Unveiling the secrets behind the explosive success of Kalshi and ai16z, the "psychological tactics" navigating the crypto market.

Written by: TM

Compiled by: Tim, PANews

I might not should publish this article because it is too incisive. Let's delve into the world of crypto marketing: a masterclass in psychological tactics.

If you don't know what psychological warfare means? It means your entire adult life has been manipulated.

Welcome to the world of Meme Wars.

Milady

Example 1: Kalshi enters the cryptocurrency market

Let's start with Kalshi. This is not spreading FUD; in fact, I admire their execution. I'm just sharing my personal thoughts on events related to Kalshi, and of course, what is said here is unverified.

As the craze for Meme coins subsides, prediction markets are beginning to gain attention. Some KOLs have started to push this narrative, including John Wang.

There is no doubt that prediction markets are fairer than Meme coins. Meme coins are a brutal 1 to 1000 game, while prediction markets at least balance the odds of winning. But to be honest: the fanatics of the crypto market are always in love with tokens.

So the question becomes: how to capture the market share of Meme coins without issuing new coins, while also challenging top platforms like Polymarket?

Answer: Psychological warfare

The situation is as follows:

John Wang signed a contract with Kalshi long before the official announcement.

In the past few months, social interactions and researchers have boosted the attention on his account.

When the news was finally released, the promotional offensive was coordinated: news media, numerous influencers, and the "research" page all reported the hiring of the same KOL.

News report about hiring cryptocurrency KOLs.

This is being portrayed as a major event, as if Kalshi just poached an executive from Google or Apple.

A simple yet clever psychological tactic: transforming personnel changes into a comprehensive marketing campaign.

Kalshi is not just entering the cryptocurrency space, but it also makes it look like a paradigm shift.

They spent money hiring these websites, research institutions, and influencers to discuss this announcement. A sensational personnel change. Kalshi officially enters the cryptocurrency market, with a momentum comparable to the IPO of FAANG stocks.

A simple yet effective psychological tactic: they release an announcement and turn it into a large marketing campaign.

Is John Wang the marketing manager of Kalshi?

Example 2: ai16z flywheel

Now, let's talk about ai16z.

This idea is truly genius. It has made people (myself included) genuinely look forward to the future where Crypto and AI combine.

The script is like this:

They initiated a Meme DAO around the idea of tokenizing the venture capital giant a16z.

Marc Andreessen himself responded, validating the viral value of this Meme.

Suddenly, the entire industry's attention is focused on this "new AI fund."

Next is the product launch: Eliza AI Agent.

It quickly rose to the top on GitHub. The timing is just right, and the popularity is unstoppable.

Shaw is showing off

But at its core, it's just a GPT wrapper. Simply put, it connects the API of existing large language models to the front end, with no groundbreaking developments.

Who cares? In fact, no one does. As long as the product is useful and the atmosphere is right, that's enough.

The psychological tactics here are not just about technology, but also about narrative.

Joining the ai16z DAO has become a symbol of identity. Just like wearing a Rolex watch in the early days, being an "ai16z Partner" means you are a person of influence in the community, a title that attracts developers from top universities and wealthy believers.

The market capitalization of the DAO has soared to $2.5 billion (but the liquidity is laughably low). The flywheel effect is thus formed: hype attracts liquidity, liquidity attracts investors, and investors generate more hype.

But then the question arose: how to cash out without ruining the trend chart?

Answer: You do not need to. Instead, ai16z "sells" their technology to other crypto AI projects in exchange for up to 10% of the token allocation agreement, thereby gaining marketing support.

So what’s the result? An influx of semi-finished AI projects. Support, pump, dump.

Shaw after the free crypto AI tokens are sold off

Psychological tactics have succeeded. Liquidity has been drained, and now ai16z is planning a comeback.

The essence of psychological warfare

The problem is: the same trick cannot succeed twice.

Once people see through this trick, it will have no market. The public will turn to chase the next novelty. This is why many projects keep recycling those outdated buzzwords:

Airdrop

Roadmap

Repurchase

flywheel

Economic model

If you hear this, the project is still in its early stages. In this market, empty talk is long outdated; delivering products is the hard truth.

Welcome to the Meme War

Today's crypto marketing is not advertising, but warfare.

Narrative is a weapon, interaction is ammunition. Every announcement, every collaboration or dispute is a battle for mental share.

Winning projects are not just selling technology; they are also executing collaborative psychological tactics: weaving stories, memes, and strategies that the target audience wants to believe.

Not everyone follows the same rules.

So if you want to seize market share in this industry, you'd better arm yourself. Build your team like a Roman general preparing for conquest.

Because in the field of cryptocurrency, this is a war.