask About
81- **Daily and monthly active addresses:** unique wallets interacting with the contracts
82- **TVL:** value deposited in the protocol
83- **Volume and fees:** trading or transaction volume, and fees earned
84- **Retention after incentives:** share of users still active weeks after a program ends
85- **Cost per retained user:** incentive spend divided by users still active later
86- **Verified accounts:** for exchanges, accounts that finished KYC and funded
Metrics to Ask About
- Daily and monthly active addresses: unique wallets interacting with the contracts
- TVL: value deposited in the protocol
- Volume and fees: trading or transaction volume, and fees earned
- Retention after incentives: share of users still active weeks after a program ends
- Cost per retained user: incentive spend divided by users still active later
- Verified accounts: for exchanges, accounts that finished KYC and funded