Recently, I keep seeing a bunch of PFP/membership projects flying the banner of “brand.” To put it bluntly, a lot of the time they’re really just trying to pull people’s attention first. Sure, there could be long-term value, but what I care about most is what permissions it actually gives me, whether those permissions can be revoked, and who has the final say when the rules change. After running nodes and getting hit with fines, I’ve become a bit too sensitive to “invisible terms.”

The same goes for the usual L1/L2 act where they hand out incentives to attract TVL—sure, it’s lively, it’s bustling. But in the end, it’s not unreasonable for long-time users to complain about “digging, extracting, and selling.” If the membership is only about letting you get in earlier as liquidity, then don’t dress it up as a matter of faith.

I need to be reminded: don’t assume someone will take long-term responsibility just because of an avatar or a badge. Get clear on the boundaries of your permissions and the exit paths first—do less, live more. Anyway, attention is the most expensive thing.