In 2024's market, there's a stark difference between what's real and what's manufactured. Projects with zero prior presence suddenly dominating 15+ major news outlets? That's not organic growth—that's a media spend strategy.

Here's the reality: Getting featured in one credible publication takes years of consistent work, genuine adoption, and real impact. Real projects build their reputation gradually. But when a fresh project floods the headlines out of nowhere, dollars did the talking, not merit.

These paid PR campaigns create an illusion of legitimacy. They string retail traders in with FOMO, making it look like this token is a big deal when it's just noise amplification.

True adoption doesn't work that way. It compounds over time—community building, technical milestones, actual utility. That's the grind. Meanwhile, the quick hype plays burn out just as fast as they appeared. Worth remembering when you see the next shiny headline.