@gapopo
“Why Real Users Behave Very Differently From Incentivized Users”
One mistake I see repeatedly is confusing activity with adoption.
Incentivized users optimize for rewards.
Real users optimize for convenience.
The difference shows up quickly:
incentivized users churn instantly
real users complain when something breaks
incentivized users tolerate friction for yield
real users abandon friction immediately
This is why metrics lie so easily.
A protocol with fewer users but high retention is stronger than one with explosive growth and zero habit formation.
Chains that internalize this — like Solana for execution and Base for distribution — increasingly optimize for repeat behavior, not headline numbers.
Real adoption looks boring:
stable daily usage
predictable peaks
low volatility in behavior
gradual expansion into adjacent use cases
Speculation brings users once.
Utility brings them back.
If you want to understand where crypto is actually working,
stop asking how many users arrived yesterday —
start asking how many returned today.
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