What 12 months of explosive growth taught me about the future of marketing in crypto
Crypto moves fast. Trends emerge, peak, and die within months. What worked last year is already obsolete. What’s working today might not work tomorrow.
But buried beneath the noise are patterns and real shifts in how crypto companies build awareness, acquire users, and create lasting brands. These aren’t just tactical tweaks. They represent a fundamental change of the industry from speculation-driven hype to performance-driven growth.
I recently had the opportunity to dive deep into these patterns, synthesizing observations from the past 12 months alongside predictions from marketing leaders, VCs, and founders across Web3. What emerged is a roadmap for how crypto marketing is evolving and where it’s headed in 2026 and beyond.
The Context: A Year of Radical Change
To understand where we’re going, we need to acknowledge how much has changed in just 11 months.
Since February 2025, the crypto landscape has transformed:
319+ new stablecoins have launched, with institutions and fintech giants adopting them at scaleWall Street entered through corporate blockchains, tokenized assets, and ETFsRegulations loosened in the US with crypto-friendly policies taking hold567 million tokens now exist, a 27% increase in less than a year$375 million in crypto card volume was tracked in October 2025 alone on visible blockchainsPrediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket hit unprecedented volumesCrypto-native neobanks and mobile-first apps launched, bringing blockchain rails to mainstream fintech
This isn’t just growth. It’s legitimization. And with legitimization comes a complete rethinking of how crypto companies go to market.
The Death of Mindshare
The realization that mindshare no longer equals growth is the biggest shift of 2025.
For years, crypto marketing obsessed over “mindshare”: brand awareness, Twitter buzz, Discord activity. If people were talking about your project, success would follow. Token generation events (TGEs) with massive social media presence were expected to moon.
But 2025 proved otherwise.
Multiple highly anticipated token launches with maximum mindshare fell flat. Price action disappointed. Buy demand thinned. The market realized that Twitter hype doesn’t automatically translate to sustainable value.
The industry is now refocusing on what actually matters:
User acquisition (both B2B and B2C)User retention and engagementRevenue generation and token buybacksSustainable tokenomics that reduce sell pressure
As the infrastructure layer matures — the primitives, middleware, and chains are largely built — the focus shifts to applications. When traditional finance institutions deploy capital and fintech apps with millions of users adopt blockchain rails, crypto becomes legitimate. More importantly, the addressable market expands beyond Crypto Twitter.
This means Web2 user acquisition tactics that previously had negative ROI now make sense again. The game has changed.
7 Trends Reshaping Crypto Marketing
1. The Job Market is Maturing (And Getting Specific)
Gone are the days of “marketing-lead-do-everything-generalists.”
The crypto job market now mirrors late-stage tech companies:
Specialized roles over generalists (performance marketing leads, content directors, growth PMs)Senior leadership in high demand (CMOs with proven track records)Less remote flexibility as companies return to hybrid modelsHigher bar for juniors with no Web2 marketing experienceWeb2 talent welcomed as crypto marketing professionalizes
After four years of ecosystem churn and failures, there’s now a surplus of crypto-native marketers. The competition is fierce. Junior marketers need to bring either deep Web2 experience or demonstrate exceptional results to break in.
For those looking to enter the space, you have to:
Build measurable skills.Learn performance marketing.Understand funnels. Show ROI, not just engagement metrics.
2. Performance Marketing Returns from the Dead
Data-driven marketing is back and it’s not just welcomed, it’s required.
The shift from mindshare to user acquisition means companies need tracking, experimentation, and measurement across every channel.
What this looks like in practice:
Installing tracking infrastructure (on-chain, product analytics, channel attribution)Running structured growth experiments with clear hypothesesPaid and earned media strategies with ROAS targetsEvolution from social quests to liquidity mining campaignsTargeted KOL campaigns with performance incentivesWhite-glove onboarding for high-value users (perp DEXs DMing whales directly)
Tools gaining traction:
Spindl, Hypelab, and Miracle for native wallet ad placementsTunnl and Yap for micro-KOL bounty campaignsTurtle and Liquidity Land for liquidity incentive programsTraditional Web2 channels: paid social, search ads, out-of-home advertisingTelegram ads (massively underutilized)Future: AI placement ads as platforms like OpenAI build ad products
The sophistication level is rising. Crypto companies are finally building proper marketing stacks.
3. Content Saturation (Quality Wins)
If you visited any major crypto conference in 2025, you saw it: cameras everywhere. Mics in every hand. DJI drone sales through the roof.
We’re in full content creator season — and it shows on every timeline.
The content creator explosion:
Vloggers documenting conference lifeShort-form video creators making TikTok-style explainersTechnical deep-dive video producersLive streamers hosting AMAs and casual chatsCinematic storytellers crafting brand narratives“Yappers” (ambassador profiles posting promotional content — though this trend is dying)
Some creators are freelancers working with brands they love. Others are full-time employees hired specifically to create content, host Twitter Spaces, and build personal brands that reflect well on their companies.
The production quality is escalating:
Brands hiring Hollywood-level studios and actorsPolished Instagram content preceding product launches (see: Aave’s mobile app)Dedicated creator spaces (like Solana’s NYC studio)Live streaming series, static series, podcasts, 3D announcement videosGrant programs funding independent creators (Octant’s creator grants)
The takeaway: content is becoming saturated. To break through, you need quality, substance, and professional production. And critically, you need to reach eyeballs outside of Crypto Twitter.
4. There’s a Whole World Beyond Twitter
Crypto Twitter has been the center of the universe for years. But 2026 is about expansion.
Smart crypto companies are diversifying across:
LinkedIn:
LinkedIn is emerging as a serious crypto marketing channel. Consider Scroll co-founder Sandy Peng, who grew from zero to 31,000 followers and 6.3 million impressions in 2025 by consistently posting high-quality content. For B2B crypto projects targeting enterprises, developers, or institutional clients, LinkedIn is now essential.
TikTok:
Hype Partners launched a dedicated Short Form Video department in January 2025 staffed entirely by TikTok-native creators who understand the algorithm, know what goes viral, and can adapt content for a crypto lens. They’ve worked with 12 clients and collected extensive learnings on reaching mainstream audiences through short-form video.
Other channels gaining traction:
YouTube (long-form explainers and tutorials)Reddit (community building and technical discussions)Instagram (lifestyle content and brand awareness)Whop (community commerce and exclusive access)AI SEO (optimizing for Perplexity, ChatGPT, and other LLMs)
The pattern is clear: the most successful crypto projects in 2026 won’t just dominate Twitter. They’ll meet users wherever they are.
5. Events Get Experiential and Exclusive
With 500+ side events at every major crypto conference, organizers are fighting for attention.
The response? Radical exclusivity and elevated experiences.
What’s changing:
Private dinners replacing open networking eventsTiered, exclusive access (MetaMask’s helicopter and speedboat experiences at EthCC)High-quality merch that’s gifted, not soldInvitation-only concerts and cultural experiencesWeb2-inspired brand activations and pop-up concepts
This isn’t limited to IRL events. Digital experiences are also leveling up:
Airdrop unboxing experiencesInteractive minigamesShareable personality quizzesGamified challenges with social mechanics
The shift mirrors luxury brand marketing: create scarcity, deliver exceptional experiences, and let FOMO drive demand.
6. Incentives Get Redesigned (ICOs Are Back)
2025 saw a major shift in how crypto projects structure incentives.
The new playbook:
ICOs making a comeback after years of airdrops dominatingRepositioning as privilege: “It’s a privilege to buy this token” (similar to NFT whitelisting in 2021)Early access discounts: “Buy now, get privileged pricing”Tiered loyalty programs: Stake more, earn boosted yields and multi-protocol pointsStatus-based rewards: Top-tier users get maximum benefits (airline miles for DeFi)
This mirrors traditional Web2 fintech: “Congrats! You’re pre-qualified for our exclusive mortgage refinance offer.”
The psychology is clear: people respond to exclusivity, status, and the feeling that they’re getting something others can’t access. Crypto incentive design is finally learning from decades of loyalty program research.
7. AI Transforms Marketing Operations
AI isn’t just a buzzword — it’s being integrated into every aspect of crypto marketing operations.
Current applications:
Improving quality of research and contentStreamlining project management workflowsEnhancing measurement and analyticsAutomating repetitive operational tasks
The emerging discipline: AI SEO (LLM SEO)
As users increasingly turn to ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI assistants for information, a new challenge emerges: how do you get your project to show up in AI responses?
The answer is AI SEO — ensuring your content appears in the right places where these models are trained and retrieves information from. Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush already measure “AI visibility.” Companies that master this early will own mindshare in the AI-native search era.
And with OpenAI exploring an advertising platform, entirely new marketing placements and tactics are on the horizon.
How to Stay Ahead: A Framework
Trend lifecycles in crypto are shrinking rapidly. Why?
Reduced moats — AI, accessible tools, and the internet make it easier than ever to create content and copy tacticsLimited audience size — crypto still has a relatively small addressable market competing for the same attentionConstant new entrants — new companies launch daily, each fighting for visibility
Marketing now requires constant innovation, testing, and experimentation. First movers on new tactics capture brand awareness through novelty — until saturation hits and the advantage disappears.
The strategic approach:
When competitors zag, you zig. When everyone is zigging and zagging, you step back, think from first principles, and explore what hasn’t been tried yet. Then repeat.
Questions to guide your strategy:
What channels are competitors ignoring?What worked in Web2 that hasn’t been tested in crypto?Where is my target audience spending time outside of Twitter?What emerging platforms or technologies could unlock new distribution?How can I create an experience, not just a campaign?
Ultimately, you’re making bets on the future. The winners will be those who spot patterns early, move quickly, and operate from first principles rather than copying what’s already saturated.
What This Means for Your Marketing in 2026
If you’re building in crypto, here’s what you should prioritize:
Stop obsessing over Twitter metrics. Mindshare doesn’t equal growth. Focus on user acquisition, retention, and revenue.
Build proper tracking infrastructure. You can’t optimize what you don’t measure. Install analytics, run experiments, and chase real ROI.
Diversify your distribution. LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, AI SEO — meet your users where they are, not just where crypto people hang out.
Invest in quality content. The content explosion means you need professional production, compelling narratives, and substance to break through.
Design better incentive programs. Learn from Web2 loyalty programs. Create exclusivity, status, and privilege.
Experiment with AI. From operations to LLM SEO to future ad placements, AI will reshape every aspect of marketing.
Create experiences, not just campaigns. Whether digital or IRL, memorable experiences build lasting brands.
The crypto marketing playbook is being rewritten in real-time. The companies that win in 2026 won’t be those with the most Twitter followers — they’ll be those who master performance marketing, reach new audiences, and build sustainable growth engines.
What worked yesterday won’t work tomorrow. But the principles remain: understand your audience, deliver real value, measure what matters, and never stop experimenting.
The future belongs to those who see it coming.
Want This Playbook Executed — Not Just Read?
Most teams understand what they should be doing. Very few have the systems, consistency, and operational discipline to actually execute it.
That gap between strategy and sustained execution is where web3-native communities quietly fail.
I work with crypto and Web3 teams as a Community Manager and Customer Support Manager, helping them turn content, conversations, and platforms into real growth infrastructure.
What I help teams do:
Build and scale multi-platform communities (Discord, Telegram, Twitter/X, Reddit)Design and run team-led content and engagement systemsImplement clear moderation, support workflows, and response SLAsTurn community insights into product feedback and retention winsCreate consistency across community, content, and customer support — without burnout
I’ve helped projects go from zero to thousands of engaged users, launched newsletters and education programs, managed ambassador teams, and maintained high response and satisfaction rates at scale.
If you’re done experimenting and ready to run community and support like a core business function, let’s talk.
Reach me:
Barnabas Atam
Community & Customer Support Manager
📧 barnabashq@gmail.com
🔗 linkedin.com/in/barnabashq
The Evolution of Crypto Marketing: 7 Trends Reshaping Web3 in 2026 was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.