Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs): benefits, risks and success measures

Alfreda Šapkauskienė (), Alfreda Šapkauskienė () and Ingrida Višinskaitė ()
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Alfreda Šapkauskienė: Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania
Alfreda Šapkauskienė: Vilnius University, Lithuania
Ingrida Višinskaitė: Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Alfreda Šapkauskienė ()

Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 2020, vol. 7, issue 3, 1472-1483

Abstract: The initial coin offering is usually defined as a new, innovative way of raising funds used by organizations, companies, or entrepreneurs, attracting funds through a cryptographic exchange in exchange for the coins that can be sold, used for future products or services purchase or profit. This article provides an overview of the evolving ICO market and indicates the main advantages and risks of the ICO. It is pointed out that ICO offers many advantages, such as high liquidity, return on investment, availability, fast capital raising process, minimization of capital raising costs. Nonetheless, the noticeable benefits of ICOs are often available only when companies or investors agree to take considerable risks, caused by the information asymmetry, lack of investor protection, proper regulation and methodical guidance both for investors and entrepreneurs. Considering the novelty, volatility, emerging risks, growing popularity of the ICO market and the lack of research in the scientific literature, it is important to investigate the factors that influence the success of the ICO, which is usually defined as the amount of funds attracted, listing of the coins, return on investment, market capitalization or the duration of the ICO.

Keywords: Initial Coin Offering (ICO); token; blockchain; cryptocurrencies; diversification; FinTech; open innovation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G15 G24 L26 O31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ssi:jouesi:v:7:y:2020:i:3:p:1472-1483

DOI: 10.9770/jesi.2020.7.3(3)

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