Arthur Hayes is calling for a return to the glory days of initial coin offerings (ICOs). His call comes amid a playing field that is increasingly dominated by venture capital (VC) gatekeepers and centralized exchanges (CEXs).
The BitMEX co-founder’s manifesto, “How to Make ICOs Great Again,” critiques the current state of crypto capital formation. He advocates for a decentralized, community-driven approach that prioritizes retail investors and revitalizes the industry’s speculative spirit.
The Industry’s Malaise
Hayes paints a grim picture of crypto’s growth, where once-vibrant grassroots movements have succumbed to the influence of centralized entities. He likens today’s project founders to patients afflicted with a “CEXually transmitted disease,” where the whims of exchanges and VCs dictate their decisions.
Hayes argues that crypto’s founders have forgotten its foundational ethos: decentralization, user empowerment, and wealth creation for retail participants.
“Why did we as an industry forget about the third pillar of crypto’s value proposition — making retail rich?” Hayes quipped.
He points to the dismal performance of VC-backed tokens in recent years. He argues that these projects often debut with inflated, fully diluted valuations (FDVs) and low circulating supplies. However, they alienate retail investors by prioritizing institutional interests. As BeInCrypto reported, projects like Hamster Kombat turn down VC support for this reason.
Nevertheless, Hayes attributes crypto’s meteoric rise to three key factors:
Government Capture: Decentralization serves as an antidote to the concentration of power by governments and large corporations. It offers a system free from traditional gatekeepers.
Magical Technology: Blockchain technologies like Bitcoin’s resilience and potential have proven their value as revolutionary monetary systems.
Greed: The lure of significant financial returns has driven adoption. Retail investors seeking life-changing gains are often overlooked in traditional finance.
To illustrate the divide, Hayes contrasts the egalitarian nature of meme coins with the exclusivity of VC-backed projects. Meme coins, he says, rely on “memetic content virality,” allowing retail participants to gamble on speculative assets without gatekeeping.
Conversely, VC coins are burdened by inflated valuations. A closed ecosystem of elite institutions and investors with little regard for the retail market perpetuates them.
“Retail would rather roll the dice on a $1 million market cap meme coin than a $1 billion FDV project backed by the most ‘esteemed’ cohort of VCs,” Hayes explained.
The Case for ICOs
Hayes sees ICOs as the antidote to the industry’s malaise. In their purest form, ICOs empower teams from diverse backgrounds to raise funds directly from the community without intermediaries. This model embodies decentralization, enabling innovation while giving retail investors access to early-stage opportunities.
Drawing lessons from the 2017 ICO boom, Hayes highlights two intrinsic value drivers:
Memetic Value: Projects that resonate with the zeitgeist can attract users and build a strong community.
Potential Technology: ICOs fund teams to create groundbreaking technologies addressing global challenges, often before a single line of code is written.
While acknowledging that many ICOs failed spectacularly, Hayes argues this speculative nature is a feature, not a bug. It allows retail investors to dream big and aim for transformative gains. Against this backdrop, Hayes outlines a roadmap for revitalizing ICOs and making them great again.
Faster Token Issuance: New frameworks and liquid decentralized exchanges (DEXs) allow teams to distribute tokens within days, enabling immediate trading and price discovery.
Improved Infrastructure: Advances in blockchain scalability and reduced transaction costs, particularly on chains like Aptos (APT) and Solana (SOL), make ICOs more accessible.
Enhanced User Experience: Non-custodial wallets and streamlined platforms lower barriers to entry, ensuring broader participation.
CEX Independence: By bypassing centralized platforms, ICOs eliminate gatekeeping, giving power back to the community.
Further, Hayes cautions investors to avoid the traps of the current system, urging the crypto community to embrace the speculative, democratized nature of ICOs, which offer a chance for life-changing financial returns without the constraints of traditional finance.
“Just say no to VC-backed high FDV, low float projects, and overvalued tokens on CEXs,” he noted.
As the crypto market enters a potential new bull cycle, Hayes predicts a resurgence of ICOs driven by an engaged, risk-tolerant community. Platforms like Pump.fun and Spot.dog exemplify the shift towards decentralized, retail-focused capital formation.
With these tools, Hayes envisions a future where crypto once again empowers individuals to take audacious bets and reap the rewards of decentralized innovation.
“Let’s return to the spirit of crypto’s early days. It’s time to make ICOs great again,” Hayes concluded.
