The Truth Behind Fake Engagement in Web3: Why Lucia Protocol Is Different
In the current Web3 landscape, vanity metrics and fake engagement are rampant. Projects may inflate user numbers, participation rates, or social media activity to attract attention and raise funds — but these numbers rarely tell the full story. While this tactic can help projects raise capital quickly, it’s not sustainable in the long run. In fact, I was recently on a call with a venture capitalist (VC) who shared multiple examples of projects that raised millions off of fake engagement, only to fizzle out later because they couldn’t sustain real user growth.
Web3’s Big Problem: Fake Engagement Doesn’t Last
Fake engagement might get a project off the ground, but when it comes to user retention and meaningful interaction, it falls flat. Without real data on how users behave, what they need, or how to keep them engaged, projects struggle to grow beyond the initial hype. The problem is that traditional methods of tracking user engagement in Web3 simply don’t work — projects rely on users to opt in or complete complicated processes to verify their identity. When only 5% of users go through these hoops, how can you expect to scale?
How Lucia Protocol Changes the Game
At Lucia Protocol, we’re solving this problem by offering a more intelligent and scalable way to track users and attribute their actions without requiring user participation upfront. We assign unique IDs to every user, no matter where they interact, across DApps and Web3 platforms. The key difference? Users don’t have to do anything to set it up. No complicated verification steps.
No hoops to jump through. They can opt in to reclaim their identity later, effectively giving them control of their data. It’s a complete inversion of the Web2 model, where companies track everything without user reward or control.
Unlocking 12x More Data with Lucia’s Attribution System
Our approach allows us to attribute up to 60% of users from any given DApp, compared to the industry average of just 5%. This means that with only 50 partners, we can identify user demographics, track spending habits, and understand engagement behavior without requiring any action from the user. This comprehensive data allows us to build robust profiles that help DApps scale faster and more effectively. For example, the data speaks for itself — our lite paper outlines how we’re able to 12x the number of users that any given DApp can identify. Check it out here for more details: Lucia One Pager.
What Happens When Projects Don’t Deliver on Promises?
Unfortunately, the Web3 space has seen a troubling trend where projects fail to convert user engagement into tangible rewards — whether that’s in the form of points, tokens, or governance rights. We’ve seen this play out with projects like Hamster Combat or Friend.tech, where users were left frustrated and communities abandoned the project. When projects don’t follow through, retail investors and communities lose faith, and eventually, they walk away from engaging with apps like Telegram miniapps or Web3 questing platforms.
The Solution: True Attribution and Community Understanding
The only way to build lasting relationships with your users is to understand who they are and what they want. This is why using advanced attribution systems like Lucia Protocol is crucial. We help projects gather real, actionable data on their community, rather than relying on vanity metrics. This is the difference between short-term hype and long-term success in Web3.
Why DID Solutions Like Polygon ID, Gitcoin, and zkPass Fall Short
Other decentralized identity (DID) solutions like Polygon ID, Gitcoin Passport, and zkPass have attempted to solve the attribution problem, but their designs have inherent flaws. These systems require users to opt in or actively set up their identities, meaning only a small percentage of users ever participate. They also fail to give users control over their data in a meaningful way.
Lucia flips this model by making attribution passive and giving users the option to reclaim their identity later — without requiring them to do anything upfront. This not only leads to more data (and better insights) but also empowers users to control their Web3 journey on their terms.
The Future of Web3 Attribution: Building Trust with Real Data
In a market where projects can no longer rely on vanity metrics and fake engagement, real data is king. Lucia Protocol provides an unparalleled system for identifying and understanding users, empowering projects to grow and sustain long-term community engagement.
By bridging the gap between passive attribution and user empowerment, we’re setting the stage for the next evolution of Web3 marketing and user engagement. As the industry matures, platforms that fail to understand their users will fade, while those who harness real data will thrive.
Are you ready to build the future with us? Let’s get started. Join our TG community at https://t.me/lucia_protocol to get more insights and the growth hacks that successful companies are using to scale.
