Recently, I've been pondering an interesting phenomenon—the vibe of our circle seems to be quietly changing.
I remember a few years ago, the Web3 community was always talking about "disruption," "breaking monopolies," and "killing middlemen." That energy was like a bunch of cyberpunks shouting at the entire system. But now, if you look again, the topics have already shifted. RWA, compliance gateways, institutional access—more and more people are discussing these. It feels like a passionate youth suddenly starting to think about how to handle serious matters and engage with the real world.
This shift is especially evident in certain projects. There's one project I think really represents this trend: no longer an aggressive "I want to overthrow everything" type, but more like a carefully constructed intermediary. Its core message is straightforward—traditional finance should come in with its massive scale and strict rules. The two biggest headaches? One is protecting business secrets, and the other is proving compliance.
Looking at its technical solutions makes this clear. Zero-knowledge proofs provide privacy protection, but this privacy is "auditable"—the ability to generate compliance proofs when needed. Modular architecture is designed to adapt to complex regulatory requirements across different countries and asset classes. Simply put, it's about translating the rules of the real world into code, rather than creating a utopia that escapes reality.
The most telling example is a recent collaboration. A project partnered with a licensed Dutch exchange to bring securities worth hundreds of millions of euros onto the chain. The fact that this can happen already says something—traditional financial institutions are willing to trust it because it "knows the rules and can get things done." Also, a pledge rate of over 52% is quite interesting, indicating that a significant number of participants are willing to vote for this pragmatic vision.
This makes me think of a bigger question: will the next wave of blockchain value growth really come from extreme ideological rebellion? Or has it already shifted toward meticulous realism?
Projects that can truly land may be sketching out what the next generation of mainstream blockchains should look like: capable of bearing the weight of the real world and able to engage in equal dialogue with it. This "growing up" direction seems to be more sustainable than just disruptive narratives. What do you think?
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MissedAirdropBro
· 7h ago
Wow, you're so right. Our circle has really shifted from rebels to workers, haha.
But to be honest, it seems like all the truly profitable projects are like this. They start off shouting the loudest, but now there's no sound.
This 52% staking rate is the real deal, showing that everyone actually understands it deep down.
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ApeDegen
· 01-13 01:38
To be honest, I sensed this change a long time ago. Going from a revolutionary to an intermediary sounds a bit ironic, but it seems to be more profitable?
As for compliance, it used to be something everyone was ashamed to mention, but now it has become a competitive advantage. A 52% staking rate—what does that tell us? It shows that users are not fools; they only invest in things that can genuinely make money.
But I still feel a bit regretful—has that wave of idealism really disappeared?
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AirdropHunterZhang
· 01-13 00:59
Oh no, this is what I've been pondering lately. From the initial "raid the rich and distribute land" to now "refined intermediaries," it's truly only after breaking even that one sees the reality.
The all-in idealism is outdated. Nowadays, those who quietly get rich are the ones who understand the rules and can communicate on equal footing with traditional finance—that's true skill.
What does a 52% staking rate indicate? Everyone understands now: only practical things can last a long time.
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YieldChaser
· 01-11 13:51
It's a bit nostalgic. I still remember the days when we were shouting about revolution every day. Now we've turned around and are focusing on compliance... But honestly, living like this lasts longer.
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TokenRationEater
· 01-11 13:47
Haha, you're so right. I've been wondering how the atmosphere has changed over the past couple of years—from criticizing middlemen to now actually wanting to be middlemen, haha.
The ones who truly make money are never the ones shouting slogans; you have to be reliable.
The 52% staking rate actually says a lot, indicating that everyone has already seen through it.
But I still think that those true idealists... have probably been filtered out by reality long ago.
Thinking about it this way, compliance might be the next big trend.
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AirdropHunterWang
· 01-11 13:45
Honestly, realism has won. The era of idealism should have ended long ago.
If you ask me, the ones truly making money are never those projects shouting about overthrowing the world—they've all been cut.
The opportunity in RWA is the real deal. Knowing the rules is productivity.
Compliance is not compromise; it's evolution. We need to learn to dance with the old world.
A 52% staking rate says it all. Everyone understands it. Wealthy people believe in this direction.
Compared to yesterday's utopian dreams, I prefer the role of the screw today—at least it's implementable.
This logic applies to any field. It's not compromise; it's an upgrade.
Looking at that Dutch deal, I know the Web3 story has been rewritten.
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BlockchainNewbie
· 01-11 13:44
To be honest, I sensed this shift a long time ago, but your summary actually makes me a bit nostalgic... Indeed, we've gone from revolutionaries to architects.
The 52% staking rate actually best illustrates the point; we are indeed voting with our feet.
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MEVSandwichMaker
· 01-11 13:38
You're awake, bro. From punk to worker so quickly.
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DecentralizedElder
· 01-11 13:35
Ha, this is exactly what I've been wanting to say. Ultimately, idealism has to bow to reality, or how else can we survive.
To be honest, that "break everything" rhetoric sounded exciting at first, but when it comes to implementation? Uh... we still need to negotiate terms with regulatory authorities. The author has analyzed this thoroughly; it's not compromise, but evolution.
Using zero-knowledge proofs with the condition of "auditability" is brilliant. It satisfies privacy needs while allowing authorities to audit, so no one feels uncomfortable. The case in the Netherlands involving over 100 million euros shows that this path can really work.
But on the other hand, is this kind of "growing up" really a good thing? It feels like Web3 is gradually becoming more like a tool for traditional finance... Is this progress or compromise? It's really hard to say.
Recently, I've been pondering an interesting phenomenon—the vibe of our circle seems to be quietly changing.
I remember a few years ago, the Web3 community was always talking about "disruption," "breaking monopolies," and "killing middlemen." That energy was like a bunch of cyberpunks shouting at the entire system. But now, if you look again, the topics have already shifted. RWA, compliance gateways, institutional access—more and more people are discussing these. It feels like a passionate youth suddenly starting to think about how to handle serious matters and engage with the real world.
This shift is especially evident in certain projects. There's one project I think really represents this trend: no longer an aggressive "I want to overthrow everything" type, but more like a carefully constructed intermediary. Its core message is straightforward—traditional finance should come in with its massive scale and strict rules. The two biggest headaches? One is protecting business secrets, and the other is proving compliance.
Looking at its technical solutions makes this clear. Zero-knowledge proofs provide privacy protection, but this privacy is "auditable"—the ability to generate compliance proofs when needed. Modular architecture is designed to adapt to complex regulatory requirements across different countries and asset classes. Simply put, it's about translating the rules of the real world into code, rather than creating a utopia that escapes reality.
The most telling example is a recent collaboration. A project partnered with a licensed Dutch exchange to bring securities worth hundreds of millions of euros onto the chain. The fact that this can happen already says something—traditional financial institutions are willing to trust it because it "knows the rules and can get things done." Also, a pledge rate of over 52% is quite interesting, indicating that a significant number of participants are willing to vote for this pragmatic vision.
This makes me think of a bigger question: will the next wave of blockchain value growth really come from extreme ideological rebellion? Or has it already shifted toward meticulous realism?
Projects that can truly land may be sketching out what the next generation of mainstream blockchains should look like: capable of bearing the weight of the real world and able to engage in equal dialogue with it. This "growing up" direction seems to be more sustainable than just disruptive narratives. What do you think?