Utility or Obscurity: Why JUP Needs More Than Marketing

Jupiter DAO
1

Let’s cut to the chase: $JUP, as it currently stands, is a token with no clear reason to hold, other than speculative hope and Discord badges.

Despite the massive effort poured into marketing, rally calls, and carefully managed “engagement frameworks,” we’re still dancing around the elephant in the DAO — utility. Not the kind that makes you feel warm during a Twitter Space or gets you a badge next to your name. Real, tangible utility. The kind that creates demand, supports price, and builds long-term confidence for token holders.

Right now, there’s none.

Yes, we’ve got LFG v2. But let’s be honest: it’s trying to rewrap what didn’t work in v1. Active Staking Rewards (ASR)? Fading fast, with APRs already in a steep decline. Voting? Neutered. The upcoming resolution locks the DAO into a 2-year sandbox with no say over tokenomics, fee distribution, or product direction. We’re being told to “build momentum” without touching the engine.

So, what are we supposed to do — color posters?

:rocket: Real Utility Changes the Game

Projects like Binance (BNB) and KuCoin (KCS) didn’t grow by talking about governance ideals — they delivered incentives:

  • Burn mechanics that reduced supply.
  • Revenue shares for stakers.
  • Platform perks that drove usage and loyalty.
  • DeFi integrations and utility beyond trading.

Meanwhile, in the JUPiverse, we have 7 billion tokens still looming in supply, no revenue stream routed to stakers, and a governance framework focused on whether the DAO should fund another meme contest.

And yet… we wonder why the token struggles to hold price? This isn’t rocket science. It’s supply and demand.

:hammer_and_wrench: 10 Powerful (and Doable) Utility Models for $JUP

Here’s a new list — built for impact, not vibes:

1. Fee Sharing from Protocol Revenues

Stakers receive a portion of Jupiter platform fees (USDC or JUP), distributed weekly or monthly.

2. Buyback-and-Burn Loop

A percentage of Jupiter protocol revenue is used to buy JUP on the market and burn it — no recycling.

3. Staker Perks on Platform

Think:

  • Priority routing on trades
  • Lower fees for JUP stakers
  • Early access to new product features

4. DAO-Owned Real Yield Tools

Let the DAO fund and own tools like:

  • Portfolio trackers
  • NFT analytics dashboards
  • Solana ecosystem yield platforms
    Revenue goes back to stakers, not the team.

5. Lending Access Using Staked JUP

Stake JUP to unlock borrowing rights — access low-interest loans (backed by DAO-managed liquidity) for real-world spending or reinvestment.

:exploding_head: And Now, Let’s Push Further:

6. JUP Network Pass: Web3 Spotify, Netflix & GitHub

Create a staker-exclusive platform offering:

  • Educational content (AI, coding, trading)
  • Curated software & course subscriptions
  • Discounts on digital tools (Notion, Canva, VS Code plugins)

All gated by JUP staking.

7. Real-World Cashback App (JUPBack)

Build a DAO-funded cashback browser extension (similar to Honey or Lolli).
Shop online — earn % back in JUP.

It links crypto to real-world shopping behavior. Mass appeal. Mass utility.

8. Tokenized Insurance or DAO-Backed Micro-Loans

Stake JUP to join an insurance pool or micro-loan platform.

  • Premiums or interest collected → staker dividends
  • Real-world financial use case

9. Community Ad Pool

Let JUP stakers vote on crypto and fintech ads funded from treasury.
Clicks = JUP rewards.
Winners = promoted builders.
Stakers = judges + earners.

A circular attention economy — powered by the community.

10. DAO-Owned Merch Store + Rev Share

Launch a store selling Jupiter-branded gear, collectibles, NFTs.
Only stakers get discounts, limited drops, and royalty dividends from sales.
Yes, a DAO as a co-op brand — selling, sharing, and flexing Web3 swag.

:shushing_face: What the Resolution Doesn’t Say

Take a look at the upcoming DAO Resolution Pt.1.

  • No mention of protocol fee utility.
  • No plan for JUP as a value-carrying asset.
  • No role for the DAO in shaping the token’s destiny.

And let’s not kid ourselves. If JUP utility were included — more people would ask hard questions. Like:

  • Why am I still holding this?
  • Why can’t I vote on where revenue goes?
  • What happens when ASR runs out?

That’s why it’s left out.

:money_with_wings: Supply, Demand… and Silence

JUP’s 7B token supply is not going anywhere.
Demand? That’s up to us — the marketing arm. The DAO. The JUP choir.
The team builds. The community evangelizes.
If you want to protect your bag, you better promote it yourself.

Because if you don’t — and if we keep building sandcastles with zero reward — the token won’t hold value. Not from hope. Not from branding. Only from utility.

:brain: Final Thought

If BTC flips bullish, all boats will rise. Even ours.

Just one request: please don’t release the rest of the 7 billion JUP too quickly. Give us at least some hope that economics still works.

Let’s make holding JUP feel like owning part of the future — not just a badge in a branded chatroom.

Let’s give it a reason to exist.

Yours truly,
@ihateoranges

2 Likes
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Good morning, @ihateoranges.

Agree with some points and disagree with others. Will list the ones I disagree with & why.

2) Buyback-and-Burn Loop

I don’t think this type of artificial scarcity is ever the solution. It’s just a bandaid that gives the illusion of increased demand. If something is shit, just because there is less of the shit doesn’t mean that people will desire to hold the said shit. There are many other methods for value generation (such as ones discussed in your post), and making the pie smaller for something that we want to use as a “community currency” of sorts doesn’t need a further supply reduction.

5) Lending access using staked JUP

Not really against this, but we have some third party platforms like rain.fi that are popping up that provide this utility. I think the team has other more important issues to tackle and products to pump out atm. Sure, a native solution would be nice, but it’s not a priority. Implementation will take a lot of resources.

7) Real-World Cashback App (JUPBack)
Cashback with speculative asset is not a good idea. I know certain credit cards currently do this with BTC, but I still think it’s a bad idea to use current spot price of a speculative asset to give cash back.

8) Tokenized Insurance or DAO-Backed Micro-Loans

Not sure how I feel about this one. There will be a lot of legal hurdles to overcome. Also, we should probably focus on the core swap aggregator and perps products and be industry leaders in these products rather than introducing a new lending arm to the protocol. There are also a lot of additional smart contract risks that come with lending protocols, as we have seen from what happened to Mango and Solend. I would stay away, but that’s just me.

Also, in regard to not releasing all the JUP into circulation too fast - I agree with certain aspects and degree with others. I think the team is doing fine when it comes to emissions. I’d argue that it’s better to just continue with their emissions schedule and get as much into circulation as possible (responsibly), without crashing the market. It’s always better to endure short term pain rather than having to constantly worry about large random unlocks, which can greatly decrease investor confidence.

4 Likes
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Been reading your recent posts and totally agree with the general sentiment.

It looks like the team wants to avoid involving the dao in any decision making protocol related. We can have governance rights, but only over a very limited scope (basically just marketing). Anything related to JUP or the wider protocol and ecosystem is off limits.

What’s the point in holding JUP if the only real benefit once ASR runs out, is to have a small say over how the dao markets Jupiter? What’s actually going to drive value to the token?

Some great ideas in this post. I hope it gets some attention, but with the lack of a formal process for community proposals I suspect it won’t get much traction. Appreciate the effort though.