The crypto market of 2026 is undergoing a subtle yet profound transformation. Projects that once relied on short-term hype, influencer promotion, and hefty subsidies to attract investors are losing market tolerance. Instead, there is a growing desire for long-term value, sustainable operations, and genuine community consensus.

Looking back at 2025, what do we see? Liquidity crises among market makers, meteoric rises and falls of Meme coins, and the rapid fall of countless projects. The harsh truth behind these phenomena is that the market has long grown tired of "fast-food marketing." Project teams once thought that pouring money into traffic, inviting big influencers, and designing flashy airdrop mechanisms would suffice, but the reality proved otherwise. Products dubbed "eye-catching projects" have fallen from being "hot commodities" to risky short-term sell-off targets.

Why is this happening? Because the attention cycle is accelerating in decline. Users are no longer easily fooled by novelty; they care more about: Is my principal safe? Are the returns guaranteed? Does this ecosystem truly have a future? Against this backdrop, smart market participants have begun to realize—the only way out is to return to fundamentals.

What are fundamentals? They involve creating carefully designed value chains that deliver tangible returns to users, employing measurable and verifiable incentive mechanisms to guide user behavior, and building communities that foster cultural identity. These elements may seem "slow," but they are precisely the common traits of projects that have endured until now.

So, how will marketing strategies change in 2026?

First, the subsidy competition before TGE (Token Generation Event) will not disappear, but it is no longer the project’s decisive trump card. The lessons of 2025 are clear: over-reliance on a "big push at TGE" strategy can lead projects into "hollowing out" after launch—hype dissipates, users disperse, and market cap crashes. What is the truly smart approach? Designing pre-TGE phases that align more closely with the community’s actual rhythm, giving users more participation and ownership. Not just passively receiving airdrops, but actively engaging in the project’s growth process.

Second, shifting from "digital games" to "real value." The once impressive data reports and grand roadmap promises now invite more skepticism. Investors are becoming more pragmatic—what tangible, executable progress can I see? Are there truly active builders in the community rather than just speculators? Does the token’s economic model stand the test of time?

Furthermore, trust is no longer built through a single channel. In the past, a single statement from a big influencer could trigger a boom; now, multi-dimensional verification is required—from transparent financial disclosures, traceable development progress, to authentic community feedback. This process is indeed more "troublesome," but it is also the process through which projects that persist and their loyal followers build trust.

In simple terms, 2026 is not the year when subsidies disappear, but the year when "subsidies return to rationality." True competitiveness will come from project teams’ deep reflection on user value and whether they can establish an ecosystem that encourages long-term participation and continuous validation. Projects still dreaming of "getting rich overnight" have little time left.