Four years ago, STEPN started as a bold experiment, a simple question: What if we could reward movement, build community, and onboard people into Web3… all through a Sneaker on your phone? 

At the time, NFTs were booming, “web3 lifestyle app” didn’t exist, and most people still weren’t sure if crypto was the future or just another bubble. We didn’t know if it would work either. But we built it anyway. And then, people started walking, then running, then building with us. 

Since 2021, we’ve launched new apps, new systems, and new ways to connect. We introduced STEPN GO a year ago, bringing in Sneaker-sharing, a new level of social gameplay, and opening the door to new players. 

But outside of STEPN, the world around us shifted constantly. We watched memecoins fly and crash. We saw amazing projects, but also scams and rug pulls. We saw Bitcoin dip below $20k and roar past $120k. We saw regulators crack down and institutions quietly move in. We laughed, cried, and maybe bought the top once or twice. 

September was a tribute to everything the space has been through. A nod to the highs and lows that shaped Web3, told through the language we know best: sneakers.

We called it STEPNEMBER4: a celebration of both STEPN’s 4th anniversary and STEPN GO’s 1st birthday. But really, it was a full-on tribute to the culture, the events, the laughter, and the absurdity of crypto over the past few years, all expressed through a collection of Sneaker designs and a community-powered experience that no other app could’ve pulled off. 

Designs That Told a Story

At the heart of STEPNEMBER4 were the Sneaker Skins: 12 in total, released over four weeks, each one tied to a specific theme. Each skin represented something real: from meme coins and Bitcoin ATH to Blackrock and Rug Pulls, we built an archive of moments that have defined crypto for better or worse.

Every week, players could collect three new skins through different in-app mechanics, some in STEPN, some in STEPN GO. One week you had to mint. Another week you were spending Energy. Then came enhancements, burns, upgrades: it was different every time. The goal was to make sure everyone could participate, but also to keep it dynamic and surprising.

And the designs? They weren’t subtle. From a rocket piloted by a Shiba Inu, to Jerry’s real-life marathon shoe, to SBF’s prison jumpsuit, we leaned all the way in. And the community responded: people flexed, speculated, traded, and pushed hard to complete their collections.

A Challenge Within the Challenge

But we didn’t stop with skins. Quietly running in parallel, we launched one of the most ambitious and unconventional ideas we’ve ever tried: the Seed Phrase Hunt.

Two wallets: one for STEPN, one for STEPN GO, each protected by a 12-word seed phrase. Spread across the month were hidden clues: words, numbers, hidden icons, all disguised inside visuals, tweets, and even directly on NFTs.

Each clue gave just enough information to identify the word, its number in the sequence, and which app it was for. It was up to the community to piece them together, put them in the right order, and, if they were brave enough, try unlocking the wallet.

Inside each wallet was a single 1:1 Genesis Sneaker, created just for the hunt. But unlocking it wasn’t the end, it was the beginning of a massive prize. Whoever managed to transfer the Genesis to their wallet before the final snapshot would receive $1,000 in GMT just for holding it, and an additional $1,000 for every different STEPNEMBER4 skin they held in the same app. That meant a perfect collection could earn $7,000. And with two wallets? $14,000 total.

People went full detective mode. They combed through tweets. They decoded hidden meanings. They tracked clue numbers, argued about interpretations, and yes, a few got very, very close.

In the end, two community members cracked the codes. One for STEPN. One for STEPN GO. And both of them held all six skins in their app. That’s right, they didn’t just find the wallets, they maxed out the prize. We sent them $7,000 each in GMT, right to their wallet, no questions asked.

The Community Made It

If you’ve been with us for a while, you know we like to experiment. We like to push boundaries, do things others wouldn't try, and create experiences that make people say, “wait… they really did that?” But none of it works without the community.

This event only landed the way it did because people showed up. Not just to mint or grind or collect, but to play. To flex their skins. To decode clues. To dig through Discord threads and obsess over tiny details. That’s what made STEPNEMBER4 a community moment.

Thousands of you participated. Some completed the challenge. Some didn’t. Some minted one skin and kept walking. Others treated it like a full-time job. And to all of you, truly, thank you. You made this real.

A Retrospective Worth Running

STEPNEMBER4 was, in some ways, a retrospective. It was a chance to reflect not only on where the crypto space has been, but where we’ve been. Over the last four years, we’ve navigated hype, crashes, bans, breakthroughs, real milestones, and a few Guinness World Records along the way.

This event was our way of putting that history into something playful, meaningful, and community-first. And it was a reminder, to us, and hopefully to you, that we’re still here. Still moving. Still building.

And while STEPNEMBER4 has technically ended, what it represents isn’t over.

We’re already planning what’s next.