GM, this is your crypto Sherpa. I’ll rocket your Web3 project straight to the peak of Profit Mountain.
Let’s talk Ethena. They’re not just playing the game,they’re rewriting the Web3 Go To Market (GTM) playbook. Their marketing isn’t some boring textbook strategy; it’s what the top crypto brands use to dominate in 2024.
Now, you might be thinking, “Isn’t crypto marketing just ads and hype?” Nope. This is the real deal.
What Makes Ethena’s Marketing Framework Unstoppable?
✅Battle-Tested Web3 Growth Tactics that still slap in 2024.
✅ No rigid playbook : start where it makes sense, pivot like a pro.
✅ Results, not theory. This is what actually works in the trenches of DeFi and Web3 adoption.
And the best part? The last three steps the “darker locks” that’s where the real magic happens.
I’ll break it all down so you can steal Ethena’s secrets and execute like a beast.
Product-Led: Let the Product Do the Talking
A great product doesn’t beg for attention ,it creates demand and fuels organic growth.The best crypto projects don’t just market well. They build something people actually want. Take $Ethena for example:
Why USDe is a Game-Changer
Innovation: USDe is shaking up stablecoins with a decentralized, yield-bearing alternative to USDT & USDC. No banks. No middlemen. Just pure crypto-native stability.
Scalability:Instead of relying on traditional collateral, Ethena hedges BTC, ETH, and SOL with perpetual & deliverable futures, all while holding liquid stable assets. Translation? Efficient scaling.
Ethena product Edge
Crypto-Native Solution: USDe isn’t just another stablecoin,it’s a synthetic dollar built for decentralization from day one.
Product-Led Growth: No gimmicks. No fluff. USDe’s design speaks for itself, making it a natural fit for mass adoption.
When the Product is This Strong, Growth Becomes a Byproduct.
Ethena isn’t just entering the market ,it’s leading it.
Sales-Led: The Closers in Action
Partnerships? Locked in.
Integration pipelines? Ready to scale.
But deals don’t close themselves: the sales team makes it happen.
And in Ethena’s case? They’re not just selling,they’re executing at an elite level, turning momentum into real adoption.
How Ethena’s Sales Team Wins the Game: A Trusted Brand ,When your name carries weight, sales gets 10x easier.
Founder-Led Marketing: Guy Young, the founder, is leading from the front, building trust at lightning speed.
Community Power : Shoutout to the community managers ,the unsung heroes keeping users engaged and hyped.
Now, it’s time to zero in on the final 3 Go-To-Market (GTM) motions: the ones that actually move the needle. Kudos to Andreessen Horowitz for the framework.
The best part? You don’t need a live product to start implementing them. Whether you’re still cooking up your big idea or already in the trenches, these strategies will set you up for success.
Integrations & Partnerships: The Secret Sauce Behind Ethena’s Crypto Dominance
Imagine throwing the biggest party in crypto. You’ve got the hype, the venue, the killer playlist. But if no one shows up? Yeah… not great.
That’s where integrations & partnerships come in. They’re the VIP invites that turn a ghost town into a packed house. Ethena gets this. Their GTM strategy isn’t just about connections,it’s about driving real usage.
Hindsight: Be Where the Money Flows
A killer crypto GTM strategy embeds itself into the core infrastructure where liquidity moves. Ethena nailed it:
Top wallets & DEXs: Seamless user access.
Institutional partnerships : Deep liquidity pools.
DAO treasuries: Selling directly to power players.
This isn’t just visibility, it’s utility.
How to? Build from the Ground Up (MVCC Approach)
Instead of marketing to “crypto users,” Ethena targets the right crypto users.Their Minimum Viable Customer Category (MVCC) ensures immediate traction, reducing friction and scaling faster than competitors.
And that’s how you throw a crypto party where everyone wants an invite.
The Boss Sauce: Partnerships That Print
In crypto, it’s not just who you partner with ,it’s how much reach they bring. Ethena cracked the code by securing partners with massive distribution to amplify their yield-bearing synthetic dollar,without relying on centralized exchanges.
How They Pulled It Off?
TLDR: The right partners. The right messaging. The right execution. That’s how you don’t just enter the market,you own it.
Nailed their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): Knowing exactly who makes the calls.
Mapped the sales cycle: Anticipated objections, streamlined decision-making.
Segmented partners strategically: Built a self-sustaining inbound pipeline.
Then came the power move: Competitive positioning.
Ethena didn’t just enter the stablecoin race,they rebranded the game as a “stablecoin disruptor.” By accelerating liquidity via deep DeFi integrations, they made the synthetic dollar narrative stick.
Ethena’s Power Move: From DAO Sales to BlackRock BUIDL
Forget the standard “sell to DAO treasuries” playbook,Ethena flipped the script. Instead of chasing individual DAOs, they deployed reserves into BlackRock’s BUIDL fund and hedged exposure through perpetuals, keeping yields high and stability locked.
The Chain & Liquidity Playbook
Every new L1/L2 faces a critical question: Partner or build?
Ethena played it smart:
Partnered first: Leveraged existing infrastructure for rapid adoption.
Building next: Developing in-house solutions over time.This hybrid approach meant instant scalability without sacrificing long-term independence.
The takeaway? Own your narrative. Own your liquidity. Own the future.
Ethena Goes Full Dev-Mode: SDK + Converge (B2D)
Ethena isn’t just marketing to traders,they’re rolling out the red carpet for developers. Their new SDK pairs with convergeonchain, a high-performance, EVM-compatible network delivering an Ethereum-like experience without the insane gas fees.
Translation?
They’re gunning for devs. More builders = More adoption = A bigger ecosystem.It’s the classic “If you build it, they will come” move. And Ethena is building it.
Community: The Engine Behind Ethena’s Growth
A project without engagement is just a group chat with no messages. Ethena knows this. That’s why they double down on two-way community engagement ,both online and IRL.
What Makes Their Community Strategy Different?
Proposals? Community approved.
Airdrops? Community connected.
🔗 Apps & integrations? Built to serve the broader ecosystem.
And let’s talk social apps & consumer adoption. Ethena isn’t just creating users,they’re minting believers. And believers don’t just participate. They amplify.
This isn’t just community building,this is community led growth!
Final Takeaway: Hold My Beer, I’m about to Dominate 🙂
Be where the liquidity flows.
Integrate deeply, not superficially.
Target the right audience first.
Lock in high-value partnerships.
Make community your megaphone.
The Secret Sauce to Crypto Growth: Ethena post mortem was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
