The psychology behind mint lists is straightforward—they create FOMO and a sense of exclusivity that drives engagement. We get it. The mechanics work.

But here's the thing: it's engineered scarcity. Artificial. When you strip away the marketing layer, you're essentially manufacturing demand through artificial barriers rather than building genuine community interest.

That's exactly why we took a different approach when launching our NFT project. Instead of gatekeeping access through selective lists, we went with a fully open mint. No waitlists. No tier-based access. Just direct participation for anyone interested.

Does it sacrifice the psychological traction of exclusivity? Sure. But it trades that for something potentially more valuable: authentic adoption and a community built on accessibility rather than artificial scarcity. The credibility you gain from operating transparently often outweighs the short-term hype you lose.