In 2026, the "grinding" games, many are still using last year's strategies. But the reality is, traditional crowd tactics and zero-cost strategies have become completely ineffective. Continuing down this path is not making money, it's paying tuition.

Capital is still distributing chips to retail investors through airdrops, but the game rules have changed. Screening has become very strict, and elite operations are everywhere. What does this mean? It means you need to play smarter.

**US Regulation Opens Up, Market Focus Shifts Significantly**

The most obvious change in the past two years is the loosening of US regulatory attitudes. Stablecoins, RWA (Real World Assets), and PayFi (Payment Finance) sectors, once off-limits, are now highly sought after. Prediction markets, which were previously heavily restricted, are now fully open to US users. This is not a small signal; it’s a major environmental shift. The entire market narrative is revolving around this.

**Anti-Witch Detection Upgraded, Projects Are Determined to Investigate**

Projects now actively investigate "witches," showing a reckless attitude. To avoid mistakenly targeting innocent users, they have adopted extremely strict standards. Conversely, it means—you need to be especially careful. There’s a new rule called "Make Money Quietly": before you actually receive an airdrop, don’t show off on social media, don’t over-interact with project teams, and definitely don’t go around flaunting. Otherwise, you’re easily targeted.

**Zero-Cost Era Is Over**

Thinking of earning without investing any money? Dream on. There are almost no such opportunities now. Projects have all changed their tactics—they require paid participation. Here, "paying" doesn’t necessarily mean spending money; it could be generating Gas fees through interactions or providing liquidity. In other words, projects need to earn from you first before they’re motivated to give you large airdrops. This is the new game logic.

**Volume Manipulation Tricks Fail**

Fast-in, fast-out trading and crazy wash trading? They’ve been eliminated. In scenarios like perpetual contracts, trying to boost trading volume has long been exposed. Anti-witch systems can easily identify these mechanical behaviors.

So, in 2026, there’s still a chance to grind, but you need to change your mindset. It’s not about being more aggressive; it’s about being more strategic, more patient, and more aware of risks. Those still using last year’s logic will eventually suffer losses.