Recently, I’ve been pondering an interesting question: why has the seemingly most "crude" NFT project, mfers, become the most vibrant community?

We all know the concept of "mourning culture." It’s nothing new—ranging from China’s "lying flat" movement to the Western de-mystification of the sanctity of work, young people worldwide are expressing themselves in the same way: we’re no longer interested in those grand narratives. 996 work culture, involution, the disillusionment of the American Dream... all these have prompted people to reflect on what "positive energy" really means.

Seneca, the designer of BAYC, once said that the core concept of Bored Apes is: a monkey that, even with all the money and time in the world, still feels bored with life. This setting actually reflects a kind of existential nihilism. But mfers’ designer Sartoshi is more direct—his sketch of a lazy, cigarette-smoking stick figure slouching on a chair and typing on a keyboard is a true portrayal of himself in Web3.0.

Both projects capture the spirit of the times, but the difference is that BAYC ultimately moved toward elitism—high prices, complex narratives, the introduction of body horror elements. In contrast, mfers went the opposite way. Its rough, almost primitive art style and minimalist stick-figure imagery have become its secret weapon.

Why? Because mfers truly understands the core of mourning culture—that straightforward, self-deprecating, decadent attitude. Like internet memes, mfers’ character models have a timeless infectiousness. Looking at those mfers is like looking at a projection of yourself in the virtual world.

Here’s a note on the true meaning of mfers. Sartoshi said that mfers is short for "motherfuckers," which in Chinese context can be more bluntly understood as "little bastards." The name itself carries a rebellious spirit—no beautification, no packaging, just raw expression. And it’s this straightforwardness that makes the mfers community members willingly accept this identity.

But more importantly, mfers has achieved genuine community autonomy within the decentralized framework of Web3. Sartoshi claims that in the world of mfers, we are all mfers. This isn’t empty talk—mfers is the first project in Web3.0 to voluntarily relinquish intellectual property rights, with no project team controlling it. Power is entirely distributed to every holder.

In mfers’ Discord channel, members can even promote other NFT projects, even if it might threaten the interests of current holders. The community still encourages and voluntarily helps promote. Why? Because they’re spreading not just a project, but a spirit—a decentralized, egalitarian, free spirit.

This is the true value of mfers. It’s not just an NFT project, but a new tribe under post-subculture. French scholar Maffesoli said that post-subcultural tribes are more about a certain atmosphere or mental state than traditional organizational forms. That’s exactly what mfers is—giving everyone an identity, a sense of belonging, a place in the virtual world where they can truly be themselves.

In the era of post-capitalism, everyone feels some degree of alienation and disconnection. The discipline and confinement of real life suffocate us. So what does mfers offer? No kings, no rulers, no clear roadmap. This "lack of a roadmap" has instead become mfers’ clearest guiding principle.

That’s why mfers stands out among many beautifully crafted NFT projects. It’s not because of the highest artistic standards, but because it most sincerely reflects the mental state of this generation. It perfectly blends mourning culture, postmodernism, and Web3.0 decentralization, creating a community that truly belongs to everyone.

Now I understand—mfers’ success is no accident. It’s a perfect combination of the spirit of the times, cultural consensus, and technological ideals. In this era filled with nihilism, mfers uses the simplest imagery to tell us: we can all be mfers; we all have the right to voice ourselves in the Web3.0 world.