Share
Share this article
Copy linkX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmail
Opinion
Share
Share this article
Copy linkX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmail
Crypto Has Reinvented and Replatfo
Opinion
Share
Share this article
Copy linkX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmail
Crypto Has Reinvented and Replatfo
Crypto Has Reinvented and Replatformed the Middle Man
Crypto Has Reinvented and Replatformed the Middle Man
For those of us who want to use crypto to make the world better, we need to start calling out this behavior for what it is: short-sighted, selfish, unwelcome greed, says VeChain co-founder Sunny Lu.
By Sunny Lu|Edited by Cheyenne Ligon
Dec 7, 2025, 3:00 p.m.
Today is a pivotal and dangerous moment for crypto. In my twelve years in this space, I have never seen the conditions we’re experiencing now, even in our most bearish cycles.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the CoinDesk Headlines Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Sign me up
Individually, these signals would be disconcerting. Together, they are signs of a major potential crisis. Whatever happened to calls for utility or onboarding the next billion?
The first major concern is that fewer and fewer builders are looking for smart contract audits, which has come up time and time again in my conversations with the auditing companies (and evidenced by Yearn’s recent smart contract exploit). This is a typical standard procedure before any decentralized application (dApp) launches. It isn’t because they are happy to launch without it: it’s because the new dApps don't exist. Builders — developers, founders wanting to launch apps that people want to use — are either waiting for the environment to improve or leaving crypto. They’re not interested in building what are, frankly, easy applications or in simply replicating what already exists — like financial applications, tokenized funds, etc.
Second, there’s very little encouragement, support, or funding from investors for the utility applications which are much harder to build and (usually) take more time. Unless an app has the potential for a 1000x return in a short time window in some kind of DeFi scheme, it just won’t get funded or get “supported,” which forces the builders into a corner. In other words: if you’re a blockchain-savvy founder with a great idea, you may find yourself in an impossible position from the start.
Instead, the investments in our space are currently focused on pure short-term profit chasing, such as memecoins, insider knowledge manipulation, multi-layer DeFi protocols without enough transparency, and over-leveraged trading. And where money goes, attention goes, which is why we’re hearing less and less about blockchain-based products or use cases. Instead, we’re overwhelmed with headlines and podcast episodes about ETF inflows/outflows, DAT performances, trading tips, etc. This only serves to further trick and confuse retail investors who are buying into these delusions, which are not made for amateurs, without understanding the devious behavior happening behind the scenes.
Worst of all, this focus on profit-chasing above true blockchain-based use cases is being perpetuated by many of our industry “leaders.” They could be pushing for the entire global monetary system to be migrated on-chain for increased efficiency and transparency, or the use of blockchain and crypto to actually improve our societies, like incentivizing sustainable actions or healthier behaviors. But instead, they’re embracing (and platforming) a new, more dangerous breed of middleman.
It is these middlemen and their financial products that have introduced harmful and intentional complexity and obfuscation to our previously transparent markets. And in doing so, they have unlocked an unbelievable new level of greed and theft.
Consider the recent October 11th liquidation — we still don’t know the full impact of what happened, except that retail investors are still paying the price while the people with power negotiate their own recoveries.
Cryptocurrency and blockchain were invented to exterminate financial oligopolies and democratize access to a new era of the internet. Instead, we’ve allowed the reinvention of the manipulative middlemen and welcomed them right back in with a little change of form as the potential ‘saviors’ of Web3.
Web3 got its name because blockchain is truly the next generation of the Internet. Looking at the fundamentals of the technology itself, blockchain sits as the crown jewel of the technological evolution of humankind. Used correctly, AI will make us more productive, and blockchain will improve the relationships of how different parties work without barriers. Together, they could reshape the world as much or more than the internet did.
But instead, we’re stuck watching DATs, ETFs, trading leverages, and DeFi liquidations, and a small number of people make outsized profits on the misery and loss of millions of others. Crypto has not yet fulfilled its promise of matching the radical transformation of the World Wide Web, with decentralized principles at its core.
As I’ve watched these months go by, I keep being reminded of a scene from the movie The Big Short. Investor Mark Baum, increasingly frustrated at the irrational and greedy behavior of the market (and the players within it), says: "What bothers me isn't that fraud is not nice. Or that fraud is mean. For fifteen thousand years, fraud and short-sighted thinking have never, ever worked. Not once."
He’s right. Every single cent of profit gained from squeezing the crypto ecosystem only drives builders away and halts the progress of this amazing technology. In exchange for the chance at a short-term profit, these crypto middlemen are destroying the value of the underlying asset they’re speculating on. But everyone in the industry will ultimately pay for that, including those who love this technology and believe in its potential.
For those of us who want to use crypto to make the world better, we need to start calling out this behavior for what it is: short-sighted, selfish, unwelcome greed. We need to do something to save our beloved industry to focus on more real utility building and put it into the attention center building innovative applications for the next billion users, and the projects and protocols that deliver on the undeniable potential of Web3.
Let’s all take up the fight for utility, while there is still fight left in us.
DeFiWeb3
Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinDesk, Inc. or its owners and affiliates.
More For You
Protocol Research: GoPlus Security
Commissioned byGoPlus
What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
View Full Report
More For You
Trump's National Security Strategy Ignores Bitcoin And Blockchain
The U.S. president's latest national security strategy focused on AI, biotech, and quantum computing.
What to know:
- U.S. President Donald Trump's latest national security strategy omits digital assets, focusing instead on AI, biotech, and quantum computing.
- The administration's strategic Bitcoin reserve was created using seized BTC, not new purchases.
Read full story
Latest Crypto News
Trump's National Security Strategy Ignores Bitcoin And Blockchain
Bitcoin’s Deep Correction Sets Stage for December Rebound, Says K33 Research
Bitcoin Market Echoes Early 2022 as Onchain Stress Mounts: Glassnode
Dogecoin Activity Hits 3-Month High but DOGE Price Action Remains Range-Bound
XRP Sentiment Hits Extreme Fear as TD Sequential Flashes Early Reversal Signal
Bitcoin Faces Japan Rate Hike: Debunking The Yen Carry Trade Unwind Alarms, Real Risk Elsewhere
Top Stories
Bitcoin Market Echoes Early 2022 as Onchain Stress Mounts: Glassnode
XRP Sentiment Hits Extreme Fear as TD Sequential Flashes Early Reversal Signal
Bitcoin Faces Japan Rate Hike: Debunking The Yen Carry Trade Unwind Alarms, Real Risk Elsewhere
Two Casascius Coins Holding 2K BTC Moved After 13 Years of Inactivity
French Banking Giant BPCE to Roll Out Crypto Trading for 2M Retail Clients
How Much Longer Until We Consider the Bitcoin Power Law Model Invalid?
Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this site are sourced from public platforms and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of MEXC. All rights remain with the original authors. If you believe any content infringes on third-party rights, please contact [email protected] for removal. MEXC makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be considered a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC.
You May Also Like
Gold continues to hit new highs. How to invest in gold in the crypto market?
As Bitcoin encounters a "value winter", real-world gold is recasting the iron curtain of value on the blockchain.
Share
PANews2025/04/14 17:12
One Of Frank Sinatra’s Most Famous Albums Is Back In The Spotlight
The post One Of Frank Sinatra’s Most Famous Albums Is Back In The Spotlight appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Frank Sinatra’s The World We Knew returns to the Jazz Albums and Traditional Jazz Albums charts, showing continued demand for his timeless music. Frank Sinatra performs on his TV special Frank Sinatra: A Man and his Music Bettmann Archive These days on the Billboard charts, Frank Sinatra’s music can always be found on the jazz-specific rankings. While the art he created when he was still working was pop at the time, and later classified as traditional pop, there is no such list for the latter format in America, and so his throwback projects and cuts appear on jazz lists instead. It’s on those charts where Sinatra rebounds this week, and one of his popular projects returns not to one, but two tallies at the same time, helping him increase the total amount of real estate he owns at the moment. Frank Sinatra’s The World We Knew Returns Sinatra’s The World We Knew is a top performer again, if only on the jazz lists. That set rebounds to No. 15 on the Traditional Jazz Albums chart and comes in at No. 20 on the all-encompassing Jazz Albums ranking after not appearing on either roster just last frame. The World We Knew’s All-Time Highs The World We Knew returns close to its all-time peak on both of those rosters. Sinatra’s classic has peaked at No. 11 on the Traditional Jazz Albums chart, just missing out on becoming another top 10 for the crooner. The set climbed all the way to No. 15 on the Jazz Albums tally and has now spent just under two months on the rosters. Frank Sinatra’s Album With Classic Hits Sinatra released The World We Knew in the summer of 1967. The title track, which on the album is actually known as “The World We Knew (Over and…
Share
BitcoinEthereumNews2025/09/18 00:02
Lovable AI’s Astonishing Rise: Anton Osika Reveals Startup Secrets at Bitcoin World Disrupt 2025
BitcoinWorld Lovable AI’s Astonishing Rise: Anton Osika Reveals Startup Secrets at Bitcoin World Disrupt 2025 Are you ready to witness a phenomenon? The world of technology is abuzz with the incredible rise of Lovable AI, a startup that’s not just breaking records but rewriting the rulebook for rapid growth. Imagine creating powerful apps and websites just by speaking to an AI – that’s the magic Lovable brings to the masses. This groundbreaking approach has propelled the company into the spotlight, making it one of the fastest-growing software firms in history. And now, the visionary behind this sensation, co-founder and CEO Anton Osika, is set to share his invaluable insights on the Disrupt Stage at the highly anticipated Bitcoin World Disrupt 2025. If you’re a founder, investor, or tech enthusiast eager to understand the future of innovation, this is an event you cannot afford to miss. Lovable AI’s Meteoric Ascent: Redefining Software Creation In an era where digital transformation is paramount, Lovable AI has emerged as a true game-changer. Its core premise is deceptively simple yet profoundly impactful: democratize software creation. By enabling anyone to build applications and websites through intuitive AI conversations, Lovable is empowering the vast majority of individuals who lack coding skills to transform their ideas into tangible digital products. This mission has resonated globally, leading to unprecedented momentum. The numbers speak for themselves: Achieved an astonishing $100 million Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) in less than a year. Successfully raised a $200 million Series A funding round, valuing the company at $1.8 billion, led by industry giant Accel. Is currently fielding unsolicited investor offers, pushing its valuation towards an incredible $4 billion. As industry reports suggest, investors are unequivocally “loving Lovable,” and it’s clear why. This isn’t just about impressive financial metrics; it’s about a company that has tapped into a fundamental need, offering a solution that is both innovative and accessible. The rapid scaling of Lovable AI provides a compelling case study for any entrepreneur aiming for similar exponential growth. The Visionary Behind the Hype: Anton Osika’s Journey to Innovation Every groundbreaking company has a driving force, and for Lovable, that force is co-founder and CEO Anton Osika. His journey is as fascinating as his company’s success. A physicist by training, Osika previously contributed to the cutting-edge research at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. This deep technical background, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit, has been instrumental in Lovable’s rapid ascent. Before Lovable, he honed his skills as a co-founder of Depict.ai and a Founding Engineer at Sana. Based in Stockholm, Osika has masterfully steered Lovable from a nascent idea to a global phenomenon in record time. His leadership embodies a unique blend of profound technical understanding and a keen, consumer-first vision. At Bitcoin World Disrupt 2025, attendees will have the rare opportunity to hear directly from Osika about what it truly takes to build a brand that not only scales at an incredible pace in a fiercely competitive market but also adeptly manages the intense cultural conversations that inevitably accompany such swift and significant success. His insights will be crucial for anyone looking to understand the dynamics of high-growth tech leadership. Unpacking Consumer Tech Innovation at Bitcoin World Disrupt 2025 The 20th anniversary of Bitcoin World is set to be marked by a truly special event: Bitcoin World Disrupt 2025. From October 27–29, Moscone West in San Francisco will transform into the epicenter of innovation, gathering over 10,000 founders, investors, and tech leaders. It’s the ideal platform to explore the future of consumer tech innovation, and Anton Osika’s presence on the Disrupt Stage is a highlight. His session will delve into how Lovable is not just participating in but actively shaping the next wave of consumer-facing technologies. Why is this session particularly relevant for those interested in the future of consumer experiences? Osika’s discussion will go beyond the superficial, offering a deep dive into the strategies that have allowed Lovable to carve out a unique category in a market long thought to be saturated. Attendees will gain a front-row seat to understanding how to identify unmet consumer needs, leverage advanced AI to meet those needs, and build a product that captivates users globally. The event itself promises a rich tapestry of ideas and networking opportunities: For Founders: Sharpen your pitch and connect with potential investors. For Investors: Discover the next breakout startup poised for massive growth. For Innovators: Claim your spot at the forefront of technological advancements. The insights shared regarding consumer tech innovation at this event will be invaluable for anyone looking to navigate the complexities and capitalize on the opportunities within this dynamic sector. Mastering Startup Growth Strategies: A Blueprint for the Future Lovable’s journey isn’t just another startup success story; it’s a meticulously crafted blueprint for effective startup growth strategies in the modern era. Anton Osika’s experience offers a rare glimpse into the practicalities of scaling a business at breakneck speed while maintaining product integrity and managing external pressures. For entrepreneurs and aspiring tech leaders, his talk will serve as a masterclass in several critical areas: Strategy Focus Key Takeaways from Lovable’s Journey Rapid Scaling How to build infrastructure and teams that support exponential user and revenue growth without compromising quality. Product-Market Fit Identifying a significant, underserved market (the 99% who can’t code) and developing a truly innovative solution (AI-powered app creation). Investor Relations Balancing intense investor interest and pressure with a steadfast focus on product development and long-term vision. Category Creation Carving out an entirely new niche by democratizing complex technologies, rather than competing in existing crowded markets. Understanding these startup growth strategies is essential for anyone aiming to build a resilient and impactful consumer experience. Osika’s session will provide actionable insights into how to replicate elements of Lovable’s success, offering guidance on navigating challenges from product development to market penetration and investor management. Conclusion: Seize the Future of Tech The story of Lovable, under the astute leadership of Anton Osika, is a testament to the power of innovative ideas meeting flawless execution. Their remarkable journey from concept to a multi-billion-dollar valuation in record time is a compelling narrative for anyone interested in the future of technology. By democratizing software creation through Lovable AI, they are not just building a company; they are fostering a new generation of creators. His appearance at Bitcoin World Disrupt 2025 is an unmissable opportunity to gain direct insights from a leader who is truly shaping the landscape of consumer tech innovation. Don’t miss this chance to learn about cutting-edge startup growth strategies and secure your front-row seat to the future. Register now and save up to $668 before Regular Bird rates end on September 26. To learn more about the latest AI market trends, explore our article on key developments shaping AI features. This post Lovable AI’s Astonishing Rise: Anton Osika Reveals Startup Secrets at Bitcoin World Disrupt 2025 first appeared on BitcoinWorld.
Share
Coinstats2025/09/17 23:40