In the fast-paced world of blockchain and crypto, it's easy to feel like everything is happening at lightning speed. But every now and then, a straightforward post reminds us just how much room there is to grow. That's exactly what happened when Derek Brown, a crypto enthusiast and leader at @NativeOnBase, dropped a tweet that's sparking conversations across the community. His post breaks down some current stats in consumer crypto and puts them side by side with established players, concluding with those three magic words: "We're so early."

You can check out the original tweet here.

Let's unpack what Derek shared, starting with the highlights from today's consumer crypto landscape:

• Farcaster Protocol Fees Reach ≈$5M: Farcaster is a decentralized social network where users own their data and interactions happen on-chain. The protocol generates fees from things like storage units or registrations—think of it as small payments to keep the network running smoothly. Hitting $5 million shows growing activity, but it's a drop in the ocean compared to traditional social media.

• Hundreds of Thousands on TBA Waitlist: TBA stands for Token Bound Accounts, a cutting-edge concept from ERC-6551 that lets NFTs have their own smart contract wallets. This opens up wild possibilities, like an NFT owning assets or executing trades independently. The massive waitlist signals huge interest in this tech, especially for creators and meme token enthusiasts who can build more interactive experiences.

• Miniapps with ≈2K DAUs Are Trending: Daily Active Users (DAUs) measure how many people use an app each day. In crypto, miniapps—small, lightweight applications often embedded in platforms like Telegram or Farcaster—are gaining traction even with just a couple thousand users. This is exciting for developers building quick, fun tools, including those around meme tokens.

• Top Zora Coin Held by ≈3K Addresses: Zora is a creator-focused platform on Ethereum where artists and communities mint NFTs and tokens, including popular meme coins. The fact that the leading coin on Zora has only about 3,000 holders underscores the niche scale of these projects right now. For meme token fans, Zora is a hot spot for discovering viral, community-driven assets before they explode.

Now, to put this all in perspective, Derek contrasts these numbers with some heavy hitters:

• X's Revenue at $2.5B: X (formerly Twitter) rakes in billions annually from ads and subscriptions, dwarfing the entire consumer crypto fee pool.

• Coinbase Boasts 100M Users: As one of the biggest crypto exchanges, Coinbase has onboarded over 100 million people worldwide, far outpacing the user bases in emerging protocols like Farcaster or Zora.

• Apps Need ≈100K DAUs to Trend on iOS: To even show up as a trending app on the Apple App Store, you typically need at least 100,000 daily users. Crypto miniapps trending with just 2,000? That's a clear sign of how small and specialized this space still is.

The takeaway? Consumer crypto—especially areas like social protocols and meme tokens—is in its infancy. We're building the foundations, but mainstream adoption is a long way off. This sentiment resonated in the replies, with one user, @Bebetterguyy, sharing a classic meme to drive the point home:

Others chimed in with agreement, like @crypel77 echoing "We're so early," and questions about Farcaster's fee mechanics showing curiosity in the details.

Why This Matters for Meme Tokens

At Meme Insider, we're all about meme tokens—the fun, viral side of blockchain that often leads to massive community-driven growth. Derek's tweet shines a light on platforms like Zora and Farcaster, which are breeding grounds for memes. Zora's low holder counts mean there's plenty of opportunity for early entrants to spot the next big thing, whether it's a quirky NFT collection or a pump-worthy token. Farcaster, with its on-chain social features, helps memes spread organically without centralized censorship.

Token Bound Accounts could be a game-changer here too. Imagine a meme NFT that owns its own token supply or distributes airdrops to holders automatically. As more people join the TBA waitlist, we're likely to see innovative meme projects leveraging this tech.

Looking Ahead in Blockchain

If you're a blockchain practitioner or just dipping your toes into crypto, stats like these are a reminder to stay patient and keep building. The gap between crypto's current scale and Web2 giants like X or Coinbase highlights the potential upside. For meme tokens specifically, this early stage means higher risks but also outsized rewards for those who engage with communities on Zora, Farcaster, and beyond.

What do you think— are we really that early, or is the tipping point closer than we realize? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and keep an eye on Meme Insider for more updates on the latest in meme tokens and crypto tech.