Strategic Guiding Thought: If consensus economy is the future, then the vision where “30% of the shares belong to investors, 20% to employees, and the remaining 50% to loyal customers” might also be the future.
If consensus economy is indeed the future, then the following mechanism could be the key: adopters receive equity, which drives adoption. This means that adopters, who receive equity, are more likely to adopt products themselves and even recommend them to others. As more adopters join, more equity is distributed, creating a virtuous cycle: more equity leads to more adopters, more adopters bring in more users, and so on, until equity distribution is complete, establishing broad user consensus.
This is the ideal vision for the current airdrop model.
However, this airdrop model faces some significant challenges in practice:
- Early adopters often sell and leave: Early adopters do not grow alongside the project or actively contribute to the DAO; instead, they sell their shares quickly and move on to other competing projects, seeking new “early equity” opportunities.
- Airdrops fail to drive widespread user adoption: The current model has not incentivized early adopters to recommend the product to more users, hindering broader adoption.
Perhaps we need to rethink the “early adopter airdrop” model. The next step should focus on a new approach: “mass adopter airdrops.”
Mass Adopter Airdrops: Web2 Payments
One direction to drive mass adoption is to work on integrating blockchain payments into major Web2 products, such as PayPal, Amazon, TikTok, Steam, etc. Through airdrops, we can incentivize users to actively use Web3 payment options.
For example, imagine a user who enjoys gaming. One day, they find a new single-player game, “Black Myth: Wukong,” priced at $59.99. The user notices that, alongside traditional Web2 payment options, there is now a new Web3 payment channel—OP-USDC. Being a Web3 user, they choose to pay with OP-USDC. When OP-USDC payments reach a certain milestone, such as one million users, the user logs into Steam and finds a message saying they have received an airdrop of OP tokens worth $59.99. The user then proudly tells their friends that they got the game for free, leading others to ask how. When they learn that by using Web3 payment channels they have a chance to get free games, more friends decide to try Web3 payments too. It’s not just about saving money; it’s also the thrill of sharing the experience. In this way, a new Web2 user gets pulled into the Web3 ecosystem.
Areas for Improvement in User Attraction
- Airdrop Probability: Once a certain level of adoption is reached, 100% airdrops may no longer be necessary. Instead, we could use an algorithm to randomly distribute airdrops based on probabilities (e.g., high airdrop probability for new users). The goal remains to raise awareness of Web3 products through incentives. Regardless of which blockchain does this, or even if they collaborate, the key is working for the future of the entire industry. The current competition is meaningless in the broader context.
- Token Lock-up Period and Rebate Ratio: Users who receive a “100% rebate of $100 in OP tokens” could choose to get $20 worth of OP immediately or opt for $100 worth of OP, distributed linearly over ten years. Users choosing the ten-year option will naturally hope for OP’s growth, and will thus be more inclined to use the OP chain frequently. The core remains encouraging users to habitually engage with Web3 products through continuous rewards.
- Equity vs. Bonds: If equity is distributed directly—for example, $100 worth of OP over ten years (assuming 1 OP = 1 USD), with 10 OP distributed annually—the OP tokens might run out quickly, and there won’t be enough time to influence user habits. However, if distributed in the form of bonds, the process could extend longer. For instance, if OP tokens worth $10 are distributed today, it may require 10 OP. However, if the value of OP doubles in the following year, then distributing $10 may only require 1 OP. As OP’s value increases, mass adopters will want to share their success, further driving up adoption and OP ownership.
Conclusion: A truly sustainable Web3 adoption strategy hinges on building a virtuous cycle where users become stakeholders, motivated not only by rewards but also by a sense of ownership. By shifting our approach from early adopter incentives to focusing on mass user incentives, leveraging the integration of Web2 payment channels, and creatively distributing equity, we can drive large-scale Web3 adoption and make the consensus economy a reality.