Working only provides one way of income, but it is not the only way. There are at least 16 clear monetization paths in the market, each pointing to the same core: find the value gap and turn it into cash flow.

The oldest and most stable method is arbitrage—buy low, sell high, profit from location differences. Simple and straightforward. Moving up, the logic of earning traffic is more innovative: articles, videos, live streams—if you can attract attention, traffic itself can be monetized. That’s also why content creation is so popular in on-chain communities.

Earning from scarcity targets unique resources: if you have something others don’t, you naturally hold pricing power. Similarly, earning from cognitive differences means converting information asymmetry into revenue—training, consulting, paid groups—all essentially selling experience. Brand premium is an extension of this logic: the same product can sell for more if it carries a trust label.

Scale effects are often overlooked: individual items may not be profitable, but large quantities are the key to winning. That’s why exchanges gather liquidity to reduce costs. Regional and time differences are forms of geographic and information arbitrage—popular products abroad that haven’t yet spread domestically, or successful models in first-tier cities that can be copied to second- and third-tier cities, with huge profit margins.

Don’t underestimate imitation: copying correctly first, then optimizing—this is the fastest way to trial and error. Commission models suit those who don’t want to go solo—collaborate with experts and share their results. Advertising monetization is the most direct and effective: targeted channels plus repeated exposure naturally lead to conversions.

There are also more nuanced angles: packaging earns aesthetic premiums, cheap products with valuable shells; niche markets focus on attention, avoiding mass markets can be more stable; personal branding earns trust—you are the product; linking earns brokerage fees—connecting resources with demand, earning commissions.

Finally, there is investment, the most challenging but also the highest return: making money work for you. Once the direction is right, asset appreciation can take off directly.

These 16 paths are not ranked as better or worse, only suitable or unsuitable. The key is to understand the underlying logic of each path and then choose based on your resources and capabilities.