Original Article Title: "Rejecting Mediocrity: A Portrait of Web3 College Students"

Original Article Author: Pzai, Foresight News

From smart contracts to memes, from trading platforms to on-chain activities, a new generation of college students are leaping into the crypto space in various ways. In their career choices, they are no longer enamored by the conventional path of major tech corporations on the traditional internet but see the crypto field as a "digital blue ocean" for individual value realization. In this surge, young people are not only technology explorers but also cultural interpreters and economic model experimenters.

As more and more college students flock to crypto, finding the right entry point in crypto has become a question many college students ponder. While operating a university association, I participated in numerous events (commonly known as "club runs") each semester. After one such event, I received the following soul-searching question from a younger student. This student's confusion was not unique, and their question represents the bewilderment that most beginners have about the crypto space:

What does Web3 really mean for college students? Are we just catching up with trendy activities, or are we engaged in an unregulated electronic casino? With these questions in mind, I had conversations with several college students, and in their stories, I discovered the truth about Web3 beyond the hype.

Max: Seeking Meaning in Candlestick Charts

On a weekend in April, Max and his blockchain club partners chose to have a team building retreat at a seaside inn. Amidst the noisy crowd, he decided to have in-depth discussions with some senior students. As a sophomore majoring in Financial Technology at Shenzhen University, Max immersed himself in the university's blockchain club since day one. The unique advantages of Shenzhen attracted many like-minded individuals, and Max became a key organizer within the association. The next day, an event by a project team needed to be held at Shenzhen University, and from community distribution, event promotion to venue organization, he diligently handled the arrangements. The moonlight reflected on the beach highlighted the casual chats in the living room and Max's busyness.

Max was born in the Chaoshan region of Guangdong, where the local pioneering atmosphere influenced him from a young age. His father took him to a Bitcoin mining farm during his childhood and introduced him to the crypto market after his high school graduation. Influenced by this environment, Max was curious about concepts like blockchain. As the U.S. regulatory-compliant crypto ETF gradually launched, he also saw the market's potential opportunities.

In college, as a complete novice, he tried every possible track he could think of, from trading to DeFi to even the technical aspects... but the results seemed unsatisfactory. "I did not receive any positive feedback, only negative feedback. The more I did, the more discouraged I became. Seeing many people online achieving results in these areas, the gap in comparison made me feel very uncomfortable."

A turning point occurred on an ordinary afternoon. On October 25, 2024, during an auction at Sotheby's where the banana from the "Comedians" tape + banana series created by Italian artist Cattelan was being re-auctioned, amidst the AI-themed bidders, the meme coin BAN broke through and skyrocketed to a $20 million market cap within 24 hours. "I discovered this opportunity from X and rushed in without hesitation," which also led Max to explore on-chain MEME trading and for the first time achieve over tenfold profits.

The array of tokens made him feel a sense of novelty and excitement he had never experienced before, prompting him to decisively become a "Pioneer of P," stating, "After trading MEME, I realized that MEME is my sweet spot." In a casual tone, he opened his computer, gazed at the flickering candlestick charts on the screen, and calmly executed trades. "You can see many tokens at once, testing your attention."

From on-chain to off-chain, Max continuously met on-chain DEGEN partners and built his own network of influence. "For me, my strength lies in network perception, and the MEME track just happens to need someone with network perception, aligning perfectly with my strengths." Now, he has over 6,900 followers on X and has achieved certain results in multiple tokens. "I always enjoy trading MEME."

Max is lecturing his classmates

As a player involved in multiple tracks, Max believes that the current crypto field is still a blue ocean for university students: "Compared to traditional paths, crypto offers many more opportunities. Traditional positions have already been filled by old money, with far fewer opportunities for value misjudgment and undervaluation. In crypto, the industry is still immature, in a strong upward trend, and there are many opportunities for value misjudgment and undervaluation. Opportunities are most abundant in emerging industries. So I always believe that entering crypto is the right choice."

Regarding educational backgrounds in the crypto field, Bitget CEO Gracy Chen stated on X, "This industry does not worship diplomas; we believe in ability. The ultimate winners are those who can turn differences in understanding into execution power." Max believes that in a certain sense, education has actually become a burden for some people. "Sometimes, having a high level of education is not a good thing because precisely because you have a high level of education, you may look down on practical skills. If you have to do something glamorous, you may miss out on many opportunities."

HAO: From Trader to "BUIDLER"

In early April, amid the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, HAO chose to accompany the team for the first time. As an ambassador for a certain infrastructure project, HAO's schedule in Hong Kong was packed. In three or four Side Events, he assisted the team in introducing the project and organizing materials. From the initial concept of event planning to every detail of on-site execution, he felt a sense of value. Walking among the skyscrapers in Central, HAO felt a "sense of belonging."

HAO at the BUIDL 2025 project booth

HAO has been deeply rooted in the business and finance field since childhood due to his family environment. During high school, he often watched financial documentaries. Once, he even skipped evening self-study to watch "The Big Short" in the library, gradually aspiring to enter the financial technology industry. In his spare time, he also gradually delved into secondary trading, finding it "very interesting." After enrolling in Shenzhen University, he quickly joined the school's blockchain association. Before joining the association, he thought the widely circulated saying in the circle, "One day in the crypto world is like a year on Earth," was just an exaggerated description. However, only when he truly immersed himself did he deeply feel the unique rhythm of this industry.

Through a chance encounter and the enthusiastic referral of a senior in the blockchain association, HAO became a campus ambassador for a certain project. Every week, he would sit with the senior members in the team in a Zoom meeting room, vigorously discussing the project's development direction and creative event ideas. In terms of social media operations, he has always been thinking about using innovative content and interactive formats to increase community engagement. The transition from a trader to a project member left him somewhat confused, but he still firmly chose his path. "Crypto is a trend of the times, and external funds are pouring in like crazy. I don't want to miss this wave, and personally, there are still many opportunities."

After a 3-day itinerary, HAO returned from Hong Kong to the school dormitory, where his roommate was preparing for a research group meeting. This moment made him feel a sense of disconnection. "I feel like I've chosen a different path." In the current job market environment, he still chose to enter the crypto world because "actively exploring crypto while ensuring the smooth progress of my studies can not only allow me to meet many outstanding people but also carve out an alternative path for myself in the current bleak employment situation."

As the evening breeze from Victoria Harbour caressed HAO's face, this year's experiences made him feel that he had truly become part of this era.

HAO and Friend's "Run Meeting" in Hong Kong

Andy: Diving into the Deep Waters of "Research"

In 2023, the Hong Kong University Blockchain Community (0xU) held a series of courses at multiple local universities. At that time, Andy, as a marketing major university student, had no understanding of the concept of blockchain. After being introduced to the community by a peer, he felt that the knowledge system he encountered on campus had a huge span compared to the complex ecosystem of the crypto field, sparking his budding interest in the crypto industry.

"At first, it felt very fresh, like encountering something different every day, similar to watching a movie for the first time." In the wave of crypto, his experiences were "sometimes tedious, sometimes exciting." "The tedium lies in the repetition of many things, while the excitement comes from witnessing certain innovations."

At that time, the DeFi yield farming mechanism was widely discussed in the market, and Andy sniffed out the "arbitrage space" brought about by cognitive differences: "DeFi may not necessarily be Lego, but tokenomics or the complexity of this mechanism design requires some cognition so that you can think of the way to achieve the highest return." Through such arbitrage experiences, Andy realized that cognitive differences in the crypto field need ample practice to remedy.

After that, Andy went through a period of bustling internships, from initially having scant knowledge of various project models in the crypto industry to gradually being able to proficiently handle various work tasks. His professional skills underwent rapid enhancement. Finally, with his solid professional competence and rich internship experience, Andy successfully entered a top-tier Venture Capital (VC) firm through a friend's referral, embarking on a new chapter in his career.

Meanwhile, as Chinese platforms like Weibo increased their control over crypto content, crypto Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) on X were gradually rising. At that time, Andy, as an inward person, "was not too keen on expressing opinions" until he saw a prominent figure on X posting data analysis-related content, coupled with encouragement from seniors, prompting him to actively operate Twitter outside of his main job. "My main job involves a lot of data analysis, so doing data-oriented X operations is relatively simple for me. Therefore, engaging in data-driven X operations is a comfort zone for me." A year after graduation, Andy gradually gained recognition from many industry veterans.

Over the years, Andy's greatest insight into entering the crypto field as a university student is that "students should have someone to guide them, preferably their own senior brothers/friends, at least reducing the probability of being deceived compared to strangers." In his view, the crypto field is a mixed bag, and having a familiar person lead the way can not only prevent many detours but also avoid falling into some potential traps. "Do not be afraid to experience, as without experiencing, many things remain unknown in specific circumstances."

Just like college students getting involved in the crypto space, Andy, now one year post-graduation, is shedding his naivety and embracing his own crypto journey.

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