The native token of Solana Mobile, SKR, was officially airdropped at 10:00 AM (UTC+8) today (21st). This was a moment that Seeker mobile users had been eagerly anticipating, but the market's price performance after the opening disappointed many. This has also led the market to re-examine whether the Web3 mobile ecosystem is still worth paying attention to.
Pre-market prices halved, dampening confidence.
Pre-market trading data showed that the price of SKR tokens was around $0.02, but after it was officially listed today (21st), the price dropped to $0.0088.
This price performance contrasts sharply with previous expectations from the crypto community. In the lead-up to the airdrop, the market was generally optimistic about SKR, with most opinions suggesting the token price would fall between $0.02 and $0.04.
Season 1's ecosystem data is impressive, but the price doesn't reflect that.
In fact, based on the data, Solana Mobile's Season 1 campaign performance was not bad:
| index | data |
|---|---|
| Number of participating users | More than 100,000 |
| Total number of transactions | 9 million transactions |
| Number of participating dApps | 265 or more |
| Total trading volume | $2.6 billion |
These data show that the Seeker mobile ecosystem does indeed have a certain level of activity. However, the impressive ecosystem data failed to support SKR's pre-market price; the market needs to see continued high activity even after the rewards program to demonstrate true competitiveness.
Solana Mobile Ecosystem Future Speculation
To date, the official figures state that the second-generation Seeker phone has delivered over 150,000 devices, 265 dApps, and $2.6 billion in transaction volume, proving its real user base. However, whether Web3 phones can escape the predicament of being "used solely for airdrops" remains to be seen and requires continued observation.
Will the ecosystem activity level disappear after the reward period ends?
This is the fundamental question that all "token-incentive driven" projects must face. Looking at the data from Season 1, 9 million transactions is indeed a respectable figure, but we must honestly ask: how many of these activities are driven by "real demand," and how many are simply "farming for the airdrop"?
Optimistic scenario: positive flywheel formation
If Solana Mobile can successfully establish a positive flywheel, the situation might be as follows:
Airdrops attract users → Users use dApps → Developers see increased traffic → More high-quality applications emerge → User retention rate improves → Ecosystem self-sustaining.
With 265 dApps participating during Season 1, it's clear that developers are genuinely interested in this ecosystem. If 10-20 of these apps truly address user pain points (such as a more secure wallet experience, more convenient DeFi operations, unique mobile games, etc.), then users will still have a reason to continue using them even after the airdrop ends.
Pessimistic scenario: The death spiral begins when the reward ends.
But historical experience tells us that most "incentive-driven" ecosystems are doomed to this fate:
Airdrop ends → Users who inflate trading volume leave → Transaction volume plummets → Developers lose confidence and leave → Ecosystem shrinks
Looking back at past cases, the first-generation Saga phone initially attracted little attention, but later became a hit due to the BONK airdrop. However, once the profit opportunity disappeared, the hype quickly faded, and the official statement even indicated that they would no longer support the model.
Further Reading: Solana Mobile Discontinues Support for Web3 Phone Saga! Fully Switching to the Second-Generation Seeker – What Should Existing Users Do?
Going back a bit further: STEPN, a once-popular Move-to-Earn application, saw its active user count drop by more than 95% after a significant reduction in token rewards. Axie Infinity, which at its peak had over 2 million daily active users, also experienced a sharp decline in activity after the rewards were reduced.
Can the Seeker phone break this curse? That will be a key point to watch in the future.
Neutral view: It may be heading towards a "niche but stable" model.
The likely outcome is somewhere in between: the Seeker phone won't become a mass-market consumer product, but it will form a niche but loyal group of native Web3 users. These users are already deep participants in the Solana ecosystem, and they use the Seeker phone because they want the hardware-level private key protection provided by Seed Vault and the smoother experience brought by the natively integrated dApp Store.
If Solana Mobile can serve its core users well, its 150,000 device base may be enough to support a healthy niche ecosystem.
Speculation on the future uses of SKR token
On the other hand, the officially announced uses of the SKR token are currently mainly focused on "Guardian staking" and "governance voting," but considering the token's economic design and industry trends, the following extensions may be possible in the future:
dApp submission and review fees
- Developers need to pay SKR as a listing application fee.
- Once the review is approved, the fees will be allocated to the Guardians.
- This creates a decentralized model similar to the "App Store commission".
Phone function unlocking/advanced services
Referring to the subscription model of traditional mobile phones, SKR may be used for:
- Unlock advanced security features (such as multi-signature and social recovery).
- Priority access to new feature testing
- Dedicated customer service support channel
Intra-ecosystem payment medium
If the Seeker mobile ecosystem continues to develop, SKR may become:
- Payment methods for purchasing mobile phone accessories and related products
- In-app purchase discount options (discounts available when paying with SKR)
Hardware upgrade discount
Its most direct use is probably:
- Enjoy a discount when purchasing the next generation Seeker phone with SKR.
- Trade-in discount
- Accessory purchase discount
Guardian Mechanism: Giving Tokens Practical Use
Currently, SKR holders can stake their SKR with the "Guardians" to participate in platform governance and earn inflation rewards. The official explanation states that the Guardians, based on the TEEPIN architecture, are responsible for verifying device authenticity and approving dApp listings, ensuring the decentralization and security of the mobile ecosystem.
The token also includes a developer incentive pool to support teams developing applications on the Seeker mobile app, bringing more use cases to the ecosystem.
Analysis of the SKR Token Economic Model
According to the official announcement, the SKR allocation structure is as follows:
- Airdrop : 30%
- Growth and Partners : 25%
- Solana Mobile Team : 15%
- Solana Labs : 10%
- Community Vault : 10%
- Liquidity and Capacity : 10%
Regarding the inflation mechanism, SKR adopts a linear inflation model, with an inflation rate of 10% (approximately 1 billion coins) in the first year, which then decreases by 25% annually until it stabilizes at 2%.
Potential projects that haven't been airdropped yet but are worth watching
Besides SKR, several other projects within the Seeker mobile ecosystem may be airdropped in the future. Below is a list of currently confirmed or highly speculated projects:
Projects that are highly likely to be airdropped
| project | possibility | Recommended operation |
|---|---|---|
| Backpack |  high | Solana, a well-known wallet in the ecosystem, has been rumored to be integrating with Seeker multiple times. |
| Jupiter | high | Solana is the largest DEX aggregator and has a history of airdrops. |
| GeoNet |  Medium and high | Seeker-exclusive Quests are underway; completing them may earn you future token rewards. |
| Soul Mail (Mailman App) | middle | Web3 email applications may integrate Seeker user identities for airdrops. |
Developer ecosystem remains key
In the long run, the success or failure of the Seeker phone still depends on its developer ecosystem. If it can attract excellent development teams and create killer apps that offer the best experience only on Seeker, then this ecosystem has a chance to be self-sustaining. Current areas worth observing include:
- Mobile Games : Achieving True "Play-to-Own" with Seed Vault
- DePIN Applications : Seeker phones may become nodes in decentralized physical infrastructure.
- Social Applications : Combining the portability of mobile phones with Web3 identity systems
summary
Solana Mobile is attempting to create a mobile ecosystem through token economics, involving users, developers, and validators. However, whether this vision can be realized remains to be seen. Nevertheless, this attempt itself deserves our continued attention, as finding the entry point for the mass adoption of Web3 has always been one of the most important issues for the entire industry.
For users who already own a Seeker phone, in addition to claiming SKRs, they can also keep an eye on potential airdrop projects such as Backpack and Jupiter, which may create more value for the phone.
Investors should fully assess the risks and proceed with caution before participating.
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