I think Cardano is competing against ecosystems that already benefit from massive network effects. And recently, those network effects have started translating into institutional adoption as well, which makes the challenge even greater.
At this point, institutional and enterprise adoption is incredibly important. You could view each adoption as just a single event, but the users, liquidity, and market confidence they bring are almost impossible to put a value on.
Cardano needs to move beyond being just a playground for OGs. We need to attract new people, new liquidity, and broader adoption.
I believe that's the path to long-term survival and growth.