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Arthur Hayes on Revitalizing ICOs and Decentralized Innovation

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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:

  1. 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.
  2. Magical Technology: Blockchain technologies like Bitcoin’s resilience and potential have proven their value as revolutionary monetary systems.
  3. 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.

  1. Faster Token Issuance: New frameworks and liquid decentralized exchanges (DEXs) allow teams to distribute tokens within days, enabling immediate trading and price discovery.
  2. Improved Infrastructure: Advances in blockchain scalability and reduced transaction costs, particularly on chains like Aptos (APT) and Solana (SOL), make ICOs more accessible.
  3. Enhanced User Experience: Non-custodial wallets and streamlined platforms lower barriers to entry, ensuring broader participation.
  4. 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.

Disclaimer

In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and ConditionsPrivacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.



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GameStop To Buy Bitcoin After Disappointing Q4 Earnings Report

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GameStop announced today that it will invest in Bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset. This statement came shortly after GameStop’s Q4 2024 earnings report, which showed declining sales volume.

Despite this worrying financial report, the Bitcoin announcement boosted the firm’s stock value by around 6%. Limited crypto exposure is expected to strengthen the company’s financial position in 2025.

Will GameStop Follow MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin Plan?

GameStop, an American video game and electronics retailer, has dabbled in crypto and Web3 on several occasions. After a Reddit-driven stock squeeze in 2021, the firm has been open to new financial ecosystems, even if they don’t always pan out.

In that trend, GameStop’s latest press release states that the company will begin purchasing Bitcoin:

“GameStop today announced that its board has unanimously approved an update to its investment policy to add Bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset,” the press release claimed.

Rumors about GameStop’s possible Bitcoin investment have been circulating since last month. The firm’s CEO, Ryan Cohen, was photographed with Michael Saylor, who led his company to become a major Bitcoin holder.

The community began speculating that Saylor’s actions could serve as a blueprint for GameStop, and this was evidently well-founded.

GameStop’s board unanimously voted to buy Bitcoin on the same day the firm released its Q4 2024 earnings report. The results were significantly underwhelming. Its Q4 YoY net sales were down over half a billion dollars, and it sold nearly $1.5 billion less of merchandise in 2024 than in 2023.

Expenses were down, and net income was higher, but these are serious losses.

In other words, GameStop may be taking a much-needed gamble with this Bitcoin investment. Although its earnings trends were worrying, the company hasn’t festered into a full-blown crisis yet.

Meanwhile, since the announcement, GameStop’s after-hours stock price has jumped as high as 6%.

gamestop stock
GameStop Stock Price. Source: Google Finance

Since Bitcoin’s incremental annual growth rate, this bet may pay off for GameStop. Like MicroStrategy, controlled Bitcoin exposure could help drive the company’s annual revenue in a bullish market. Overall, the retailer may be able to use Bitcoin to buoy its stock value while continuing its normal business operations.

Disclaimer

In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and ConditionsPrivacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.



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SEC Will Return $75 Million to Ripple in the XRP Lawsuit

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Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer announced today that its XRP lawsuit with the SEC is approaching the final legal phase. The SEC will keep $50 million from the previous $125 million fine and return the rest to Ripple.

Most importantly, Ripple will likely be able to offer XRP tokens to institutional investors, which could impact market liquidity and ETF approval odds.

A Final Chapter to Ripple Vs SEC

The Ripple vs SEC lawsuit was one of the most important crypto enforcement actions of Gary Gensler’s time as Chair, and the last questions are being answered.

Last week, the Commission officially dropped its lawsuit, marking the end of an era. Now, Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer is giving “what should be [his] last update ever” on the case.

“Last week, the SEC agreed to drop its appeal without conditions. Ripple has now agreed to drop its cross-appeal. The SEC will keep $50 million of the $125 million fine (already in an interest-bearing escrow in cash), with the balance returned to Ripple. The agency will also ask the Court to lift the standard injunction that was imposed earlier at the SEC’s request,” he said.

Specifically, this cross-appeal contains two crucial components. First, it involves the $125 million fine. The initial community expectation was that the Commission would forfeit the entirety of this fine. However, it seems that both parties have reached an agreement on this matter.

Another critical ruling in the 2024 decision was that Ripple could not sell XRP to institutional investors. The firm had reportedly been negotiating with the SEC to drop this mandate for weeks.

According to reports, this ruling is also being overturned as part of the agreement. In the long run, the lifted restrictions may have a much larger impact. Now that the SEC will let Ripple sell XRP to institutional investors, it could bring significant liquidity, partnership opportunities, and more.

In particular, this decision may also impact XRP’s status as a security or commodity. The SEC was already considering Ripple’s arguments to declare XRP a commodity, and this move may add further weight to the argument. This would also likely improve XRP ETF approval odds.

Meanwhile, XRP was largely priced in. The altcoin remains nearly 10% up in the past week, but still struggling to breach $2.50.

xrp price chart
XRP Weekly Price Chart. Source: BeInCrypto

Over the past week, the XRP community has expressed some concerns regarding the extremely low DEX trading volume on the network. Yet, Ripple’s new progress with the SEC may create plenty of opportunities to foster bullish sentiment in the long-term.

Disclaimer

In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and ConditionsPrivacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.



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Top 3 PumpFun Meme Coins to Watch Before March Ends

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Pump.Fun meme coins are heating up at the end of March, with FARTCOIN, Alchemist AI (ALCH), and DOGEAI drawing strong attention. FARTCOIN leads the pack with a $574 million market cap, while ALCH rides a 43% weekly surge tied to its no-code AI platform.

DOGEAI is gaining traction by combining meme culture, AI hype, and political buzz around Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. With PumpSwap launching and “Liberation Day” approaching, these three tokens are worth watching for potential breakouts – or sharp reversals.

FARTCOIN

FARTCOIN is the biggest meme coin ever launched on PumpFun, currently holding a market cap of $574 million. While it’s down 13% in the past 24 hours, it’s still up more than 110% over the last seven days, showing strong momentum despite short-term volatility.

FARTCOIN Price Analysis.
FARTCOIN Price Analysis. Source: TradingView.

With PumpFun gaining attention through the launch of PumpSwap, meme coins tied to its ecosystem could see another wave of demand. As the largest PumpFun meme coin, FARTCOIN is well-positioned to benefit from increased exposure and potential new capital flowing into the platform.

If an uptrend returns, FARTCOIN could climb to $0.72 and $0.90, with $1.29 as a higher target. But if the correction continues, key support lies at $0.40—losing that level could push it further down to $0.30 or even $0.209.

Alchemist AI (ALCH)

Alchemist AI is a no-code development platform that allows users to build applications using natural language and simple prompts.

Its native token, ALCH, runs on the Solana blockchain and has gained significant attention lately. Over the past week, ALCH has surged more than 43%, pushing its market cap to nearly $82 million.

ALCH Price Analysis.
ALCH Price Analysis. Source: TradingView.

If the current momentum holds, ALCH could soon test resistance at $0.11. A breakout above that level may open the door for a move toward $0.18.

On the downside, if sentiment weakens, ALCH risks falling below its key support at $0.073. Losing that level could lead to a deeper correction toward $0.040, with the potential for a drop to $0.019 if the sell-off intensifies.

DOGEai (DOGEAI)

DOGEAI positions itself at the intersection of multiple hot narratives—meme culture through Dogecoin, the rising attention around the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, and the booming artificial intelligence sector.

The project brands itself as an autonomous AI agent focused on spotting waste in government spending and policy decisions, tapping into both tech enthusiasm and political commentary.

$DOGEAI Price Analysis.
$DOGEAI Price Analysis. Source: TradingView.

Over the past week, DOGEAI has climbed nearly 10%. The token is currently holding support around $0.026, but if that level breaks, it could slide down to $0.015.

On the flip side, continued hype—especially as Trump’s “Liberation Day” approaches—could push DOGEAI to test resistance at $0.033. A breakout above that could open the path toward $0.049 and even $0.076 if strong momentum kicks in.

Disclaimer

In line with the Trust Project guidelines, this price analysis article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. BeInCrypto is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice. Always conduct your own research and consult with a professional before making any financial decisions. Please note that our Terms and ConditionsPrivacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.



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