In a candid tweet Thursday, DeGods and y00ts NFT project founder Rohun Vora (aka Frank DeGods) took a critical look at his past decisions, especially those made during tumultuous times for the well-known collections. His reflection sheds light on the pressures arising from community and founder expectations.
“I always tried to move mountains to appease the community in times of chaos,” he began. “It went wrong every time.”
Over the years, as leader of DeGods, he has made many decisions to please his holders and keep the buzz going. For example, the team has undergone many art changes, including a planned upgrade and a self-proclaimed art “downgrade.” On Thursday, the team said this would be the case make no further art changes to DeGods.
But the biggest and most controversial move last year was bridging DeGod’s NFTs from Solana to Ethereum, along with y00ts from Solana to Ethereum’s sidechain network. Polygon– although they subsequently moved y00ts to the Ethereum mainnet and returned a $3 million grant from Polygon Labs.
I always tried to move mountains to appease the community in times of chaos. it’s counterproductive every time.
The truth is that on the internet you either stick to your beliefs or you’re a wimp.
I’ve been a wuss in the past.
such as the bridge at SOL. everyone in the community…
— Frank (33.3%) (@frankdegods) May 16, 2024
Making the decision to bridge the projects The deprecation of the Solana blockchain happened as the community was in panic following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX in November 2022, which preceded the collapse of Solana’s price to a low of around $8 – around 97% from the peak in 2021.
Frank felt the pressure and called for the projects to be moved to the Ethereum ecosystem, which hosts the most valuable NFT projects. He described the move at the time as one intended to elevate DeGods to the big leagues of NFT culture.
“Just like the bridge at SOL,” wrote Frank. “Everyone in the community was panicking (myself included) during FTX. I tried to calm their fears. In reality, I was just a wimp.”
Frank contrasted his past actions with his current mindset, emphasizing the importance of standing behind your beliefs.
“The truth is that on the internet you either stick to your beliefs or you’re a wimp,” he tweeted. Frank emphasized that giving in to short-term pressure and seeking immediate approval often backfires. It’s a lesson he’s learned from leading one of the most prominent NFT projects, and one that has faced significant challenges – many of them self-inflicted, as he admitted.
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 its desire to provide flexibility and choice. There are no strong incentives this time. It’s just an option.
art upgrades are dead. 1/ pic.twitter.com/1QPt8FXQc0
— DeGods (@DeGodsNFT) May 16, 2024
“I said I wanted our community to come back home and I meant it. I still do,” he wrote, though they launched the latest bridge with noticeably less fanfare than the original.
Declutter contacted Frank for additional comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Frank’s tweet offers a raw and honest look at the challenges of running an NFT project amid constant demands from holders, especially amid a reduced market for such assets. The bridge back to Solana and the increasing openness about the past appear to be steps to reconcile lingering regrets as the projects try to move forward.
you can now bridge your DeGods & y00ts between solana and ethereum. pic.twitter.com/EXCIwcvbY5
— de (@delabsxyz) May 1, 2024
Looking ahead, Frank expressed his belief in building a robust and resilient community, rather than one that continually seeks validation through reactive measures.
“I believe antifragility is the answer,” he wrote. “That’s my belief. Not just building the best community, but building the strongest.”
Edited by Andrew Hayward