The $100M Truth of 2025: Emotions Over?Tech

Crypto marketing in 2025 doesn’t care for the old rules?—?the script is flipping, and you must stay ahead of the curve. Hot-off-the-press alpha in this web3 game we all are playing?

Attention is currency. And momentum?

Once you catch it in web3, the snowball effect kicks in faster than anything you’ve seen in web2. Pair that with the latest and greatest distribution methods, and you have the ultimate recipe for on-chain domination.

Forget boring whitepapers and stiff roadmaps. If you’re not stoking FOMO, rallying a die-hard cult following, and wielding memes like weapons, you’re already behind.

Ready to stop playing catch-up and start dominating?

LFG then!

Build a?Legend

In today’s crypto space, tech is relegated to silver and stories are pure gold. A standout narrative that’s truly unique is what drives momentum for crypto projects.

Copycats are everywhere, but they rarely succeed in copying the trailblazer.

But how do you craft a story that resonates?

Start with Positioning

Find your ‘blue ocean’?—?your unique angle that sets you apart from the noise. You don’t need to be bigger or stronger. What matters is making people feel like they’re part of something bigger.

Give them a sense of belonging, a reason to meme, and a glimpse of the greater things ahead?—?keeping them hooked on the lore you narrate every day. The memeability of your project, idea, cause, or movement directly influences how likely it is to jump on the crypto community’s radar.

Something we call memetic potential and perceived value creation.

Visual & Emotional Appeal

Never neglect a good look. For the culture, for the memes.

Package your project to ignite excitement with bold and memeable branding, setting a consistent tone of voice that aligns with your mission.

Picture yourself as someone passionate about your cause?—?how would the project appear to make you PROUD to talk about it, share the logo, and promote the ticker?

? Keep reading to understand why this matters so much in web3.

Everything, from design to storyline, should feel shareable and foster a feeling of home. Your huge W is when people organically show up for your project and are pumped to rep for it.

Take Pendle, for example. With its boosted Bitcoin, RWA (tokenized real-world assets), or even Berachain yields, it’s no joke. And yet, who’s guiding users every step of the way from pools to points?

The platform’s cute mascot.

Memes as Cultural?Currency

Memecoins aren’t just for kicks and giggles?—?they’re the most effective guerrilla marketing tool crypto culture coined.

A witty meme can disperse your message far and wide, spreading the contagion and turning casual observers into believers.

Over time, that memecoin mascot you put together can evolve into a core part of your brand’s identity, improving your street cred.

With the right moves, it could even grow into a full-fledged IP, with art and merch breaking into mainstream pop culture.

?? Web3 Advice You Wish You Knew Earlier: People stopped buying crypto tech a long time ago. They buy stories. Build your lore, and let your community multiply your storytelling.

Community: Turbo for Your Growth?Engine

A strong community is the backbone of any successful crypto project.

In web3, deeper community ownership and involvement in tokenized projects sets it apart from most web2 brands. Start by building a core group of loyal early supporters, rewarding and encouraging them to spread the word. Make participation fun and meaningful.

Tie community initiatives to product milestones to ensure your members become more than just users.

By turning them into knowledgeable advocates, you can leverage the explosive dynamics of the crypto space to achieve an unstoppable network effect that conventional businesses can only dream of.

Strategize Ambassador Program

Carefully design a program that lets the most active of your initial members earn points for a future token airdrop, achievement badges, and project-specific perks available only to early birds, or partner benefits by contributing and giving your project visibility.

Take advantage of your own dedicated Discord server to coordinate your Ambassador Program.

Every little detail counts?—?you want to strike the perfect balance with the right number of activities, so you don’t end up over- or under-allocating the drop for the ambassadors who you’ve practically hired for your ultimate Marketing Department on Steroids.

?? Before announcing any point initiatives, ensure you first ship a compelling draft outlining the initial utility of your token. If it’s on the meme side, sketch it out too, evoking the anticipation of being early to the next big cult led by a team of genuine degens.

This will motivate participants to stake or hold the tokens beyond the drop.

So make them feel like insiders.

???? Check out our Swisstronik case study, where we detail how Cryptorsy developed a far-reaching Ambassador Program, even for a no-nonsense business-oriented Layer 1 solution: https://cryptorsy.io/blog/swisstronik

Run Incentive Campaigns

Alongside earning points toward your airdrop, organize recurring exploration campaigns around your product or its niche. Reward organic UGC (user-generated content) creators with tangible incentives here and now like stablecoins and NFTs?—?not just as nice art pieces, but as tools that unlock, or will eventually unlock exclusive token-gated features.

This motivates people to get involved, builds trust for a new player in a market full of LARPs (live-action role-playing), and beefs up loyalty around your project, laying the foundation for a thriving community.

Remember, the goal is to make your followers feel like co-owners of the project?—?which, in the end, they truly are. However, not everyone may fully realize this from the get-go, which can weaken their commitment.

?? Key Takeaway: Make your content personal and relatable. The more your audience sees themselves in your project, the deeper their involvement.

When they win, you win.

Gamify Engagement

Gamify your ambassador and incentive programs beyond social tasks like follows and reposts to drive dynamic engagement that actually educates community members about your project or movement.

Use contests, challenges, and quizzes synched with your project’s goals.

In addition to having your community create content for your project, you also want bug reporting and community-led events to happen.

Community activation platforms like Zealy, Galxe, TaskOn, Intract, SoQuest, and others can host these campaigns, incorporating separate point-based systems, tiered achievements, and role-specific activities.

Consider going all-in with custom-made tasks with the help of tools like claimr??, Kazm, or Block Agent.

Content That?Converts

Recently, crypto marketing has been performing best by crafting a compelling story, boosted by meticulous community activation work?—?not by bragging about tech revolutions or trying to explain a complex web3 business idea, which would have been your go-to like 5 years ago.

Still, there’s one more thing to address regarding the content you put out: its relevance within the broader buzzing web3 narratives.

Right now, it’s memecoins, AI agents, DeFAI, and RWAs to a lesser extent, along with other categories. AI agents, in particular, are giving the crypto space a new and incredibly potent lease on life, permeating everyday web2 users.

? Being part of the buzz isn’t optional.

Be Part of the Talk of the?Town

Here’s an example of a power play in today’s meta: sprinkle some AI into your content. Have your social media team interact with AI agents out there on Twitter, entertain the idea, and spark interest?—?get on the radar of smart money.

Better yet, think about launching your own branded AI agent. Platforms like Virtuals Protocol or Holoworld AI make the whole process a lot smoother. With it, you can entertain your community, educate about your project, or have it interact with mentions of your account.

Whether you go all in and build something powerful or just dip your toes in, the point is simple?—?hit the AI meta.

Deliver High-Impact Content?Daily

Maintain a consistent presence on Twitter and Telegram.

Maintain a high DR (delivery rate) with daily tweets, hire people who can momentarily react to KOL and industry developments, and load up on lots of reactionary memes.

Once again, public AI agents are today’s gods of such shitposting (just look at $AIXBT) so definitely give them a thought while working on positioning.

Learn from Success?Stories

Take notes from Pudgy Penguins: their BILLIONS of TikTok views brought their web3 brand to mainstream audiences through relatable sketches, expanding the Pudgy appeal far beyond the not-so-trendy-anymore PFP NFT space.

They decisively proved the power of versatile content over just crypto lingo no one truly gives a damn about in the world outside.

Amplify User-Generated Content

Besides rewards, galvanize people to generate even more content by spotlighting and interacting with high-quality UGC, such as hilarious memes, videos, other visuals, guides, or whatever other form their creativity takes.

?? Highlighting standout contributions strengthens community bonds.

Feature creators in your social media publications to make them feel part of your project’s core narrative.

And there you have it: by staying relevant in the constantly changing meta, never falling back on your engagement consistency (not only your community should be showing up daily?—?lead by example), and nurturing UGC contributions, your content can transcend trends and truly convert.

Distribution = Domination

It doesn’t matter how cool your project is if no one knows about it, so it's important to build hype and spread your brand and tokens everywhere.

But on-chain, you need to stay especially vigilant about distribution developments. That means going where the action is right now, as we mentioned, talking about viral content earlier. Because in crypto, narratives pack an exponential punch compared to web2. They can secure god candles for founders who skillfully adjust to the pulse of the meta.

?? You’ve got to be constantly surveilling the landscape and stay ahead of the curve.

In 2024, we saw shifts in distribution channels. Take T2E (Tap to Earn), for example. While it surged to #1 in popularity for a while, it’s lost a bit of its initial shine.

The mindshare of tokenized RWAs surged too, and they are still a sizable chunk of the crypto discourse.

But memecoins? They’re THE hype magnets, with AI agents and DeFAI (DeFi + AI)?—?their coins have now become the new memecoins due to the sheer volume of excitement/belief they’re enjoying, making them the current echo chamber.

In 2025, think of utilizing AI-powered narratives, partnering with cutting-edge AI agent projects, and even benefiting from integrating these tools to stay in the conversation as much as possible.

Conventional Social?Media

When it comes to distributing via conventional social platforms, Google’s suite is still a powerhouse.

?? Use YouTube for video narration. Walk people through your lore and product like it’s a story they can’t put down.

?? TikTok? That’s your gateway to Gen Z, the audience most hyped about crypto assets.

?? Instagram is perfect for converting pop culture influencers and their followers.

?? Facebook? Bring in the moms and dads.

?? And, well, Threads? That’s where you can snag the Twitter-weary crowd.

?? What’s THE crypto distribution cheat code for 2025? Web2 ads. Learn more in our recent breakdown: https://cryptorsy.io/blog/web3-marketing-2025

If you approach this with careful planning?—?and take advantage of the recent thawing in crypto regulations and platform advertising policies?—?you can execute a killer distribution strategy.

Ads, done right, can amplify your reach and lock in your spot on the map.

KOL Partnerships

Collaborate with key opinion leaders through performance-based deals.

Let their credibility boost yours.

But don’t just pick any random top-yapping KOLs. It’s no longer about chasing sheer impression numbers. These days, success means presenting yourself to the right buyers, as the space continues to specialize across diverse interests.

Token Purchase?Funnels

Build one-tap buying experiences, like integrating the DEX pool APIs directly into the landing page for the token you’re launching, to net seamless conversions.

Pair them with affiliate programs to create a snowball effect.

?? Ever heard of Solana Blinks? They are one way how you can distribute tokens directly on Twitter: https://cryptorsy.io/blog/solana-and-blinks

Retargeting & Amplification

Use AI analytics like Kaito and Cookie3 to identify what works, then double down on high-performing content and audiences, taking advantage of data-driven insights and key metrics like impressions, ER (engagement rate), mindshare, sentiment, mentions, smart followers, and others.

Distribution Is a Multi-Layered Game

Start with frequent text-based communication, mostly on Twitter and Telegram, scale to visuals, then video, and finally, craft your narrative into a myth.

$100M Token Blueprint

Hitting a $100M+ market cap with your token?

?? Spoiler Alert It’s not about crossing your fingers and hoping your ticker catches fire somehow.

It’s all about strategy and execution:

Step 0: Lay the Foundation

• Build a pre-launch community of at least 10,000 members.
• Create a buzz with whitelists and early incentives, such as point farming toward an upcoming token airdrop.

Step 1: Spark the?FOMO

• Tease key details like the ticker and launch date.
• Gamify pre-launch engagement with referral challenges and random rewards.

Step 2: Hit the Launch?Button!

• Start with a market cap of $15M-$30M to create upside potential for early buyers.
• Partner with other communities to bring in fresh members.

Step 3: Build Organic Liquidity, Escalate, Snowball

• Focus on wallet growth with on-chain ads and referral incentives.
• Stoke buying pressure through consistent roadmap updates and partnerships.
• Amplify hype by getting featured on CoinMarketCap, CoinGecko, and other project-spotting platforms.

Study this table for a full playbook with insights into each stage:

Every step is designed to create momentum and sustain interest long after the launch.

23 Strongest Triggers in Crypto Marketing

These triggers are your secret weapons:

• FOMO and Urgency Use scarcity (’Only 100 slots left!’) and time-sensitive offers to kickstart immediate action.
• Social Proof Highlight the size and engagement of your community. Numbers matter.
• Gamification Turn your ecosystem into an adventure, rewarding participation and showing up every day.
• Storytelling Make your project’s journey compelling. Show progress, celebrate milestones, and share the human side of your team.

Here’s the full list of proven viral CTA passes that hook people in:

Psychological Triggers

• FOMO?—?‘Only 100 WL slots left?—?don’t miss out!’
• Urgency?—?‘Hurry! Sale ends in less than 24 hours.’
• Scarcity?—?‘Limited tokens remaining?—?act now!’
• Anticipation?—?‘Big announcement coming soon?—?stay tuned for major alpha!’
• Risk Reversal?—?‘Try it for 30 days, 100% risk-free.’

Social Influence Triggers

• Social Proof?—?‘Join 10,000+ users already on board.’
• Celebrity Endorsement?—?‘Backed by top crypto KOLs.’
• Peer Pressure?—?‘Everyone’s talking about this?—?don’t get left behind.’
• Community?—?‘Join our exclusive Telegram community for the latest updates.’
• Trust?—?‘Supported by industry-leading investors like X and Y.’

Value & Convenience Triggers

• Reciprocity?—?‘Share with friends and get 10% off.’
• Exclusivity?—?‘VIP access available for early backers only.’
• Simplicity?—?‘Stake tokens in just 3 simple steps.’
• Satisfaction Guarantee?—?‘Not satisfied? Get a full refund, no questions asked.’
• Freebies?—?‘First 500 sign-ups get a free memecoin airdrop!’
• Personalization?—?‘Based on your preferences, we think you’ll love this.’
• Convenience?—?‘Manage your crypto anytime, anywhere.’

Growth & Innovation Triggers

• Exponential Growth?—?‘Rewards grow as more people join.’
• Novelty?—?‘The first project to integrate XYZ cutting-edge feature.’
• Exclusivity?—?‘Beta access available only to early users.’
• Gamification?—?‘Step up your activity and claim exclusive drops.’

Authority Triggers

• Authority?—?‘Trusted by tier-1 industry experts.’
• Storytelling?—?‘Our journey: How we built this project from the ground up.’

The right trigger at the right time can make the difference between a follower and a believer.

Founder What (Not) to?Dos

? What to Do

Be Visible Your community is your biggest asset, so show up for them every day. Host regular AMAs?—?make them your Town Halls, consider keeping a public track record through a ‘CEO diary,’ and engage directly with those interacting with you online to build trust and inspire loyalty.

Focus on the Funnel Understand the stages of your marketing funnel?—?acquisition, nurturing, and conversion. Ensure that every step is optimized for engagement and value.

Provide Immediate Value Introduce a ‘sales liquidation offer’ in the middle of your funnel, like exclusive beta access or a subscription, to recover your marketing spend while retaining user interest.

? What Not to Do

Overpromise & Underdeliver Crypto users are savvy and skeptical, with those coming from web2 taking everything with a grain of salt too.

Don’t build hype without the infrastructure, product, or at least some memetic foundation to back it up, as this erodes trust.

Rely Solely on Luck The culture within your community should be all vibes, making people feel lucky to have found you early.

But crypto marketing isn’t about luck?—?it should be driven by data, no-fluff execution, and constant adaptation.

Ignore the Community Neglecting your community while spending hours courting VCs or partners is a recipe for disaster. Projects fail when founders prioritize external stakeholders over the people who actually use their products.

?? Great Founder Profile: Be the founder who rolls up their sleeves and gets into the trenches with the community. Good optics? Sure. But it’s also the backbone of a thriving web3 project.

See Ya at the???

Crypto marketing of late is a lot more about working with emotion and relevance than it is about showcasing amazing tech or a brilliant idea.

The key? Drop the tech jargon/business talk, embrace memes and reactive reply-guy culture, and step away from the false perception that things never change or change very slowly?—?the mindset that traps so many projects and their founders coming from web2. Web3 is certainly no rocket science if you’re flexible and willing to adapt.

With the right mix of storytelling, community vibes, and fresh distribution channels, your project can go from just another name to a full-blown $100M tokenized movement (or even a cult, in the best way). Of course, you can also go far beyond that.

The future’s for those who get how the web3 game’s played so let’s build, grow, and make some noise?—?together.