One Message, Three Minds: How to Speak to Degens, Retail, and Institutions Without Losing Credibility

Marketing in Web3 isn’t just about getting your message out. It’s about delivering three messages at once, tailored to audiences who not only speak different languages but often distrust each other.

At Lendr.fi, we learned this firsthand: the degens want speed and alpha, the retail crowd needs clarity and confidence, and institutions demand structure and compliance. Trying to speak to all three at once without alienating any of them? That’s the game.

The Challenge of Split Trust

These three audiences do not want the same things:

• Degens want memes, high APY, and early access.
• Retail users want financial empowerment without getting wrecked.
• Institutions want risk disclosure, tokenomic models, and legal defensibility.

What appeals to one often repels another. For example:

• “Crazy yields” = alpha for degens, red flags for institutions
• “Fully regulated” = credibility for institutions, exit signal for degens

So how do you market across this split without splitting your brand?

1. Create Multi-Layered Messaging

Each audience needs a different entry point. Design your messaging architecture in three layers:

• Top-funnel (degenerative): Memes, X threads, KOL quotes, alpha group leaks
• Mid-funnel (retail-accessible): Clean landing pages, 30-second explainers, simple visuals
• Deep-funnel (institutional-grade): Whitepapers, token design breakdowns, audit reports, compliance notes

The surface-level meme should lead to a dead-simple landing page, which links to deeper technical and legal documentation. Each audience stops at the layer they care about.

2. Be Clear About Who Each Asset Is For

Don’t try to make one piece of content serve all. Instead:

• KOL tweet: “New protocol that lets you print 9% yield on stablecoins with real-world backing.”
• Blog post: “How Lendr.fi delivers passive RWA income without liquidation risk”
• Institutional deck: “Risk-adjusted yield through decentralized access to short-duration, real-world credit pools”

Each says the same thing. But in their own dialect.

3. Use Credibility Transfer Wisely

Each audience respects different validators:

• Degens trust KOLs, Discord OGs, CT influencers
• Retail trusts brand visuals, testimonials, mainstream media mentions
• Institutions trust audit firms, legal counsel, ecosystem partnerships (e.g., Chainlink, Avalanche)

We made sure each touchpoint showcased the right kind of credibility. A flashy meme campaign backed by a Trail of Bits audit? That’s when you hit the overlap.

4. Never Talk Down

Retail audiences aren’t dumb. Degens aren’t immature. Institutions aren’t soulless. The minute you start oversimplifying or patronizing any group, you lose all three.

Speak simply but with respect. Speak credibly but with personality. That’s the line.

What Retail Thinks Is a Scam, Degens Call Alpha, and Institutions Call Frontier

Here’s the truth: every innovative crypto product will trigger one of three instincts:

• Degens will FOMO in.
• Retail will hesitate.
• Institutions will set up a research call.

If you’re not being misunderstood by at least one group, you’re not saying anything new.

Why the Same Product Looks Different to Each Audience

Let’s take Lendr.fi’s core product: earning real-world yield on-chain by depositing a stablecoin into a decentralized vault.

• Degen framing: “Earn RWA yield with zero collateral. No lockups. Farm it before it’s meta.”
• Retail framing: “Finally, an easy way to earn real passive income from stablecoins. No micromanaging.”
• Institutional framing: “Tokenized access to risk-managed, short-duration fixed-income assets via a permissionless DeFi protocol.”

Same protocol. Same yield. Three totally different stories. All true.

Where Most Projects Fail

Most projects either:

• Go too degen and scare off institutions
• Go too institutional and bore or repel retail
• Oversimplify for retail and confuse everyone

The solution? Stacked storytelling. Let each user dig deeper. Respect their level of curiosity and intent.

Final Thought

If you want to be a category leader in Web3, your message can’t just be loud. It has to be layered.

You’re not selling to one market. You’re bridging cultures.

And the brands that win are the ones who make every audience feel like the product was built just for them.