Today, @SkyEcosystem and its decentralized stablecoin USDS got a B- rating from S&P (@SPGlobal ) - the first time they rated any stablecoin issuer, centralized or decentralized. Some people are getting hung up on the B- because its not investment-grade yet when compared to established Tradfi issuances - that would be a big mistake. Any crypto stablecoin/smart contract system is expected to get a more conservative rating, because Defi carries unique technological and regulatory risks. The rating is very fair and there is now a clear and surprisingly accurate framework to improving it over time. This rating is a milestone for all Defi because it proves that decentralized protocols can meet the standards of major ratings agencies, paving the way for an adoption of crypto assets + issuers by existing Tradfi organizations.

dream ux: - no gas fees visible to the user - no idea what chain you’re on - no popups - social logins - one app store with all apps in one place - tokens show up as one thing, not 5 wrapped versions - tutorials built into the app - easy onramps and offramps

Total stablecoin supply has surpassed $268 Billion. This caps off 5.2% growth in the past 30 days and 30% growth YTD.

What's the point of marketing at all? And why do you need marketing if you have BD/sales? It's really all about inbound vs outbound selling Marketing = Inbound ➡️ This is when customers/users come to you. They sign up for a trial, DM someone directly, ask a question on Discord, etc. These leads are WARM because they're already interested in your product ☀ Sales = Outbound ⬅️ This is where your team makes the first move. Cold DMs, emails, networking etc. scales faster than marketing does but it's tougher because the leads are COLD ❄️ Most of the cold emails/DMs won't be answered if your BDs don't have a strong enough relationship with all the potential partners/clients you're interested in. ﹗And this is why you need marketing. Those warm inbound leads don’t just appear. Marketing’s behind it—think ads, webinars, or campaigns that get people aware of your product and ready to talk. Sales closes the deal. This is not just for B2B products. If you're retail-oriented, you need marketing even more. And if you have a product that other builders can use or protocols can integrate, marketing is needed to make sure your brand is known and your BD's cold outreach is not ignored all the time. ⇢ Inbound (marketing) takes time to show results but brings you way better leads, because it filters the users/customers already interested in you. ⇢ Outbound (sales/BD) is faster but harder. You need both to make your business thrive. Marketing gets the right people in the door, and sales makes sure they stay.

If I hear people talk about "AI agents" these days it's generally a red flag and I know they're non-technical ppl reading AI news but not actually shipping anything Not cause I don't believe in AI agents but it's such a marketing term with no real meaning at this point

In another life, I was an indian princess 🐘🇮🇳 I went to an all-vegetarian indian wedding recently. (Funfact: I’m vegetarian my whole life. It’s always been a mistery why, but I was just born this way) So finally I had something to eat at an event for once 🤣 But in all seriousness, besides the spectacular food, these people know how to dress their best and party. I was stunned. A whole 5-day celebration of love, with ceremonies, henna tattoos, lots of dancing and colorful outfits. I talked a lot to the elders. Met the groom’s grandmother, who shared she’d traveled solo all over the world in her youth without knowing any English. She went paragliding in her 70s and still wants to go sky diving, now in her 80s :) I love such encounters. You can learn a lot from elders, if you just sit and listen. These are the small moments in life I cherish forever. Be kind, be curious, explore. ❤️

marketing reality vs perception: perception: one big moment will win you thousands of users. reality: it takes hundreds of consistent little moments to earn their trust, attention, & action. great marketing isn’t about one viral hit, it’s about showing up over and over again.

I have massive respect to all founders. But I have special respect to those who are bootstrapped and are using their own savings and not that of a VC to fuel their dreams.

On @DefiLlama there are JUST 56 protocols earning >$1M in monthly revenue. Full list ↓