! Herein is the opinion of the writer, not financial advice. Take heed

After spending more than three years in the crypto space, I am really glad I witnessed the ups and the really dry times. It was an adventure and a great time to learn big lessons. ICOs came and gone, they left a mark, a deep cut, on us all. Being a writer, it is very easy to see it all.

Just recently I took a look at my Ethereum portfolio and I saw the carcasses of dead projects that once looked promising. With many works, we were convinced that they will be here for the next few years. Alas, they were washed away by the drought that came to all projects. Many had closed down for lack of funding, even when they gathered Hard Cap! Ones that are alive are struggling with few updates, they have become, sadly, irrelevant. Why? Something just went wrong along the line.

The Rocks

This is why it has become convenient to appreciate and support projects that made it through. The likes of Digibyte (that celebrated seven years of its existence recently- what a great feat), Xinfin, Binance Smart Chain, IOCoin, Ethereum Classic, Bridge Oracle, our very own The Currency Analytics (TCAT), and many more projects. Through it all, something was common to all:

A strong Project with Relevant Use Cases

These projects have plans and vision to solve a specific challenge on the blockchain and in the business world. They pursued these visions without getting distracted by anything happening around them. They took fires of challenges but instead kept at their vision and with patience and hard work they surmounted their challenges. Here are a few examples:

• Almost all Digibyte Community members can recall the episodes with Poloniex; just like that, it became a memory to remember. The project got listed free on an even bigger exchange- Binance. What was the secret? Aside from clearing the clouds of confusion by the founder, Jared Tate, the project didn’t do anything special. 
• Every crypto enthusiast who has been here long enough knows about Ethereum Classic and its history. Arguably, ETC remains the biggest most buffeted crypto project ever in terms of hacks. It is still very much around today. Secret? The community members tackled every hack and sought a way out. And with the recent Thanos update, it is chugging along pretty strong.
• If you have followed Bridge Oracle updates, you will understand what it means to fight against the flood. Being the first Oracle on Tron, Justin later created another oracle on the same blockchain and dubbed it the first. Laughable isn’t it? Its future looks bleak to many because of this and many other challenges. But the loyalty, works, and strong support of leaders like Sina Estavi, Mike McCarthy, Sydney Ifergan, etc. have sailed it through the toughest storms. The project today is now listed on many huge crypto exchanges (both Tron based and global), wallets, and analytic tools. It continues to bear its vision like a cross and extends its hands of effectiveness to other blockchains.

Strong Community Support

What will these blockchain projects do without community support? Nothing! They have been found by people who believed in the same future as the project. Most of the above-listed projects did not have huge influencers at first. Few of these with influencers were made with the project’s growth.

A Strong Business Plan

With visionary leaders are strong plans that help projects stay strong in times of challenges. These projects have put in place plans to manage, and nurture funds, people, and ideas. They followed through with their priorities. They built capacities and trained members with their vision. If you are looking for an example of a business plan, check Xinfin’s road map and how they achieved their goals one after the other.

The New Borns

That there are now dead projects because of the ICO boom doesn’t mean one should stay away from new ones because of the DeFi boom. Some gems only take the experienced to discover. Of a surety, many of the Defi platforms right now will be dead in a few months. Instead of panic, why not enjoy the moment, ride the rainbow, and take profit. But don’t forget to seek out the rocks and stay with them for long.

Happy New year from me to you.