In a candid tweet on Thursday, DeGods and y00ts NFT project founder Rohun Vora (aka Frank DeGods) critically reflected on previous decisions, especially those made during a tumultuous period for the famous collection. His reflections shed light on community expectations and the pressures of being a founder.
“I have tried to move mountains to appease communities in times of turmoil, and it backfires every time,” he began.
Over his years as the leader of the DeGods, he has made many decisions to please the owners and keep the buzz going. For example, the team went through a number of art changes, including planned upgrades and self-proclaimed art “downgrades.” On Thursday, the team announced: Please don't change the art anymore To Degods.
But the biggest and most controversial move was bridging DeGods NFTs from Solana to Ethereum and y00ts from Solana to the Ethereum sidechain network last year. polygon— However, they have since moved y00ts to Ethereum mainnet and returned a $3 million grant from Polygon Labs.
Make decisions that bridge the project The Solana blockchain leak came at a time when the community was in a state of panic following the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX in November 2022. Before that, Solana's price crashed about 97% from his 2021 peak to a low of about $8.
Frank felt the pressure. Move a project to the Ethereum ecosystem, which houses the most valuable NFT projects. He framed the move at the time as aimed at elevating DeGods into the big leagues of NFT culture.
“Like a bridge over SOL. During FTX, everyone in the community was panicking (including me). I tried to ease their fears. In reality, I It was just shit,” Frank wrote.
Frank contrasted past actions with current thinking and emphasized the importance of sticking to one's beliefs.
“The truth is, on the internet, you either stand up for what you believe in or get fucked,” he tweeted. Frank emphasized that bowing to short-term pressure and seeking immediate approval often backfires. This is a lesson he learned from leading one of the most prominent NFT projects, and one that, by his own admission, has faced its fair share of challenges, many of their own.
Frank recently announced the launch of an optional bridge back to Solana for both DeGods and y00ts. This move allows the community to decide whether to stay on Ethereum or return to Solana, reflecting his desire to provide flexibility and choice. There are no strong incentives this time. It's just an option.
“I said, and I meant it, that I wanted to allow communities to return to their hometowns, and I still do,” he writes, but they are clearly better than the first bridge. The latest bridge was launched with much fanfare.
Decryption Frank did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.
Frank's tweet provides a raw and honest look at the challenges of leading an NFT project amid constant demands from holders, especially as the market for such assets shrinks. Reclaiming the bridge to Solana and becoming increasingly open about the past seems like a move to atone for lingering regrets while the project tries to move forward.
Looking forward, Frank expressed his belief in building strong and resilient communities, rather than ones that constantly seek validation through reactive measures.
“I believe anti-fragility is the answer. That's my belief. Not only do we build the best communities, we build the strongest communities,” he wrote.
Edited by Andrew Hayward
