The crypto sector is currently experiencing a “silent resignation crisis,” according to a hedge fund and digital asset expert. The term “silent resignation,” which became popular in 2022, refers to employees doing only the bare minimum at work and stopping extra efforts.
Kling’s Views
Travis Kling, founder and chief investment officer of Ikigai Asset Management, stated that this term accurately describes the current state of the crypto world. Kling noted that a significant portion of the crypto community is much less engaged compared to previous years, attributing this to a declining belief in the potential of crypto projects to solve real-world problems.
“What I see and hear is that a meaningful segment of the crypto community is much less engaged than in previous years. This is due to a declining belief in the potential of crypto projects to solve real-world problems and gain significant acceptance. This was a dream that was constantly sold and bought from 2017 to 2022.”
Value of Crypto Projects
Kling stated that many crypto projects are “meaningless and overvalued.” He mentioned that excitement in the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) sectors has waned, metaverse projects have become a joke, and decentralized social media has stalled. However, he added that some areas, like DePIN (decentralized physical infrastructure networks), are promising.
“Crypto enthusiasts can’t see what will trigger the next big step. DePIN is working and growing, which is currently the brightest spot in the alternatives space. But these areas in crypto are very few and far between.”
Regulation and Future
Kling noted that crypto is no longer in its early stages and that significant capital has flowed into this area. He mentioned that Bitcoin’s market value has exceeded one trillion dollars and that half of Wall Street owns Bitcoin 
$68,561. Additionally, he highlighted that Tether holds more treasury bonds than Germany and that over 20 billion dollars of venture capital has been invested in this area over the past four years.
“Bitcoin has a product-market fit, and stablecoins have a product-market fit, but everything else is lost at sea.”
Kling also suggested that if former President Donald Trump wins the US presidential elections, his future administration could introduce a regulatory regime that might revive altcoins. He proposed that with such a regulatory framework, we could see semi-securities that gain value and burn tokens.
“Under a Trump administration, it might be possible to move away from worthless governance tokens and advance with yield-generating, token-burning semi-securities.”
As Travis Kling pointed out, the crypto sector is currently experiencing a significant loss of confidence and interest. However, some areas like DePIN still hold promise, and potential regulatory changes could lead to a revival of altcoins in the future. Kling’s insights offer important clues on how the crypto community might adapt to the future.
