Recently, many projects have started to play with airdrops, which are a bit like year-end benefits packages for employees. This time, I noticed a project called Puffpaw, and I did some deep digging out of curiosity.

The project is essentially a DePIN ecosystem built on Bear Chain, with the core logic of linking electronic cigarette usage data to the blockchain. Every time users use the device, their usage is recorded, and the system rewards them with $VAPE tokens based on usage frequency. It sounds quite innovative, but upon closer thought, it’s pretty interesting — this incentive model is actually encouraging users to smoke more to earn tokens, which can then be exchanged for cash or traded.

Isn’t this just a project using tokens to incentivize increased consumption? From a business perspective, electronic cigarette companies originally aimed to expand sales and increase user stickiness, but now they are indirectly encouraging high-frequency use through the token mechanism. To be blunt, it feels a bit like self-sabotage. Whether tokens should truly promote a healthy ecosystem or have become a disguised promotional tool is a question that players should think carefully about.