From $30m to $232m
In 2012, Rus Yusupov sold Vine to Twitter for $30 million. Fast forward to last week, and his Vine Token hit a $232M market cap, reportedly earning him more money from token sales than he made from selling Vine itself.
This isn’t a one-off. Crypto tokens are becoming a serious tool for raising liquidity. Just look at Donald Trump—on the eve of his inauguration, he launched a meme token that captured massive attention from retail investors.
The result?
He and his team became $7 billion richer. Crypto is evolving fast.
With the US moving toward a more crypto-friendly economy—and even rumours of removing capital gains tax on certain projects—this sector is heating up. Projections put the crypto market at $6-8 trillion by the end of 2025, driven by attention, hype, and the undeniable force of greed.
And here’s the thing—I’ve been in the trenches with three startups over the last 18 months. Great problem/solution fit, great value propositions, but they struggled to raise investment.
Why? Too much focus on social good. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but greed drives investment.
That’s why I’ve been researching alternative strategies, and tokens are catching my eye. They tap into culture, nostalgia, and hype—making them perfect for brands, influencers, and even startups to raise fast capital.
It raises big questions…
Can this trend deliver sustainable value? Will tokens become the go-to for raising funds in tech and beyond? And how do we channel this momentum into funding projects that actually matter?
We’re watching the rules of fundraising change in real time.
Would you back a project using a token—or does it feel too risky?
