I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the retail side of the crypto market.
We’ve seen big narratives come and go — from DeFi Summer to NFTs to memecoin mania. Institutions are slowly creeping in, ETFs are live, and the infrastructure is more mature than ever. But here’s the real question:

Is retail still here? And if not… what will bring them back?

Here’s what I’m seeing:

    📊 On-chain activity outside of memecoins feels muted

    💸 Pre-sale hype is still alive, but less widespread than before

    🧠 Many casual investors I know are “waiting it out” or moved on to AI and stocks

    📰 Meanwhile, mainstream media coverage of crypto is quieter than in past bull runs

So I want to hear your thoughts:

🔹 Is retail quietly DCAing, or are they truly sidelined for now?
🔹 What kind of catalyst (BTC ETF growth, new use cases, big airdrops, etc.) would reignite widespread retail participation?
🔹 Do you think this cycle will be driven more by institutions than users?
🔹 And finally — is retail fatigue a real risk to this cycle’s momentum?

Would love to get your perspective — whether you're a builder, trader, or just watching from the sidelines.

Let’s talk retail psychology