Have you ever stopped for a moment and wondered how DeFi Summer projects were confidently offering thousands of percent in APY… and everyone acted like it was normal? 😳
Let’s be honest — no real business on Earth generates that kind of yield through actual profits. So what was happening?
Today, let’s break down the truth behind those insane APYs and the infamous DeFi Flywheel… in a way that’s simple, eye-opening, and impossible to forget.👇✨
🌪️ The Algorithm Behind the Madness: The Flywheel
The Flywheel is built on Reflexivity — the psychological loop where price affects sentiment, and sentiment pushes price even higher.
Think of it as pulling yourself up by your own hair… it feels like you’re rising, until reality kicks in. 😅
Here’s how the magic trick worked during DeFi Summer:
🔸 1. A project launches Token A.
They open a staking pool offering something wild like 500% APY —
all paid in freshly printed Token A. (No revenue, no profits… just token emissions.)
🔸 2. Farmers see the huge APY and FOMO in.
People rush to buy Token A to stake it. Everyone wants that 500%.
🔸 3. Buying pressure pumps the price.
Token A shoots up.
When token price rises, the USD value of the rewards increases too.
🔸 4. APY jumps AGAIN.
Suddenly that 500% becomes 1000%+ in USD terms.
More people join. More buying pressure. More hype.
The Flywheel spins harder and harder. 💥
This is how tokens went x10, x50, x100 — fueled not by business growth, but by a self-reinforcing loop.
⚠️ But When It Breaks… The Flywheel Turns Into a Meat Grinder 😬
Everything looks beautiful — until one small crack appears.
Here’s what happens:
🔻 Token A falls 10%
The USD value of rewards drops → farmers feel less incentive.
People unstake and start selling.
🔻 Sell pressure increases
Price halves. Panic spreads. Latecomers dump their bags.
Now the Flywheel is spinning in reverse at the speed of light,
dragging the token toward zero.
This is when people say:
“But APY was 2000% yesterday… what happened?”
The answer: You were watching the reverse Flywheel.
🤔 Is the Flywheel Evil?
Not really.
It’s actually a powerful bootstrapping tool if used responsibly.
But…
👉 If a project generates no real revenue
👉 And relies entirely on printing tokens for yield
Then yes — it becomes a Ponzi with better branding.
📈 How to Survive (and Profit From) Flywheel Projects
These tips could literally save your portfolio:
✅ Enter during Phase 2 or 3
TVL rising aggressively → new users flowing in → momentum strong.
❌ Exit when TVL plateaus
Flat TVL = dying incentive = incoming rug-like spiral.
❌ Never be the last person holding the lights.
When the music stops… it stops FAST.
🔥 Pro Tips
✔ Always track TVL trends
✔ Watch token emissions vs. real revenue
✔ Don’t fall in love with APY — fall in love with data
✔ The earlier you understand reflexivity, the safer your capital becomes
🙏 Follow Me for More
If you love breakdowns like this —
stick around for more real, raw and honest crypto analysis.
And always:
Do Your Own Research (DYOR) 🧠📊
#DeFi #BTCVSGOLD #BinanceBlockchainWeek #FlywheelEffect #CryptoSafety

