Meme Insider
Remember the wild ride of 2021? Everyone was yelling "HODL" from the rooftops—hold on for dear
🔍 Defining DATs in crypto
- DATs are Digital Asset Treasury companies, like crypto ETFs holding assets for investors.
life, no matter what. You could pick the sketchiest altcoin, sit tight, and still wake up richer. Fast-forward to 2022, and that blind faith got a brutal reality check. The market tanked, portfolios got rinsed (that's crypto slang for getting absolutely wrecked financially), and trust in long-term holds evaporated.
That's the vibe crypto analyst Ryan Watkins nailed in a recent clip from The Best with the Market podcast. In the video, Watkins breaks it down: back in the super-cycle days, being "stupidly long" paid off big time. But post-crash? "People don't want to believe in anything anymore." It's a total 180— from diamond-handed conviction to frantic day-trading and quick flips.
This sentiment hit home for investor Kyle (@0xkyle__ on X), who quoted the clip in a sharp thread that's got the crypto Twitter buzzing. Kyle agrees: "this is true. no one wants to hold in crypto anymore." But here's where it gets interesting for us meme token enthusiasts—he spots a silver lining. The tokens set to crush it in the next twelve months (NTM, in trader lingo) will be those with a rock-solid holder base.
What does that mean exactly? Kyle points to two key drivers:
Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs): These are like the crypto world's answer to ETFs, but for institutions and everyday investors who want exposure without the hassle of self-custody. DAT companies raise capital through shares or bonds, scoop up tokens (including memes), and hold them in treasuries. Think of them as TradFi-friendly wrappers that lock in long-term buyers. As Pantera Capital notes, DATs can even generate yield to grow their holdings over time, making them more sticky than spot buys.
Shilling to TradFi Buyers: Projects that hustle for attention from traditional finance heavyweights—pension funds, hedge funds, you name it. When Wall Street starts nibbling (or chomping), it creates a moat of committed holders who aren't in it for the quick pump-and-dump.
Kyle wraps it up with a mic drop: "crypto - crypto pvp is uninteresting now." Translation? The old-school player-vs-player trading wars within the crypto bubble feel stale. The real alpha (that's gains, for the uninitiated) lies in bridging to the big money outside.
Why This Matters for Meme Tokens
At Meme Insider, we're all about spotting the fun, viral side of blockchain—but let's be real, memes thrive on community and conviction. In a world ditching HODL, meme coins without a loyal crew are toast. But those building genuine holder bases? They're primed for liftoff.
Take a cue from recent hits: tokens like PEPE or DOGE didn't just moon on hype; they fostered cults of believers who held through the dips. Now imagine that amplified by DAT inflows or TradFi endorsements. We're talking sustained pumps, not flash-in-the-pan spikes.
Watkins' clip underscores the psychological shift: after 2022's bloodbath, retail traders are scarred. No more "to the moon" fairy tales without substance. For meme projects, this means prioritizing utility hooks—like staking rewards, governance perks, or even real-world tie-ins—to attract those sticky holders.
The Road Ahead: Building for the Long Haul
As we eye 2025's potential bull run, Kyle's thesis feels spot-on. Crypto's maturing, and the winners will be those tokens that evolve beyond PVP chaos. If you're a blockchain builder or just a degen dipping toes into memes, focus on community depth over viral tricks. Court those DATs, whisper sweet nothings to TradFi, and watch your holder base turn into a fortress.
What do you think—ready to HODL again, or sticking to the flips? Drop your takes in the comments, and keep an eye on Meme Insider for more breakdowns on the tokens rewriting the rules.
Stay memeing, stay winning.
