A crypto marketing professional since 2016, Michelle has a proven track record of launching data-driven strategies and helping blockchain projects stand out in crowded markets. Michelle has led marketing and growth for six major layer 1 and layer 2 networks, driving visibility and adoption across ecosystems.
You joined Pharos recently. What drew you to the project, and what were your first impressions?
I’ve been in web3 for over eight years, from the ICO era to working across vertical L1s and L2s. What drew me to Pharos was its focus on real use cases, especially in real-world assets and cross-chain capital. That’s rare. It also helped that the founders come from Ant Digital and have a true founder mindset.
Even though Pharos hadn’t done much marketing when I joined, the traction was already there. The community already had over 400,000 followers, and the Discord engagement was strong. I saw a lot of potential to amplify what was already working.
What did you prioritise first in terms of marketing impact?
You can always run campaigns to boost numbers, but I care more about quality users. People who actually engage with the community and talk about the project, not just airdrop hunters.
That starts by identifying your core stakeholders. For us, that includes institutions in the RWA space, but also high-conviction users who believe in what we’re building.
What metrics matter most to you when evaluating traction?
“Smart followers” are important. These are people who understand the project and share thoughtful content.
Social score is one thing, but I look more at community mindshare. Are people discussing us? Are they contributing ideas? That’s the signal.
You’ve helped build communities at Nervos, Syscoin, and Somnia. What lessons are you bringing to Pharos?
If you genuinely care about the people, it shows. Longevity in this space comes from being transparent, staying open, and delivering consistently.
We’ve seen a lot of hype cycles, but real communities are built through long-term trust and shared progress.
With over 1.4 million testnet users, how are you thinking about retention post-mainnet?
It’s all about use cases. I’ve seen too many testnets where users only interact once, just to swap or send tokens for points. But if there’s a reason to keep coming back, they will. So that’s what we are focusing on: building meaningful financial use cases around stablecoins and yield-bearing assets.
We’re also launching a pre-deposit campaign so people can earn yield on stables, FX, or restaked assets even before mainnet. That creates an on-ramp into long-term engagement.
Pharos positions itself as the fastest EVM layer 1 for RWAs, TradFi, and cross-chain capital. How do you make that message resonate beyond the tech?
That was one of my first tasks, reframing the narrative. “Fastest blockchain” isn’t compelling by itself. People care about what the speed enables.
So we shifted the message: Pharos is here to unify web2 and web3 capital. We’re building the best infrastructure because we want to support real applications, especially in institutional finance. That purpose matters more than specs.
What kinds of teams or dApps are best suited to build on Pharos?
We’re already building strong ties with major Asian tech firms on the institutional side. On the web3 side, we’re looking at DeFi protocols focused on restaking, stable-yield strategies, and cross-chain liquidity.
They don’t have to build exclusively on Pharos. Our goal is to be a hub where cross-chain liquidity comes together.
You mentioned compliance as a blocker for RWA growth. How is Pharos addressing that?
Compliance is everything. We’re fully regulated and based in Hong Kong, which gives us a strong legal framework to stand on.
We’re also working with a licensed finance company, and we’ve already announced a $1.5 billion RWA pipeline with Ant Digital.
Our dual-layer architecture also helps. We offer a private layer for sensitive data and a public layer for transparency. That’s something traditional partners are really interested in.
What does the Asia-first strategy look like in practice?
Asian markets adopt new tech fast, and our roots with Ant Digital and Alipay give us unique access.
We’re already working with some asset managers in the region on smart contract training and RWA projects.
Once we get a strong product-market fit in Asia, we’ll work on expanding globally.
What kind of assets are being tokenised?
We haven’t shared all the details yet, but we’re looking at stablecoins backed by fiat currencies, private credit, and energy sector assets.
How do you balance messaging for both institutional players and DeFi-native users?
It’s a challenge, but not impossible. For institutions, we’re working on producing longer-form content like quarterly reports and research collaborations. For web3 users, it’s more about relatable incentives and ecosystem-driven growth.
In that vein, we also want to roll out a KOL and ambassador program, but it has to be value-aligned. We’re not interested in people who just want tokens. We want creators who care about the mission.
What’s your take on the current state of Web3 marketing?
It’s broken in some ways. Tools like Kaito are amazing, but they expose how little real engagement exists. Everything’s incentives-driven.
People are too busy chasing points instead of having actual conversations about the product or the tech. I want to change that.
What’s your biggest challenge right now?
Onboarding developers and dApps is harder than it was two or three years ago. The market is saturated, and attention spans are short.
What’s coming next as Pharos heads into its mainnet phase?
Mainnet is likely launching in August or September. But our long-term vision goes beyond that.
We’re targeting $300 million in pre-deposit TVL before launch. We’ll also be onboarding institutional users, expanding RWA projects, and enabling real-world payments through partners across Asia.
What’s your vision for Pharos in the years ahead?
To be the go-to blockchain for platforms and capital, especially in RWAs and institutional DeFi. A chain that connects public and private systems, supports SuperApps, and gives users real utility. That’s the goal.
Last question. For people who want to work in Web3 marketing, what’s your advice?
Be a multi-player.
Most anyone can write threads or manage a community. But few people can operate across content, strategy, community, and development.
If you’re flexible and multi-skilled, your opportunities will be plentiful.