Been silent on the TL most because the past week has been ethically tough for me. I’ve felt betrayed by some of the actions taken by the Team — especially around key personnel being let go and priorities being shifted in ways that many of us in the community never asked for. Even when feedback was sought, it feels like our voices were not truly heard. I share this because I still care deeply — because this community means everything to me. I understand that business decisions have to be made, and what’s done is done. But many of us have been diehard fans of this brand — of the feeling, the essence, the magic that first pulled us in. The Garden was more than a project. It was a home. A place where I found belonging and identity through the community, the IP, the lore — through everything that made being a holder feel alive. Yet now, what I and many in the community have cared about most seems to have been deprioritized. With so many gaps in communication, it’s hard to find meaning. And as I sat with all this, I couldn’t help but ask myself the question that I know many others are also asking: “Why should I continue to be an Azuki holder?” Why should I care, when it feels like those making the decisions may have forsaken the very principles that brought us together in the first place? As I continued reflecting, I felt a deep sense of conscience that maybe this pain — this disappointment — comes not only from what’s been lost, but from what once felt so real. The Garden wasn’t just a collection of NFTs or a Discord server; it was a living, breathing world that we helped nurture. It gave us belonging, purpose, and pride. We didn’t just buy art — we became part of a movement. We believed that the walls between creators and the community could fade, that we could all build together. But when decisions are made in silence, when those who shaped the culture are dismissed or forgotten, it shakes that belief. It makes you question whether the words once spoken — about building together, about community, about the Garden growing stronger — were truly meant for all of us, or only for a few. Still, what pulled me in wasn’t just the Team. It was us — the holders, the storytellers, the builders, the ones who showed up day after day because we believed. The essence of the Garden was never theirs to give or take away. It lived in the countless moments we shared, the creations we made, the friendships we forged. So maybe the question isn’t “Why should I continue to be an Azuki holder?” Maybe the better question is “What does being a holder mean to me now?” If being part of this world has taught me anything, it’s that meaning isn’t handed down from the top — it’s grown from the roots. And while those roots may have been shaken, they still run deep. The essence that inspired me to build, to create, to care — that still exists. So I will do my duty and time with no expectations. I will continue to do my best for the strongest community I’ve ever experienced — because to me, it’s all I have, and all I want to empower. Through @_0xmugen , I will build a fortress for those who still believe — a place of loyalty, honor, and shared purpose. A living homage to the manifesto that once made the Garden bloom. A reminder that no matter the outcomes of decisions made, there will always be those who stay aligned to the manifesto. I love the @Azuki community. And I’m here with you — till the end⛩️