Three-Layer Logic for Crypto KOLs Breaking Through: Monetization Evolution from Traffic to Recognition

The growth paths of crypto KOLs may seem diverse, but each step is fraught with challenges. The real issue isn’t how many ways there are to succeed, but that KOLs at different stages have completely different understandings of “monetization.” Some are still tangled up in follower counts, while others are creating value through cognitive premium. Today, I want to discuss the logic behind this.

Traffic Monetization Is the Entry Ticket, Not the End Goal

The most basic way to monetize is directly commercializing traffic—paid communities, community thresholds, advertising collaborations, and referral commissions. These methods seem simple and straightforward, but in practice, they are riddled with pitfalls. Many people aim for monetization from the start, which often leads to dead ends.

The key is that if you create content solely to make money from day one, the quality of your content tends to decline. The harshest truth in crypto is: Web3 rewards those who dare to take risks. But now, the situation has changed—the scarcity of sharers is surpassing that of risk-takers themselves.

Cognitive Monetization Is the True Moat

The second level is monetizing your understanding—acting as an advisor, facilitating transactions, participating in investment decisions. This requires genuinely building industry knowledge, not just reposting and commenting. People at this level tend to earn much more, but they are also more susceptible to market testing.

Blindly chasing follower numbers can dilute your depth of thought. Too many are alienated by traffic, with rational judgment hijacked by fan expectations, ending up with neither serious analysis nor genuine followers.

Find Your Voice on Twitter

Practical advice is simple, but execution requires patience:

Stay on Twitter, but not just to jump on trending topics. Treat Twitter as a work environment; use DMs as communication tools. Don’t let platform rules change your way of expressing yourself. Most importantly, keep learning and evolving, and enjoy sharing and engaging in your own way.

What are the benefits of doing this? You will naturally attract people who resonate with you, rather than being manipulated by algorithms. This is the real way for crypto KOLs to find their own traffic pool—not by chasing numbers, but by seeking resonance.