Infra should not just be about "reinventing the wheel"; what it truly needs to do is become the "road network, power plants, and signal towers" of Web3 applications, making development lighter, operations more stable, and collaboration faster. Therefore, for a project to survive, it must ensure smooth interfaces, connect the ecosystem, and realize value. Only in this way can Infra transform from an "invisible tool" into a "value hub," truly supporting the prosperous foundation of Web3.
Having discussed DePIN, let's look at the Infra project.
What does Infra do?
Infra (infrastructure) is the underlying "water, electricity, and network" of the Web3 world, the "public works" that other projects rely on for survival. For example, wallet systems, communication bridges between chains, on-chain data queries, decentralized storage spaces, on-chain identity verification, automated execution tools... Infra is the "invisible hand" that supports the operation of all applications.
But the problem is that this "hand" is often unstable, inaccurate, and difficult to use. Why?
1. Technology is done, but the scenarios are not connected:
Many Infra projects have strong technical capabilities, a pile of papers, and complex architectures, but no one uses them—"the stage is set, but the actors do not come on." Cross-chain bridges are built, but asset parties worry about security and compatibility and are reluctant to connect to new bridges; no matter how good the account abstraction feature is, if wallet providers do not see clear benefits and the costs are too high, they will not prioritize adaptation; automated services are launched, but protocols prefer manual operations and do not dare to hand over tasks to "unfamiliar, unstable, and unclear responsibility" third-party systems. The technology itself is not wrong, but without integration into the ecosystem, without solving trust issues, and without bringing clear value, the result is that no one uses, connects, or trusts it. In 2024, 60% of Infra projects have daily user calls of less than 100.
2. High barriers discourage developers:
Infra should be a tool for "cost reduction and efficiency enhancement," but many Infra projects come with high barriers and burdens. Documentation is unclear, interfaces are difficult to debug, and compatibility is poor, leading developers to just want to close the webpage after looking around. Especially with some new protocols and standards, they want to "start from scratch," resulting in no one willing to support them, and the ecosystem cannot keep up, leading to self-entertainment behind closed doors. In 2024, 80% of Infra projects have fewer than 500 GitHub stars, and developer participation is sluggish.
3. No moat, difficult to sustain:
The business model of Infra has always been challenging; it is not like DEX with transaction fees or GameFi with user flow; it is more like "brick movers." No matter how well it is done, it is easy to be imitated and replaced. Many projects rely on token incentives in the early stages but lack a closed-loop monetization in the later stages. For example, oracle projects initially issue tokens to subsidize price-feeding nodes, but when there is a lack of calls later, they fall into a death spiral. In 2024, nearly 50% of Infra projects fall into stagnation or transformation without new financing.
Now, looking at this Infra project, what problems does it solve?
You say you are the "public facility" of Web3, but is your service really being called? Is there real integration, real usage, and real feedback?
You say your technology is strong, but is it easy for developers to use? Can it really lower the development threshold and improve efficiency? Is there open interfaces and community support?
You say you can develop long-term, but is there a moat? Do you have self-sustaining capabilities? Is there a service payment model or ecosystem binding?
Ultimately, we need to return to three points:
Is your Infra really being integrated? Has it become a foundational function that "other applications cannot do without"?
Is your Infra "easy to use + scalable"? Can it lower development costs and speed up launch times?
Can your Infra grow on its own? Is there a mechanism to support continuous operation and ecosystem win-win?
Infra should not just be about "reinventing the wheel"; what it truly needs to do is become the "road network, power plants, and signal towers" of Web3 applications, making development lighter, operations more stable, and collaboration faster. Therefore, for a project to survive, it must ensure smooth interfaces, connect the ecosystem, and realize value. Only in this way can Infra transform from an "invisible tool" into a "value hub," truly supporting the prosperous foundation of Web3.
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