---
type: claim
claim_id: consumer-crypto-adoption-requires-apps-optimized-for-earning-and-belonging
domain: internet-finance
title: Consumer crypto adoption requires apps optimized for earning and belonging, not speculation
description: Sanctum's thesis that mainstream crypto adoption depends on applications designed around yield generation and community participation rather than trading volume, as articulated in their Wonder mobile app proposal.
confidence: speculative
tags: [consumer-crypto, product-strategy, user-experience, sanctum]
related_claims:
  - futarchy-governed-DAOs-converge-on-traditional-corporate-governance-scaffolding-over-time
  - optimal-governance-requires-mixing-mechanisms-for-different-decision-types
sources:
  - "2025-03-28-futardio-proposal-should-sanctum-build-a-sanctum-mobile-app-wonder"
created: 2025-03-28
---

# Consumer crypto adoption requires apps optimized for earning and belonging, not speculation

## Claim

Sanctum's product thesis holds that mainstream cryptocurrency adoption requires applications optimized for yield generation ("earning") and community participation ("belonging") rather than trading volume and speculation. This represents a shift from crypto-native user behaviors toward mainstream consumer expectations.

## Evidence

From Sanctum's Wonder mobile app proposal (March 2025):

- **Core thesis**: "We believe the next wave of crypto adoption will come from apps that make earning and belonging delightful, not from better trading interfaces"
- **Product positioning**: Wonder designed as "Instagram meets yield" - social features combined with passive income generation
- **Target market**: Mainstream users who want financial participation without active trading
- **Competitive framing**: Success measured by daily active users and retention, not trading volume

## Context

This claim emerged from Sanctum's futarchy proposal to MetaDAO for building Wonder, a consumer mobile app. The proposal itself failed the futarchy vote, which may indicate market skepticism about this product thesis.

**Key context**:
- Sanctum had raised funding at $3B valuation (January 2025)
- Wonder represented a strategic pivot from infrastructure to consumer products
- The proposal was rejected via MetaDAO's futarchy mechanism

## Limitations

- **Untested thesis**: This is Sanctum's product vision, not validated market behavior
- **Single source**: Based on one team's pitch deck, not independent market research
- **Failed proposal**: The futarchy rejection suggests market participants were skeptical
- **No user data**: No evidence provided that mainstream users actually want "earning and belonging" over speculation
- **Restatement risk**: This claim primarily restates Sanctum's beliefs rather than providing independent analysis

## Interpretation

This represents a hypothesis about consumer crypto product-market fit rather than established evidence. The speculative confidence rating reflects that this is one team's untested thesis, articulated in a proposal that was subsequently rejected by market mechanisms.

### Additional Evidence (challenge)
*Source: 2026-03-25-tg-shared-knimkar-2036423976281382950 | Added: 2026-03-25*

P2P.me's growth stalled in non-volume metrics since mid-2025 despite strong product-market fit on the core on/off-ramp function. Investor thesis acknowledges 'customers don't acquire themselves' and questions whether decentralized approach works, suggesting that even with utility-first products, centralized growth tactics (like Uber/DoorDash geographic expansion) may be necessary. This challenges the assumption that utility alone drives adoption.

### Additional Evidence (confirm)
*Source: [[2026-03-30-tg-source-m3taversal-p2p-me-permissionless-expansion-model-thedonkey]] | Added: 2026-03-30*

P2P.me's permissionless expansion model demonstrates earning-focused crypto adoption: community leaders earn 0.2% of their circle's monthly transaction volume, creating direct economic incentive for local coordination. The model achieved $600 daily volume in new markets with sub-$500 launch costs, showing that earning mechanisms can bootstrap real usage without speculation-driven marketing.

*Source: [[2026-03-25-tg-shared-knimkar-2036423976281382950]] | Added: 2026-03-25*

P2P.me's growth stalled in non-volume metrics since mid-2025 despite strong product-market fit on the core on/off-ramp function. Investor thesis acknowledges 'customers don't acquire themselves' and questions whether decentralized approach works, suggesting that even with utility-first products, centralized growth tactics (like Uber/DoorDash geographic expansion) may be necessary. This challenges the assumption that utility alone drives adoption.

