Marketing Red Flags
What crypto projects say vs. what they mean. A translation guide for marketing language.
Satirical Commentary: The following is satirical commentary designed to encourage critical thinking about marketing language in the cryptocurrency industry. These are humorous generalizations, not factual assertions about specific projects. Individual projects vary significantly. Always verify claims on our projects page.
| When a project says... | ...it often means: |
|---|---|
| "Community-driven" | Foundation appears to make key decisions |
| "Governance token" | Whale voting, no real power |
| "Decentralized network" | Multiple servers instead of one |
| "Trustless" | Trust us instead |
| "Permissionless" | ...except for validators |
| "Open source" | Code is open, control is closed |
| "Progressive decentralization" | Maybe, someday |
| "Fair launch" | Insiders knew earlier |
| "No premine" | VC-funded team mined first |
| "Decentralized governance" | 10 wallets decide everything |
| "Battle-tested" | Not hacked yet (publicly) |
| "Immutable" | Until we need to upgrade |
| "Censorship-resistant" | Sequencer can ignore transactions |
| "Decentralized stablecoin" | 40% USDC as collateral |
| "DAO-governed" | Plutocracy with extra steps |
| "Non-custodial" | Upgradeable proxy contract |
| "Validator network" | 21 picked by the foundation |
| "Layer 2 solution" | Sidechain with Ethereum logo |
“The more a project advertises decentralization,
the more skeptical you should be.”
Truly decentralized projects (Bitcoin, Monero) don't need to emphasize it - it's simply true.
How to Verify Marketing Claims
- 1.Check Nakamoto Coefficient: How many entities could halt the network?
- 2.Token Distribution: Who holds how much? Who had access before launch?
- 3.Upgrade Mechanism: Can someone change the rules? Who?
- 4.Kill Switch: Can the network be stopped? By whom?
- 5.Read Founder Quotes: What do they say when they're being honest?
Know more red flags? Submit a Pull Request