A crypto project can ship code, publish a roadmap, and spend on distribution, but the article argues that none of that replaces a committed community. Its core point is simple: many of the strongest cryptocurrency projects have been backed by users who actively support the project’s mission, contribute ideas, test products, and spread the message on their own.
Start by explaining why the project exists
The first step comes before launch. A project needs to state what it stands for, what problem it is trying to solve, and why that work matters. The article says every crypto project should lay out its mission and values publicly, because people are more likely to join and stay involved when the vision matches their own beliefs.
As an example, the piece points to a blog post by 0x co-founder Will Warren, which outlined the problem 0x was addressing, the broader vision, the organization’s mission, its core values, and a call to action for people who wanted to join either the core team or the community. Nick Saponaro of the Divi Project is quoted saying that if a team treats its community well, that community can become the project’s best and cheapest form of PR.
Use bounties and referrals to kick-start participation
The second step focuses on pre-launch growth. According to the article, token sale design should not revolve around returns, dividends, or profits. It should serve a clear purpose inside the network and help solve the early adoption problem. One fast way to gather the first wave of users is to pull them into a community-led Telegram group through bounty and referral incentives.
The article cites Wired on SpringRole, a blockchain company working on professional verification and recruiting. In April, the company offered 100 Spring tokens for each friend a user invited to its Telegram group. Over one month, the group reportedly grew from 1,500 members to 60,000. CEO Kartik Mandaville said the aim was to onboard that community into SpringRole’s professional profile service once the platform was ready.
Mandaville described the tactic as a straightforward growth hack: users were acquired with tokens instead of cash, at a time when those tokens did not yet carry market value. He added that comparable user acquisition on Facebook would have cost about $10 per person.
At launch, broad token distribution matters
The third step is tied to launch itself. The article says one of the fastest ways to build a real community is to distribute tokens as widely as possible when the project goes live. Early token holders often become the loudest evangelists, because they benefit most directly if the project succeeds.
It also notes that broad token distribution is harder than it was in 2017, as regulation around ICOs has tightened. Even so, the article says projects still have paths to wider distribution. One route is a clean launch on a set date with no supply bottlenecks, allowing anyone to begin mining right away. Another is to follow equity crowdfunding rules and structure token sales in a compliant manner, with Republic mentioned as an example of a blockchain-based platform working in that direction.
Separate channels by discussion style and content type
Once a community is in place, the work shifts to maintenance. The article’s fourth step is to create productive online discussion and make members feel that the space is safe for participation. That requires matching channels to how people communicate and what they want to talk about. Some communities prefer real-time conversation; others work better in asynchronous formats. Some members want partnership updates and business roadmap news, while others are mainly interested in technical development.
Aditya Ahluwalia, managing partner at Neptune Blockchain, said in a blog post that community members have different needs and that teams should diversify channels based on purpose. The examples listed in the article are clear: Telegram for real-time trade analysis and fundamental news, newsletters for deeper content, and offline crypto trade talks to strengthen the community in person.
Investor Spencer Noon of DTC Capital supports the same approach. He argues that projects should assign different channels to different combinations of communication style and content, so technical discussion can continue without being crowded out by casual price speculation. The article lists his examples by quadrant: NuCypher Telegram for General-Sync, r/Bitcoin for General-Async, Decred Slack for Technical-Sync, and Ethresearch for Technical-Async.
Support builders, moderators, and community-run groups
The final part of the article moves beyond chat management. It says off-topic discussion should be limited, members should stay respectful, and passionate users often become suitable moderators. Founders and internal team members should also remain active in discussion rather than leaving the community on autopilot. Saponaro even suggests contests and gamified incentives, with some projects using gated channels for different tiers of participants.
Technical support is treated as a separate priority. Noon says community members building on top of existing code and protocol are vital stakeholders. Early on, the core team may handle troubleshooting directly. As the company grows, hiring a full-time developer relations employee can become a worthwhile investment, and the same applies to ongoing customer support.
The article also highlights support for community-run organizations. These groups can emerge on their own when token holders strongly believe in the project’s mission. As an example, it points to the Tezos Commons Foundation (TCF), which had been organizing meetups across different regions of the world over the previous months and generating strong interest and support for the Tezos project.
The piece closes on a blunt premise from Saponaro: cryptocurrencies are not backed by a central bank, gold, or a government. Their perceived value depends heavily on whether a growing community is willing to like them, buy them, hold them, and speak well of them. In that framing, community building sits alongside product development and go-to-market planning as a core part of the project itself.