The year 2021 was a county fair of promises, and folks bought every flag that fluttered, thinking the wind would fetch them a fortune. That here-and-now playbook of grabbing everything is laid to rest, like a mule that forgot to pull.
Ryan Connor, head of research at Blockworks, told Milk Road’s John Gillen that most crypto projects fail the moment you scratch the surface. The market has moved on, and plenty of investors haven’t kept up with the pace of the horse.
Connor says the last cycle rewarded tokens that had nothing solid backing them. They dangled like shine on tin, and folks cashed in on the glitter, not the spine.
“People in crypto were rewarding tokens for doing nothing, like bringing nothing to the table. All you needed in 2021 was a story and a token and some branding and you could walk away a multi-millionaire. That’s no longer the case.”
The buyers have changed. Institutions now set the pace, and they want real teams, real revenue, and real value. Tokens built on nothing but hype are getting wiped out faster than a saloon sign in a windstorm.
Why Macro Matters More Than You Think
Connor pointed out that crypto tracks NASDAQ closely. You cannot have a crypto view without a macro view.
Right now, the setup looks solid. The VIX is healthy, high-yield spreads are tight, and the Fed is forecasting 5% GDP growth, the highest since 2014. More than half of that growth comes from the AI boom.
Deregulation is also helping. Connor described it as a “pressure cooker” release after years of regulatory crackdowns.
Where the Smart Money Is Going
Connor named Pendle Finance as a 12-month play. The protocol holds 25-30x more TVL than its closest competitor in yield stripping. It wins whether stablecoins or perpetuals dominate.
Hyperliquid came up too. It offers equity perpetuals, something traditional finance cannot match yet. But Connor flagged the risks: traders jump platforms fast, and players like CME, Robinhood, and Coinbase could close the gap once regulations shift.
Investors Are Done With Empty Promises
Connor said the mood among token holders has shifted.
“Token holders are revolting back. They want to see value accruing to the token. They’re not falling for stories anymore. They want to see proper structures with protections.”
For investors, recognizing which projects are built to last when market conditions change again will be the true win.
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2026-01-31 15:06