This Week in Crypto - Minterest

Key Takeaways

• Minterest's protocol captures liquidation fees internally (rather than paying external liquidators) and reinvests all captured value into buying back its own token to distribute to users, creating a self-funding cycle that other lending protocols don't offer
• NFTs in Minterest provide tangible utility—ranging from 20-50% emissions boosts valid for 3 months to 3 years and VIP access to the private beta launch—with rarer NFTs (like the Satoshi NFT) being worth significantly more due to longer boost validity periods
• The crypto market is experiencing a 'flight to quality' similar to the 1998-2000 tech boom/bust cycle, where experimental projects will struggle but protocols with strong network effects and real value creation will concentrate user liquidity and survive the correction
• Ethereum's network effects remain surprisingly strong despite high gas fees—large institutional liquidity providers prioritize network security over transaction costs, keeping DeFi liquidity concentrated on Ethereum rather than migrating to alternatives like Solana
• The company is scaling with a 50-person fully-funded team and undergoing three separate security audits before launching in a gated beta phase (requiring NFT access) followed by full public launch, demonstrating commitment to quality over rapid deployment