3 Alpha Apps - Super DeFi Mobile App, New Viral SocialFi & Project X
Edition 9
Welcome to the alpha please newsletter.
I’ve spent another week exploring apps across the space and have three more worthy of your time.
Two of them are still pre-TGE.
This newsletter is made possible by Mantle 🙏
If you’re holding ETH and looking to farm airdrops on the HyperEVM, this thread is for you.
There are simple options for the risk-averse, as well as more advanced strategies if you’re willing to dig in.
Project X
One of the most talked-about projects on HyperEVM in recent weeks has been Project X.
Project X aims to become the best place to trade across the EVM + Hypercore.
As a first step, they’ve just launched their own DEX on the HyperEVM, with the next phase becoming a DEX aggregator, and then phase three being [REDACTED] for now.
The launch has been strong: over $50M in TVL in the first week and impressive fee generation. They’ve done this with zero spend on marketing.
The project is also 100% self-funded, which is rare and aligns well with the Hyperliquid ethos.
The team is focused on distribution, believing the real moat in crypto isn’t tech (which tends to converge), but marketing, brand, and audience.
I’ve followed Lamboland for a while, he’s a sharp marketeer, which often goes underappreciated in crypto but is absolutely critical.
Of course, Project X is entering a very competitive market. I’m curious to see how they’ll execute over the long term. IMO, the real test will come after the initial hype and the points program wraps up.
That said, in the short term, they seem well-positioned to grow market share on the HyperEVM.
How to take advantage?
Project X’s points program is live.
It’s a great app to try if you’ve got funds on HyperEVM (I really hope you do).
Points are earned based on fees you generate - both from trading and LP.
If you provide $1M in liquidity and generate $100 in fees, you’ll earn fewer points than someone who deposits $10K and earns $1K in fees. So understanding LP mechanics gives you an edge.
Also, if you’ve staked HYPE into kHYPE, you can use that in LP positions. Project X partnered with Kinetiq from day one, and the HYPE-kHYPE pool is one of the largest on the platform.
Try out Project X here:
Mass
Mass is a DeFi super app for mobile. I think it’s the most powerful all-in-one crypto app on the market right now.
You can trade spot, perps (via Hyperliquid), RWAs (tokenized stocks + ETFs), Lend (AAVE) and more - through a seamless, gasless, and frictionless interface.
I actually worked on Mass a while ago and contributed to both product and brand, so this one is close to my heart.
Here’s a breakdown of what you can do with Mass:
Spot
Trade tokens from major EVM chains like Base, Optimism, Arbitrum, and others. Swaps are powered by 8 aggregators, so you always get the best route.
Swap assets cross-chain, or multiple assets at once, with just one tap.
You also get:
Limit orders (underrated feature)
Fiat on/off ramps (KYC required)
A bank account in your own name, so when you off-ramp, your bank sees the sender as you - a very smooth UX detail.
Perps
Mass now supports perpetuals via Hyperliquid. I think it’s currently the best mobile app for trading perps.
RWA
Trade over 75 tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs using your crypto, with more being added regularly.
But there are also many more things cooking as well…
The alpha
Mass is still niche, only around 1,500 unique users, but it’s early days. The UX is elite, feature set is expanding, and it’s easy to get started.
There’s no token yet, but Mass is running a campaign to reward early users. Three ways to earn:
Mass Wheel: Two free spins every day = MASS rewards
Quests: Complete app actions to earn MASS
Socials: Link your X account and post - earn 5 MASS per 200 views
Zora
This one’s polarizing.
But like it or not, Zora has been everywhere lately, and just hit all-time highs across most key metrics, including the market cap of the coin. That alone makes it worth a closer look.
In short: Zora is a SocialFi network with a mission to make creating on the internet both free and valuable.
How it works:
Download the app, connect your wallet, create your profile.
Your profile = a creator coin.
Every post = a tokenized, tradable coin, paired with your creator coin.
As your posts get attention, your coin gains value.
You earn a cut of the trading volume around your posts.
Support other creators, cash out whenever.
Zora’s thesis is to flip the model, let creators and supporters share in the upside, rather than letting big tech extract value through high take rates.
Intellectually, I love it.
That said, I have some doubts about long-term sustainability. After the initial hype, will users still reward collect/trade content? Or will it devolve into a PvP game of pure extraction?
Also, owning a creator’s coin doesn’t mean you own rights to their revenue. So you’re not really investing in a creator in the traditional sense.
Still, it’s early days. Zora is built on Base, the UX is slick, and it has strong backing from Jesse Pollak and the Base ecosystem. It will also feature heavily in the new Base app, which is significant.
What’s compelling is that Zora could onboard non-crypto users, especially from TikTok and Instagram. The team seems to get this and is working hard on making that funnel work.
If Friendtech was the degen MVP of SocialFi, Zora feels like it’s built on a much more solid foundation and with more potential.
All in all, I think it’s always worth trying out new SocialFi experiments like this. It will take you two minutes to register, and you will get a better feel of the product if you try it by yourself.
And that’s your alpha.
Not financial or tax advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Crypto currencies are very risky assets and you can lose all of your money. Do your own research.