Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has been the subject of much speculation in recent months. The San Francisco-based company has been tight-lipped about its plans, but it is widely believed that Coinbase is considering an initial coin offering (ICO).
An ICO would be a major event for Coinbase and could potentially make the company one of the most valuable startUPS in the world. However, there are some risks associated with an ICO, and it is not clear if Coinbase will ultimately go ahead with one.
What is an ICO?
An ICO is a fundraising method that has become popular in the blockchain space. In an ICO, a company creates a new digital token and sells it to investors in exchange for cryptocurrency.
The proceeds from the sale are typically used to finance development of the project or business.
ICOs have become a popular way to raise money, as they allow companies to bypass traditional venture capital investors. However, they also come with some risks, as many ICOs have turned out to be scams.
Why Might Coinbase Launch an ICO?
There are several reasons why Coinbase might launch an ICO. First, the company has been extremely successful in raising money from traditional investors.
In total, Coinbase has raised over $200 million from VC firms like Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures.
However, VC firms typically invest small amounts of money relative to the size of the company. For example, Andreessen Horowitz invested $25 million in Coinbase when it was valued at $1 billion.
That means that Andreessen Horowitz only owns 2.5% of the company.
If Coinbase were to launch an ICO, it could raise a much larger amount of money and dilute VC firms’ ownership stakes less. Additionally, an ICO would allow Coinbase to tap into a new pool of investors who are eager to invest in blockchain projects.
What Are the Risks Associated With an ICO?
There are several risks associated with launching an ICO, even for a well-established company like Coinbase. First, as mentioned earlier, there is always the risk that an ICO is simply a scam.
Many companies have launched ICOs with no intention of actually building anything; they’ve simply raised money and then disappeared. This happens more often than you might think; estimates suggest that as many as 80% of all ICOs launched in 2017 were scams.
Second, even if a company is legitimate and does intend to use the funds raised in an ICO to build something, there’s no guarantee that it will be successful. Many blockchain projects have failed to live up to their hype, and investors who put money into them have lost everything.
This is something that Coinbase investors would need to be aware of before putting any money into an ICO launched by the company.