[GUEST ACCESS MODE: Data is scrambled or limited to provide examples. Make requests using your API key to unlock full data. Check https://lunarcrush.ai/auth for authentication information.]  THEDEFIPLUG [@TheDeFiPlug](/creator/twitter/TheDeFiPlug) on x 53.6K followers Created: 2025-07-17 12:20:50 UTC If users aren’t being paid to show up, and they still do, that’s what you call product-market fit. We’re in a market where every protocol is launching a token, dangling points, or bootstrapping with emissions. That makes it harder (and more important) to filter signal from noise. This post breaks down three protocols scaling without incentives: Base, Meteora, and Yei Finance. Each one is quietly compounding adoption. No airdrops. No mercenaries. Just usage. Let’s unpack why this filter matters. It might be your highest-conviction bull market screen. ● Why Most DeFi Growth Isn’t Real There’s a pattern: - Launch with high emissions. - Bribe for liquidity or usage. - Hope the market forgets when it stops. But when incentives dry up, so does the usage. That’s not a bug. It’s the design. Token-led growth is a marketing tool, not a retention engine. The question smart capital is asking now: Who’s growing without the bribes? XXXXXX engagements  **Related Topics** [finance](/topic/finance) [meteora](/topic/meteora) [filter](/topic/filter) [token](/topic/token) [protocol](/topic/protocol) [Post Link](https://x.com/TheDeFiPlug/status/1945820991558717839)
[GUEST ACCESS MODE: Data is scrambled or limited to provide examples. Make requests using your API key to unlock full data. Check https://lunarcrush.ai/auth for authentication information.]
THEDEFIPLUG @TheDeFiPlug on x 53.6K followers
Created: 2025-07-17 12:20:50 UTC
If users aren’t being paid to show up, and they still do, that’s what you call product-market fit.
We’re in a market where every protocol is launching a token, dangling points, or bootstrapping with emissions.
That makes it harder (and more important) to filter signal from noise.
This post breaks down three protocols scaling without incentives: Base, Meteora, and Yei Finance. Each one is quietly compounding adoption. No airdrops. No mercenaries. Just usage.
Let’s unpack why this filter matters. It might be your highest-conviction bull market screen.
● Why Most DeFi Growth Isn’t Real
There’s a pattern:
But when incentives dry up, so does the usage.
That’s not a bug. It’s the design. Token-led growth is a marketing tool, not a retention engine.
The question smart capital is asking now: Who’s growing without the bribes?
XXXXXX engagements
/post/tweet::1945820991558717839