Decentralized finance (DeFi) projects are increasingly stepping away from public Discord servers, saying the platform has become more of a risk than a community asset.
The shift came into focus on Wednesday after DeFi lending protocol Morpho announced it had placed its public Discord server into read-only mode, redirecting users to alternative support channels. The move underscores growing concerns that Discord has become a prime target for scammers preying on crypto users.
The issue extends beyond Morpho. DeFi data platform DefiLlama’s pseudonymous founder, 0xngmi, said the team has been quietly scaling back its reliance on Discord in favor of more controlled communication tools.
According to several builders, the broader goal is to move away from always-on chat rooms and toward structured support systems that prioritize user safety over engagement.
Why DeFi teams are pulling back from Discord
Builders and data providers say a key reason DeFi teams are stepping away from Discord is that the platform has become increasingly difficult to secure, with phishing emerging as a persistent threat.
Morpho co-founder Merlin Egalite said the decision to move away from Discord was “not an easy choice,” noting that users continued to be targeted by scammers while seeking support, despite extensive monitoring and safeguards.
Morpho has instead been testing alternative tools such as Intercom, which Egalite said simplify user support through features like ticket management and AI-assisted responses.
DefiLlama founder 0xngmi echoed those concerns, saying the platform has shifted toward live support chat and email-based ticketing. In a post, he argued that Discord makes it nearly impossible to fully protect users.
“Even if you ban scammers instantly, they still DM users directly to scam them,” he said.
Community leaders rally behind Discord exit
Industry operators and community figures have weighed in on the debate, with many voicing support for DeFi projects stepping away from public Discord servers. Richard Rodairos, a talent partner at Dragonfly, described public Discord channels as “one of the lowest-signal surfaces in the space.”
Rodairos argued that both users and builders would benefit more from clear documentation, asynchronous support, and dependable communication channels. “Get rid of most Discords in crypto. It would actually do the industry good long term,” he wrote.
Aavechan Initiative founder Marc Zeller echoed those concerns, calling Discord “full of scammers” and warning that users seeking help are frequently targeted by impostors posing as administrators. He praised Morpho’s decision and urged Aave Labs to consider moving away from the platform.
Nifty Gateway co-founder Duncan Cock Foster said moderating Discord was the most difficult part of running his former company and took a significant toll on his mental health. He described Morpho’s move as “smart.”
Not everyone is ready to leave Discord behind
Despite the criticism, some community members argue that abandoning Discord risks weakening one of DeFi’s defining traits: open, peer-to-peer collaboration.
X user Llamaonthebrink said one of DeFi’s core attractions is the ability to “pop into a project’s Discord” to share experiences, offer feedback, and follow ongoing development. The user expressed hope that the move away from Discord does not become a broader trend.
Others contend the problem lies less with Discord itself and more with how communities are managed. X user nft_dreww argued that scammers exist on every platform and that well-run Discord servers with strong security measures can remain safe and effective.
A similar view was shared by X user Walter_Su11ivan, who said stepping away from Discord reflects shortcomings in community management rather than flaws in the platform, noting that many projects continue to maintain healthy, well-moderated Discord communities.
