How Empty Marketing and Growth Hacking Kills Blockchain Projects

Money talks. In cryptocurrency, it screams through megaphones and flies banners across stadium skies. The recent revelation of Polkadot’s $37 million marketing spend has reignited a familiar debate within the blockchain community. Their aggressive growth strategy, complete with influencer campaigns and sports sponsorships, mirrors a pattern seen throughout the industry’s evolution.

Cryptocurrency projects have long walked a tightrope between building awareness and maintaining credibility. Some call it growth hacking. Others label it desperation. The truth lies somewhere in between, hidden in the spreadsheets of marketing budgets and community engagement metrics.

For an industry built on transparency, the methods behind crypto marketing often remain surprisingly opaque. Yet Polkadot’s recent treasury report has inadvertently pulled back the curtain, offering a rare glimpse into the real costs of chasing growth in Web3.

So that begs the question… 

Is Crypto All About the Hype?

The crypto industry thrives on promises. Projects launch daily, each claiming revolutionary technology and groundbreaking solutions. Marketing teams craft elaborate narratives about mass adoption and industry disruption. Development roadmaps stretch years into the future while promotion budgets drain treasuries today.

Behind every blockchain project stands an army of social media managers, content creators, and community moderators. They craft narratives, manage expectations, and drive engagement. Marketing budgets often dwarf technical spending. Growth metrics become more important than GitHub commits. The industry measures success through Twitter followers rather than transaction volumes.

Yet this focus on hype serves a purpose. Early adoption requires awareness and communities require nurturing in order to build a foundation. In an industry built on network effects, attention drives value. That’s why smart projects leverage this dynamic, using strategic marketing to build genuine communities. Conversely, others simply throw money at short-term solutions, hoping quantity will translate into quality.

The difference lies in execution. 

Successful projects blend marketing prowess with technological substance. They understand hype’s role in driving adoption while maintaining focus on development. Their marketing spend reflects strategic thinking rather than desperate attempts at relevance. The best teams recognize that sustainable growth requires more than just flashy campaigns and influencer endorsements.

However, recent events have pulled back the curtain on crypto’s marketing machinery, exposing the true cost of chasing growth at any price.

When Marketing Millions Miss Their Mark

Polkadot’s treasury report landed like a bombshell in June. The blockchain project spent $37 million on marketing in early 2024, nearly double its development budget. Community members watched in disbelief as the numbers painted a stark picture of modern crypto marketing — one where promotion overshadows product development and short-term visibility trumps long-term value creation.

The granular details of Polkadot’s spending revealed deeper systemic issues within crypto marketing practices. Their influencer campaigns targeting North America and Europe consumed substantial portions of the budget, with each month-long promotion costing roughly $300,000. 

Initial metrics appeared promising, boasting millions of content views and hundreds of thousands of engagements. Yet beneath these surface-level statistics lurked troubling patterns of artificial inflation and questionable value.

Investigation into these marketing initiatives uncovered a complex web of suspicious activities. YouTube channels materialized overnight with implausible subscriber counts, while Twitter profiles coordinated identical content streams across networks of bot-driven accounts. 

Key opinion leaders selected for premium partnerships often displayed signs of manufactured engagement, their follower counts inflated and their content engagement metrics artificially enhanced through coordinated automation.

Polkadot’s broader spending choices raised fundamental questions about value creation in the blockchain space. Their treasury allocated $450,000 for event expenses while community-driven initiatives struggled for basic funding. Premium partnerships consumed resources at an alarming rate, including $480,000 for a two-year logo display on Coinmarketcap and $180,000 for private jet branding. 

These decisions occurred against a backdrop of stagnant token prices and slowing ecosystem development. The project’s marketing strategy exemplifies a growing disconnect between spending and substance in crypto promotion. 

While traditional marketing metrics showed surface-level success, the deeper analysis revealed concerning patterns of inefficiency and waste. Their treasury, currently projected to last another two years at current spending rates, faces mounting pressure from community members questioning the return on these substantial investments. 

The situation highlights a critical challenge facing blockchain projects: distinguishing between meaningful growth initiatives and expensive exercises in vanity metrics.

The Missing Link Between PR and Growth

Public relations in cryptocurrency often plays second fiddle to aggressive growth tactics. Marketing teams chase viral moments and influencer endorsements while overlooking the fundamentals of strategic communication. This approach stems from the industry’s obsession with immediate results, yet misses crucial opportunities for sustainable growth.

Traditional PR brings subtle but significant advantages to blockchain projects. While sponsored posts generate quick spikes in attention, carefully crafted media relationships build lasting credibility. Industry publications value authenticity over paid placement. Journalists seek genuine innovation rather than promotional noise. These relationships become invaluable during critical moments, from product launches to crisis management.

Most crypto projects struggle to balance immediate visibility with long-term reputation building. Marketing budgets flow freely toward quantifiable metrics like social media engagement and website traffic. Meanwhile, PR initiatives that could strengthen market position and industry standing receive minimal attention. This imbalance creates vulnerability, leaving projects ill-equipped to handle scrutiny or navigate market downturns.

Successful blockchain projects understand the symbiotic relationship between growth hacking and public relations. They recognize that while aggressive marketing drives initial interest, strategic PR sustains momentum through market cycles. Their communication strategies blend traditional media outreach with innovative community engagement. Press releases complement Twitter spaces. Media tours enhance Discord announcements.

You can see the distinction clearly during market turbulence. Projects built on pure hype crumble under pressure, their communities scattering at the first sign of trouble. Those with strong PR foundations weather storms more effectively, maintaining stakeholder confidence through clear communication and established media channels. Their prior investment in relationship building pays dividends when market sentiment shifts.

Smart teams recognize that effective PR extends beyond press releases and media mentions. It encompasses community management, developer relations, and stakeholder communication. This comprehensive approach creates resilience, enabling projects to maintain momentum even when marketing budgets tighten or market conditions deteriorate.

Growth Hack the Right Way

The cryptocurrency industry stands at a crossroads between hype-driven marketing and sustainable growth strategies. Projects rushing toward quick wins through influencer campaigns and paid promotions often find themselves building on shifting sands. Real growth demands more than viral moments and sponsored content. It requires strategic communication, genuine community building, and balanced resource allocation.

Smart projects recognize this evolution in crypto marketing. They understand that tomorrow’s leaders will master the delicate balance between innovative growth tactics and time-tested PR fundamentals. Sustainable success in blockchain requires more than just spending power — it demands strategic vision, authentic communication, and unwavering commitment to genuine value creation.

About the Author

Jamie Kingsley is a prominent figure in the crypto PR industry, serving as the COO and Co-Founder of The PR Genius (PRG). He has played a crucial role in transforming PRG from a small, niche firm into a multi-service growth marketing agency. Kingsley’s strategic leadership facilitated a successful pivot from lead generation to public relations, enabling the agency to work with high-profile clients such as IO.net, Yellowheart, Radix, Movement Labs and RTFK Studios.

In addition to his role at PRG, Kingsley is a Board Member of the Asia Web3 Alliance Japan, where he contributes to the advancement of decentralized internet initiatives in a rapidly growing blockchain market. His expertise in media strategy and growth hacking has positioned him as a key influencer in the crypto space, recognized for his adaptability and resilience in navigating the industry’s challenges.