Kai Dranzer

From "Everything Will Be Fine" to "Everything Will Not Be Fine" Hello, my name is Bien. it's been days since Ritual Mainnet launch. This is going to be a long story, but i hope you can read it until the end. I'm sharing my journey, my experiences, and what happened to me in Ritual. I also hope this story can serve as a lesson for those who are just starting or planning to enter the world of Web3. I was one of the top contributors and community builders of Ritual, a project i once truly admired and believed in. Honestly, this post was supposed to be a message of appreciation and gratitude. If i had been eligible for their airdrop, regardless of how many tokens or how much money i received, I would have been extremely thankful. I've always been the kind of person who appreciates even the smallest things. I never needed a huge reward to feel grateful, and i wouldn't have complained about receiving something small. But unfortunately, things didn't turn out the way i expected. So, where should i begin? Okay let's go. How My Journey With Ritual Started... I joined Ritual in April 2025. At that time, i was really amazed by the technology Ritual was building. I had my own community before joining, and many of my friends trusted me when i introduced them to Ritual. I invited them because i wanted them to discover what Ritual was building and experience the same excitement I felt. When i first joined, i immediately felt welcomed by the community. Everyone was friendly and fun to talk to. It felt like joining a family where you could grow, learn, and become part of something meaningful together. I became even more active when i saw how dedicated the founders and community managers were. Their passion encouraged me to participate in Discord events and become more involved. Fast forward to November 2025, I finally received my Bitty role 💙 I was genuinely happy because getting that role wasn't easy at the time. You really had to show consistency and dedication to earn it. I took a break from December to February and eventually returned in March 2026 to become active again and continue my journey. My First Ritual PH Meetup... One of the most memorable part of my journey was the Ritual PH meetup. I was one of the people selected to attend, and i was really excited because it was my first time meeting and bonding with people from a Web3 community who all supported the same project. The venue was almost two hours away from my place. I only had my motorcycle, and the traffic was terrible, but i still decided to go because i wanted to experience something new and meet the people i had been interacting with online. And honestly, it was worth it. A big shoutout to @coffeedegen,@kimchiii0319, @KeybiNFT_, and @felixleeSimp for hosting such a wonderful event. Thank you for making that day memorable and giving me an experience I'll always remember. The Beginning of My Testnet Journey... one of the most exciting moments for the Ritual community. The Ritual testnet. Everyone was excited, including me. But I'll admit something. This was also one of the hardest parts of my journey because i had absolutely zero knowledge about building dApps or working with testnets. I didn't know where to begin, what to do, or how i could participate as someone who had never built anything before. I remember attending the public AMA hosted by @BunsDev, which was announced in Ritual Discord. It was actually my birthday that day, but i still chose to attend because I wanted to learn how everything worked and understand how I could begin my own testnet journey. I wanted to learn, participate, and support the project in any way i could. Around that time, Ritual testnet started gaining attention on X, and the community was actively supporting it. That's when i made one of the biggest decisions of my journey. I decided to build my own dApps. It was my first time building a dApp or even a game in my entire life. I wasn't an experienced developer. I was simply someone who wanted to learn something new and contribute to Ritual testnet. A big shoutout to Mark, who helped me understand how to get started. Without your help, i probably wouldn't have been able to build my first project, Ritual Claw Carnival. You helped me take that first step, and that experience gave me the confidence to continue building more projects and develop my own skills. When i finally launched my first project on X, I was extremely happy to see it included in Ritual dApps list. It might have looked like a small achievement to others, but for me, it meant a lot. For the first time, i felt that my hard work was paying off. I was finally becoming one of Ritual builders. Finally Becoming a Ritty 💜 In June 2026, I finally received my Ritty role. I can't explain how happy i was that day. Getting that role wasn't easy for me. There were moments when I felt discouraged and thought I would never achieve it. But my friends were there to support me. To everyone who encouraged me when i was feeling down, thank you. You became part of this achievement, and i will always appreciate the support you guys gave me. Learnings, Bootcamps, and Becoming a Builder As time passed, Ritual started hosting vibe coding sessions led by @0xMadScientist These sessions caught my attention because i could see how dedicated the community was to learning, building, and improving together. Then came the Bootcamp sessions organized by @hilalelifkara and the team. These were some of the most valuable learning experiences i had in Ritual. We learned about the whitepaper, Ritual technology, and how to start building dapps and ai agents within the ecosystem. I attended every session. I didn't miss a single one, and i consistently completed my assignments and homework. Not because someone forced me to, but because i genuinely wanted to learn and support everything Ritual was doing. And then came one of the hardest challenges of my entire Ritual journey. The Genesis 1000 event. You guys know exactly what I'm talking about! A big shoutout to @meison_mswen for creating such a helpful guide. That guide helped me understand the process, and eventually, i successfully built my own Sovereign Agent. It became another achievement i was genuinely proud of. And from there, my journey as a Ritual builder really began. The Six dApps I Built on Ritual... Throughout my time on the Ritual testnet, i managed to build six dApps. - Ritual Claw Carnival (My first project and the beginning of my building journey) - Siggy Prediction Market (My favorite and best dApp so far) - Ritual Nexus - TEEGENT AI Prediction Market - PERSI-SOVE Autonomous Agent Market - Ritual Dash Each project taught me something new. I spent countless hours exploring Ritual technology, reading documentation, solving errors, improving my skills, and learning how to build things i had never imagined i could create. I even started working on more ideas and projects that I planned to release once Ritual mainnet launched. I had so many plans. I genuinely thought the mainnet would be another exciting chapter of my journey. But unfortunately, everything started to change. When Things Started Going Wrong... This is where things became disappointing and concerning for me and many other community members. There were already several red flags, but we continued/stayed supporting Ritual because we believed in the project. Here are some of the things that personally disappointed me... 1. The Lack of Communication Around Tokenomics When Ritual released its tokenomics, there wasn't even a proper announcement on its official X account. Why? Why did the community have to discover and spread the information themselves? For something as important as tokenomics, I believe the team should have communicated it clearly to everyone. 2. The PLO PLO NFT Situation I also remember the launch of the PLO PLO NFT. It was promoted by Ritual Foundation and Josh and introduced to the community as an official Ritual NFT. At one point, its floor price was around $200+ But look at what happened afterward. The floor price dropped significantly, and many holders were left wondering what its actual purpose or utility would be within Ritual. From my perspective, it felt like the NFT had been forgotten. Community members had questions, but many of those questions remained unanswered. 3. The Ritual Discord Security Incident Another concerning event was the Discord security incident that happened around the time people had already minted their PLO PLO NFT's There was a suspicious website being shared through Ritual Discord that encouraged community members to connect their wallets for an unofficial airdrop. This raised serious concerns about security and the safety of community members. 4. The Silence Before Mainnet In their tokenomics announcement, Ritual stated: "Between now and launch, we will publish exchange and listing announcements, validator onboarding details, and the mainnet launch post." But as mainnet approached, I didn't see the communication I expected from the team. Instead, centralized exchanges were announcing Ritual token listings themselves. I also didn't see the promised public validator onboarding details before the launch. For a community that had been waiting and supporting the project for so long, this lack of communication was disappointing. 5. The Sudden Mainnet Launch Then came the mainnet launch. Something we had been waiting for throughout our journey. But instead of having a proper countdown or a clear announcement that prepared the community, the launch felt sudden. Many of us were surprised. After all those months of waiting, I expected something more organized and exciting for the people who had supported Ritual from the beginning. 6. The Airdrop and Community Eligibility And finally, the part that hurt me the most. The airdrop. The community had been looking forward to it for a long time. Many people spent months contributing, building, helping others, creating content, joining events, and supporting the project for years. But when eligibility was revealed, many long-time community members were left out. Even some people with higher roles and ambassadors who had consistently contributed weren't eligible. And i was one of them. Despite all the time and effort i had given, i wasn't eligible. Until now, many of us are still hoping for a clear explanation or an update about what happened to the long-time contributors who were excluded. I don't expect everyone to receive a huge reward. But i believe people who genuinely contributed deserve to at least be acknowledged and given a fair chance. I Never Expected My Journey to End Like This... I spent so much time supporting the community, creating content on X, helping others during the testnet, and building dApps because I genuinely believed in what Ritual was trying to achieve. I wasn't just here for the rewards. I was here because i wanted to be part of something meaningful. But after all the time, effort, and dedication, finding out that I wasn't eligible really hurt. It's not just about the money. It's about the time we gave, the effort we made, and the contributions we thought mattered. I know i'm not the only one feeling this way. I don't regret the things i've learned or the people i've met along the way. But i'm deeply disappointed with how everything turned out. We weren't asking for special treatment. We just wanted our efforts to be seen and recognized. I'm just a kid trying to build a better future through something i'm genuinely passionate about 💔 I wanted to succeed in life by following the path i chose and doing something i love. So why did it have to end this way? There were so many red flags along the way. But we chose to stay. We continued contributing, supporting the project, and believing in its future. Some community members even stopped looking for opportunities in other projects because they wanted to focus on Ritual and prove their loyalty. But in the end, it felt like everything we believed in had fallen apart. And yes, i understand that nobody forced us to support Ritual. Nobody forced us to spend our time, energy, or effort on this project. We made those decisions ourselves. I take responsibility for that. But is it really too much to hope for even a small gesture of appreciation? Something that would make us feel that our contributions weren't completely forgotten? Even if it wasn't a huge reward, even if it was just something small, it would have meant a lot. Because the hardest part isn't simply being ineligible. It's feeling like all the time, effort, and loyalty you gave meant nothing to the project you believed in. And that is what hurts me the most. 15 Lessons I Learned From My Web3 Journey... To anyone who is new to web3 or planning to enter this space, I want to share some lessons from my own experience. I hope you can learn something from what happened to me... - Hard work and consistency don't always guarantee recognition or rewards. - Never put all your trust and expectations into one project. - Your time, effort, and loyalty are valuable. Spend them wisely. - Always manage your expectations, no matter how promising a project looks. - Being loyal to a community doesn't mean the project will be loyal to you. - Don't depend on promises. Look for actions, transparency, and results. - Never sacrifice your mental health just to prove your dedication. - Always have a backup plan. Nothing is guaranteed in Web3. - Learn to recognize your own value, even when others don't. - Build skills and experience that you can carry beyond one ecosystem. - A strong community deserves respect, honesty, and fair treatment. - Don't let disappointment stop you from growing and exploring new opportunities. - Trust should be earned through actions, not just words. - Sometimes the people who contribute the most aren't the ones who get rewarded. - Never stop learning, but be more careful about where you invest your energy. These are lessons i learned the hard way. I hope others won't have to experience the same disappointment just to understand them. and for @joshsimenhoff, I'm honestly disappointed by your silence after mainnet, especially regarding the long-time community members who were left ineligible. Many of us spent months supporting, contributing, and building because we believed in Ritual. We aren't asking for empty promises. We just want transparency, acknowledgment, and answers. I hope you can speak to your community. Please remember the people who looked up to you, believed in your vision, and admired your dedication to building Ritual. You inspired many of us to become more involved, to learn, and to keep building. From the beginning until the very end, there were people who stood beside you and supported what you were trying to achieve. That's why your silence hurts. After everything the community has been through, it feels like you've disappeared without even saying a word to the people who believed in you. I hope you understand how disappointing that feels. I still hope you and the team can find a way to acknowledge the genuine contributors who were left out. People who stayed consistent, helped the community grow, built projects, and believed in what Ritual was building. I'm not asking you to guarantee rewards for everyone. I'm asking you to listen, communicate, and at least give those people a fair chance to be recognized. The community that stood by Ritual deserves to be heard, not left in silence. As i close this chapter of my journey with Ritual, I just want to say thank you to everyone who became part of it. To all the friends i've made from different regions, the people who supported me, helped me grow, and shared unforgettable memories with me, I'm truly grateful for all of you (i can't tag you all) Thank you to everyone who helped me when i was still learning, encouraged me when i was struggling, and celebrated my small achievements along the way. You made my journey special. I may be leaving with disappointment, but i'm also leaving with friendships, connections, experiences, and skills that I'll carry wherever life takes me next. I never imagined things would end this way. I thought i would be writing a happy message, thanking Ritual for everything and celebrating another milestone with the community. Instead, I'm writing this with a heavy heart. But i know i gave my best. I know how much time i spent learning, building, contributing, and supporting this project. And that's something I'll always be proud of. I hope my experience serves as a lesson to others. Value your time. Know your worth. And never lose yourself while supporting something you believe in. This isn't the ending i wanted, but it's an ending I've learned to accept. Thank you for everything, especially to the Ritual community that made this journey meaningful. Goodbye, Ritual. It was a beautiful journey until it wasn't. One chapter ends, but my journey as a builder continues.