Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Blockchain-Based ICOs: Pure Hype or the Dawn of a New Era of Startup Financing?

Version 1 : Received: 23 October 2018 / Approved: 24 October 2018 / Online: 24 October 2018 (05:54:53 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Ante, L.; Sandner, P.; Fiedler, I. Blockchain-Based ICOs: Pure Hype or the Dawn of a New Era of Startup Financing? J. Risk Financial Manag. 2018, 11, 80. Ante, L.; Sandner, P.; Fiedler, I. Blockchain-Based ICOs: Pure Hype or the Dawn of a New Era of Startup Financing? J. Risk Financial Manag. 2018, 11, 80.

Abstract

This study explores the determinants of ICO success, where success is defined as the amount of capital a project was able to raise. ICOs are a tool for startups in the blockchain ecosystem to raise early capital with relative ease. The market for ICOs has grown at a rapid pace since its start in 2013. We analyze a unique dataset of 278 projects that finished their ICOs by August 2017 to assess determinants of funding success that we derive from the crowdfunding and venture capital literature. Our results show that ICOs exhibit similarities to classical crowdfunding and venture capital markets. Specifically, we identify resemblances in determinants of funding success regarding human capital characteristics, business model quality, project elaboration and social media activity.

Keywords

initial coin offering; blockchain; venture capital; crowdfunding

Subject

Business, Economics and Management, Finance

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