Only 3 Points for the Public Chain Moat? Alliance DAO Founder's Remarks Ignite Crypto Community Debate
In a recent debate sparked by Alliance DAO founder qw (@QwQiao), the crypto community is divided over the "moat" of blockchain technology. Qw controversially rated the moat of L1 public chains at just 3/10, arguing that their defensibility is limited compared to traditional tech and financial giants like Microsoft (10/10), Apple (10/10), or Visa (10/10). He suggested that even top crypto projects only score around 5/10, with Bitcoin being an exception at 9/10 due to its unique founding narrative and Lindy effect.
The discussion originated from a Paradigm researcher’s critique that "liquidity is not a moat," which drew mixed reactions. Some, like Dragonfly Capital’s Haseeb, strongly disagreed with qw, pointing to Ethereum’s decade-long dominance despite numerous challengers as proof of a significant moat. Others argued that network effects, trust, and ecosystem maturity are critical moats in crypto.
The article explores seven potential components of a public chain’s moat: technical vision, founder influence, developer/user networks, application ecosystems, token market cap, external connectivity, and long-term roadmaps. It concludes that the crypto industry is still too small and nascent to focus heavily on moat analysis—instead, it should prioritize scaling users, capital, and real-world utility.
Odaily星球日报12/11 13:43
