Since STEPN released the "Announcement on Checking Accounts in Mainland China" on social media, the community has been in an uproar. In just a few days, the word-of-mouth reputation of this leader, once considered a Web3 application, began to plummet. After experiencing a series of events such as community panic, disputes between the founder and KOL, etc., the founder Jerry published an open letter in the STEPN Chinese community in the early morning of June 1, reflecting on himself and emphasizing that he is trying his best to find such a solution.

The following is the entire content of the open letter:

Hello everyone, I am Jerry.

I don't talk much, but after holding back for a few days, tossing and turning, I got up to write something from my heart.

First of all, I would like to solemnly say thank you to the users who have always loved our products. Thank you for your willingness to support us and stand with us at the cusp of various public opinions. I know that some of the words I personally said on some occasions, although the intention was only to target a small number of "bad" people, they failed to take care of the vast majority of brothers and sisters who support our products. Introspect, and review the path we have come along.

Since the first day of Discord, we have always insisted on facing community users and media directly, and did not use PR companies, which pushed us into the spotlight. Both Yawn and I have been through a lot of stress the past few days. [Clear] After the release of the announcement, we not only faced doubts and anger from users, but also contained rumors, slander, and threats from many people with malicious intentions. We were exhausted and burned out, but we didn't come to the community to be honest with everyone in the first time Regarding communication, we deeply reflect on this. In the future, I will spend more time in product development to communicate frankly with everyone. I will be outspoken, and Yawn will be open-mouthed (accidentally leaked the latest development progress in the AMA). We are still us, but we will grow, and will not shrink back.

I know that we can get to where we are today, mainly because we are lucky, lucky to have you who have stood behind us and supported STEPN from the very beginning, lucky to have your patient feedback and suggestions, lucky to have your tolerance and understanding.

As a co-founder, I prefer another identity, which is product manager. What started as a line draft 9 months ago has grown into a phenomenon-level app that has changed the living habits of millions of people today. This is what I am most proud of. We have seen that the simple movement has linked taciturn couples, alienated parents and children, otaku and sunshine, you and the scenery around your home, linked countless small groups, and helped everyone establish a long-term movement It also ignited the dream of a group of young people rushing into web3 to start a business. This is the greatest recognition of my work, I am moved, and it is also the biggest motivation for us to work 18 hours a day.

I am a science student and an emotional product manager. Emotional breakdown is always in a flash. When I received more than 300 users to help me crowdfund a pair of blue shoes as a birthday gift, I was devastated. Many friends came to Twitter to leave messages, saying that crowdfunding did not have time to participate, but when they were willing to grow up with STEPN, I collapsed. At the moment when [Clear Retire] was issued due to the situation, thinking of everyone's enthusiasm, Yawn and I completely collapsed. I am the one who suffers the most from the fact that a product that has spent countless efforts, painstaking efforts, and energy cannot be used by everyone.

Before releasing the [Clear] announcement, our team had a very intense discussion within the team, analyzed all possibilities and solutions, and finally made a difficult decision. Previously, we have been facing a dilemma that we must face: how to try to meet the regulatory requirements while minimizing the harm to existing users. Although we have never actively provided downloads in any channels in mainland China, it is undeniable that there are still many users who are willing to give us a chance to try our products and found STEPN in other ways. Meeting is fate, we are very grateful for your trust and support.

However, while we were looking for a compromise, the extremely serious rumors, slander and threats on some social channels forced us to face choices early. It is related to the survival of the entire product, and considering the interests of all users, we have no choice. I know that after this statement was issued, it objectively hurt the feelings of many compatriots in mainland China, but we will continue to explore the possibility of expanding some businesses under the compliance regulatory framework, so we are also very actively exploring some possible solutions . Constantly iterate products and strive to take the difficult and correct path. In short, we are trying our best to find a compromise solution, so that users who are willing to go out with family and friends every day because of STEPN, get happiness, health and a little motivation, can use another way continue the way they live. I'm not sure if this road will work, I'm not sure how far we can go, but we have to go!

I saw that some social media called us [The Light of the Chinese] in the early days. I am grateful for such praise, but as the market fell and the announcement of [Clearing] was released, we fell into the mud again and lost our halo. But today I want to take these four big words with a cheeky face. I hope to carry forward the spirit of [Chinese Light], take on the trust and expectations, and use products to go to the world. We also call on the most diligent Chinese entrepreneurs to join To the new world of web3, let's bring [Light of Chinese] to every corner and to the next era together!

Finally, I want to say that in web3, the user's assets belong to the user forever, and you can choose to sell it or keep it. When you travel or work in the future, look forward to wearing STEPN running shoes to reunite together!

My brothers and sisters and I met in Weiwei, and experienced countless cold faces at the beginning, so I cherish everyone's not dislike, and hope that there will be various ways to continue to accompany you in this community in the future.

Jerry 

In the early hours of June 1, 2022 in Sydney