Influencer marketing in crypto is not just growing.
It’s evolving, shifting, becoming something new.
If you’ve been paying attention, you can see it happening right in front of you.
I’ve watched influencers go from anonymous Twitter accounts to full-fledged brands.
They ain’t just promoting tokens anymore—they’re building communities, shaping narratives, and in some cases, running entire projects.
It’s wild. But also? It makes perfect sense.
The Shift to Real Influence
Back in the day, shilling was the name of the game.
A project pays an influencer, they tweet about it, price pumps (maybe), and everyone moves on.
It worked—until it didn’t. Audiences got smarter.
They started asking questions. “Is this project legit?” “Does this influencer even believe in what they’re promoting?” If trust ain’t there, engagement drops.
No one’s falling for low-effort promos anymore.
Now, the best influencers aren’t just promoting.
They’re educating, storytelling, giving insights.
Instead of “buy this token,” it’s “Here’s what I’m personally investing in and why.”
That subtle shift? Huge difference.
Community Over Hype
Strongest crypto influencers today, they aren’t just voices.
They’re community leaders.
They have Telegram groups, Discord servers, even DAOs built around them.
Instead of just talking at people, they talk with them.
It’s less “listen to me” and more “let’s build something together.”
You see this especially in NFT and DeFi spaces.
The most respected influencers don’t just promote projects; they launch them.
They become part of the ecosystem.
People follow because they trust the vision, not just the next airdrop.
Micro-Influencers Taking Over
The days of mega-influencers running the space? Nah.
The future belongs to the small, focused, highly-engaged creators.
A dude with 5,000 real, engaged followers has more power than an account with 500,000 bots.
Brands are catching on to this.
They want authentic voices, not just reach.
What’s wild is how personal some of these influencers are getting.
They share their wins, their losses, their learning process.
They ain’t perfect. And that’s exactly why people trust them.
AI, Video, and The Next Wave
Something big is happening. AI-generated content is sneaking in.
At first, it was just bots spitting out news.
Now? AI influencers, AI-generated crypto analysis, even AI-driven NFT art influencers.
It’s weird, cool and a little scary.
But the real game-changer? Video. Text-only content is fading. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, live streams—crypto marketing is going fully visual.
The most successful influencers? They’re on camera.
They’re real people, not just avatars.
That’s what connects.
That’s what makes people listen.
The Rise of DAO Influencers
One of the most underrated shifts? Influencers moving away from personal brands and into DAOs.
Instead of “one person, one voice,” it’s “many voices, one movement.” DAOs are letting communities own the influence.
No single point of failure.
No single person to rug-pull.
It’s still early, but the potential? Insane.
Imagine a marketing DAO where top crypto influencers work together to promote projects they believe in.
No more sketchy paid promos. Just collective trust and influence.
What Comes Next?
We’re moving toward a world where influencers aren’t just promoting crypto.
They are crypto.
They launch projects, lead communities, shape narratives.
The ones who adapt? They’ll thrive. The ones stuck in the old model? They’ll fade.
Crypto marketing is no longer about hype.
It’s about trust.
And the influencers who get that? They’re the future