Multicoin's Kyle Samani on when token models make sense

Episode 90 of Season 4 of The Scoop was recorded live at SALT New York 2022 with The Block's Frank Chaparro and Research Director George Calle with Multicoin Capital Managing Partner Kyle Samani.

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In the last episode of The Scoop, we explored why some venture capitalists are becoming reluctant to invest in token models.

However, not all VCs in the crypto space share this sentiment. Multicoin Capital — a VC whose combined crypto funds total nearly $550 million — is “primarily token investors,” according to managing partner Kyle Samani.

In this episode of The Scoop, Kyle Samani talks through some of Multicoin’s recent investments and lays out when the token model can be an effective value capture mechanism for up-and-coming crypto projects.

As Samani explains, token incentives are ideal for projects that require a large initial investment in exchange for prolonged rewards:

“If you can identify use cases where the token is incentivizing one upfront action that has long lasting or perpetual value creation elsewhere, that is a super, super compelling way to use token incentives.”

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During this episode, Chaparro and Samani also discuss:

  • How hidden leverage exists in crypto
  • Whether or not there is a future for ‘X-to-earn’ models
  • Why we might be in a ‘crypto spring’

This episode is brought to you by our sponsors Tron, Chainalysis & IWC Schaffhausen

About Tron
TRON is dedicated to accelerating the decentralization of the internet via blockchain technology and decentralized applications (dApps). Founded in September 2017 by H.E. Justin Sun, the TRON network has continued to deliver impressive achievements since MainNet launch in May 2018. July 2018 also marked the ecosystem integration of BitTorrent, a pioneer in decentralized Web3 services boasting over 100 million monthly active users. The TRON network completed full decentralization in December 2021 and is now a community-governed DAO. | TRONDAO | Twitter | Discord |

About Chainalysis
Chainalysis is the leading blockchain data platform. We provide data, software, services, and research to government agencies, exchanges, financial institutions, and insurance and cybersecurity companies in over 60 countries. Backed by Accel, Addition, Benchmark, Coatue, Paradigm, Ribbit, and other leading firms in venture capital, Chainalysis builds trust in blockchains to promote more financial freedom with less risk. For more information, visit www.chainalysis.com.

About IWC Schaffhausen
IWC Schaffhausen is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Known for its unique engineering approach to watchmaking, IWC combines the best of human craftsmanship and creativity with cutting-edge technology and processes. With collections like the Portugieser and the Pilot’s Watches, the brand covers the whole spectrum from elegant timepieces to sports watches. For more information, visit IWC.com.


© 2023 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

About Authors

Davis Quinton is the Director of Podcasts at The Block and runs our flagship podcast called The Scoop, hosted by Frank Chaparro. Since joining The Block as an 'intern' in early 2022, he has worked closely with leaders across departments to translate The Block's written content into engaging multimedia formats. He holds a degree in Social Research & Public Policy from New York University in Abu Dhabi and is based in Sydney, Australia.
Frank Chaparro is Host of The Scoop podcast and Director of Special Projects. He also writes a biweekly newsletter. Chaparro started his career at Business Insider, where he specialized in the intersection of digital assets and Wall Street, market structure, and financial technology. Soon after joining Business Insider out of Fordham University, Chaparro was interviewing top finance and tech executives, including billionaire Mark Cuban, “Flash Boys” star Brad Katsuyama, Cboe Global Markets CEO Ed Tilly, and New York Stock Exchange President Tom Farley. In 2018, he become a sought after reporter in the crypto world, interviewing luminaries such as Tyler Winklevoss, the cofounder of Gemini, Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of Circle, and Fundstrat head Tom Lee. For inquiries or tips, email [email protected].