> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://project-pathfinders.gitbook.io/lilypad/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://project-pathfinders.gitbook.io/lilypad/lilypad-launchpad/staying-safe.md).

# Staying Safe

It's a swamp out there.

<figure><img src="https://1158050749-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6jNVMxYfxztjBXDq2She%2Fuploads%2FoQMm1ejuFIZjOeqWeCCc%2FL1-2.png?alt=media&amp;token=bc93fa79-5bda-48ed-a821-aa94e9c70fd3" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Kickstarting a digital community comes with risks and pitfalls to both creators and buyers.

* Creators risk reputation.&#x20;
* Buyers risk funds.

**The Status Quo.**

Until recently, there was no way to deter slippery crocs from coming in to snap up capital. Enthusiastic faith in a new community marked a buyer out as a tasty morsel for big beasts lurking in the undergrowth.

Creators suffered too. Projects built in good-faith would be strip-mined for value, then discarded. The benefits of raising funds for a good idea were heavily countered by the need to satiate a hungry crowd in perpetuity.

The market structure was trick or be tricked and the only winners were grifters and extractors.

**Cleaning Up.**

Another bargain can exist between creators and buyers. Lilypad enables projects to create community tokens that are actually worth their weight in gold.&#x20;

A Lilypad mint locks funds in each NFT, but there is a twist! We transmute mint funds into LSTs, these are safe, secure, yield-bearing tokens made possible on Solana.

There are many different types of LST. Some channel fees directly to a specific creator, others funnel yield back to their token to compound its value over time.

But the benefit of this model is that each Lilypad mint harnesses Solana's network rewards to strengthen NFTs for creators and minters alike.\
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**An Unruggable Path.**

Yield is the special ingredient that can allow a project to make a small return (like interest) every epoch. User funds are not touched, and this means that they can be released or redeemed in the future.

This approach requires creators sacrificing up-front funds, but in return they create a system that protects their buyers and their reputation.

Over the longer term, creators accrue value by preserving the trust of their holders. Every token is yield-bearing so long as it continues to exist.\
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*The result is a pond where value floats—and crocs can’t bite.*