Latest news with #Solana-based
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How Forgd Streamlines Token Launch Processes for Crypto Protocols
There's a science to issuing a token. At least that's according to Shane Molidor, the founder of Forgd, a platform that specializes in advising crypto projects on how to launch their own native tokens. 'It's easier now to launch a token than ever, especially with Molidor told CoinDesk in an interview, referring to the Solana-based launch platform favored by memecoin creators. 'But it's harder now than ever to launch a utility token that actually ends up performing well, because there's a finite amount of attention among retail and institutional investors.' 'At the end of the day, everyone seeks a positive return on investment, but if there's a finite pool of capital, you've got a lot of churn,' Molidor added. Forgd provides free-to-use software for blockchain projects to design tokenomics, engage market makers, navigate exchange listings, and underwrite their own valuation at launch. Once they officially launch their token, these projects can keep using Forgd as a data analytics platform to track their market makers, monitor unlocks, and optimize token demand drivers. The company also has an internal advisory practice to help guide large projects to fruition. More recently, Forgd has built out a portal where other token advisory firms can manage their portfolio; additionally, market makers are able to access transparent deal flow, as well as track uptime obligations. The software has been used by more than 1,500 projects, according to Molidor, about half of which have been research-oriented, meaning users played around with the tools to understand how it all works. Most of the time, the more serious projects (which Molidor called 'blue chips') end up using the software while still working with an advisory firm — which could be Forgd itself, or one of its competitors. In Molidor's book, to qualify as a 'blue chip project' means raising significant funding from venture capitalists and offering their token at about $100 million notional or above on major centralized exchanges. Multiple tokens now in the Top 100 in terms of market capitalization have been launched through Forgd, Molidor stated, though he declined to provide any names. 'The goal is to provide transparency and standardize this process of go-to-market,' Molidor said. 'It's always struck me as odd that… protocol innovators are expected to become subject matter experts in all things market microstructure.' 'A lot of the intricacies of this go-to-market process are very much a black box to all but insiders. I used to be one of those insiders, so I know how to navigate the process,' he added. Forgd's recommendations are completely data-driven, according to Molidor. For tokenomics, for example, the firm will look at all the projects that launched recently, identify those that performed well, and analyze things such as token distribution, token emissions, their valuation on launch day, price performance, market capitalization, trading volume, and so on. The analysis also covers market makers — which ones were used, what was their percentage of the total order book, what was the contribution in terms of making or filling orders, the tightness of spreads, et cetera. That way, when a project wants to launch with Forgd, it's able to see a given market maker's historical performance before inking a deal with them. Obviously, markets change all of the time, and what may have worked for a specific project in the fall of 2024 may not work anymore in summer of 2025. But Forgd takes great care in updating its database with every new major launch that goes live. Forgd mostly works with crypto native firms, though Molidor said the firm has had conversations with major, sophisticated institutions interested in learning about the process of launching a token. In Molidor's saying, the current process for launching tokens — with assets trading at multi-billion dollar fully diluted valuations shortly after launch, and with hyperinflationary token emissions over a period of three or four years — is completely unsustainable and needs to change. With such projects, demand is usually limited to the opening days or weeks; afterwards, the investing public's attention moves on to other projects. 'The reality is that, behind the scenes, on big time launches, the opening price and the magnitude of the… pop are hyper manufactured, either by the exchange or market makers, so the project might have very minimal influence as to how high they're trading in the first one minute. Predatory or self-interested actors might influence that,' Molidor said. 'What I think is actually more common is that the project doesn't know how to structure a balanced relationship with strategic partners like market makers, and they unknowingly put themselves in a position where the market maker is incentivized to let the price rip,' he added. The problem could be fixed if mechanisms were put in place to ensure sustained demand in the secondary market, Molidor said. In traditional markets, when a company goes public, it has certain assurances in the book building process from the underwriter that there will be institutional demand, he claimed. Tokens, however, usually can only count on retail speculative demand once they go to market. To remedy that, deal structures could be conducted in such a way that, if an institution wants to invest in the primary market, they are only allowed to invest a small portion of the capital they want to allocate — with the rest earmarked for the secondary market. 'Just as DeFi summer revolutionized the way that we think about liquidity provision, I wouldn't be surprised if we see on-chain mechanisms that incentivize buy-side demand being injected on-chain after a token is launched, that could be with basically yield that's generated in tokens, or maybe stablecoins that effectively lower the cost basis of institutions,' Molidor said. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
AI Project Donut Raises $7M Pre-Seed Funding to Build Agentic Crypto Browser
Artificial intelligence (AI) project Donut has raised $7 million in pre-seed funding to build its Solana-based agentic crypto browser, a tool that helps users engage with blockchain applications. The funding round was led by Hongshan (formerly Sequoia CN), BITKRAFT, and HackVC, Donut announced on X on Thursday. Donut's AI agent-powered browser includes a native cryptocurrency wallet and interacts with decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and other decentralized networks. The browser's AI algorithms process both webpage content and its user's actions in order to autonomously execute on-chain operations. In effect, the browser is designed to help its users transact, trade and earn in real time "like [using] a terminal," according to Donut's post on X. AI agents have been hailed as a key to unlocking the potential for blockchain technology. While interacting with smart contract tools, self custody and bridging across different chains may be complex for humans, it is an environment in which AI agent can be built to thrive.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Solana Scores Twin Institutional Wins With $1B Raise and First Public Liquid Staking Strategy
Solana's SOL SOL got a double dose of institutional adoption this week as two publicly traded firms revealed major initiatives centered on the blockchain's ecosystem — one targeting liquid staking, the other aiming to raise up to $1 billion for direct investment. Canada-listed Sol Strategies filed a preliminary base shelf prospectus on Tuesday to offer up to $1 billion in securities, including equity and debt, to deepen its exposure to Solana. There is no immediate plan to raise capital, but the filing provides the firm with flexibility to act quickly on future opportunities. The move comes just weeks after Sol Strategies secured a $500 million convertible note and spent its first $20 million tranche to purchase over 122,000 SOL. Separately, DeFi Development Corp. (Nasdaq: DFDV) said it is adopting liquid staking token (LST) infrastructure developed by Sanctum, becoming the first public company to invest in Solana-based liquid staking tokens (LSTs). Through its new token dfdvSOL, the company will allow users to stake SOL with DeFi Dev's validators while retaining liquidity, enabling participation in DeFi or redemption at any time. Staking refers to locking up tokens (such as SOL) to help run the network and earn rewards in return. Validators are specialized computers that process and verify transactions to maintain the blockchain's security and ensure its smooth operation. The dual moves show growing confidence in Solana's staking and validator infrastructure among corporate players and could mark the early stages of a broader institutional push toward SOL. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Memecoin Moo Deng, MEW Surges After Robinhood Listing
Robinhood has added two Solana-based memecoins, Moo Deng MOODENG and cat in a dog's world MEW, to its suite of cryptocurrencies available to trade for U.S. customers. Moo Deng, which is based on a baby pygmy hippo, has risen to a $230 million market cap this month after the meme went viral online in 2024. The token skyrocketed over 836% in May and jumped another 21% over the past 24 hours. Cat in a dog's world, on the other hand, is a token based on cats, which launched in March 2024 as part of a Solana meme coin frenzy. The token stands at a $368 million market cap after its price rose 52% in May. It is up nearly 20% over the past 24 hours. The latest inclusions add to Robinhood's list of meme coins, and the regulatory landscape is becoming much more flexible after the nomination of several pro-crypto government leaders and President Donald Trump's U.S. election win last year. In November, Robinhood added the trading of Pepe coin PEPE, another popular meme coin. The trading app currently offers over 20 cryptocurrencies after previously ending support for several tokens in 2023 amid a crackdown on crypto by the former Securities and Exchange Commission Chair, Gary Gensler. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Express Tribune
21-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Haliey Welch breaks silence on failed Hawk Tuah crypto coin and FBI investigation
Haliey Welch, best known as the viral 'Hawk Tuah Girl,' has broken her silence about the failed launch of her namesake cryptocurrency, $HAWK, saying she had no knowledge of crypto and was misled into promoting the coin. In a recent episode of her Talking Tuah podcast, Welch said, 'I couldn't tell you how crypto worked the day that coin launched… I got talked into it and trusted the wrong people.' Finally Sharing my Side Tune in tomorrow at 12 PM CST — Hailey Welch (@Hay_welcch) May 20, 2025 The Solana-based meme coin briefly skyrocketed to a $500 million market cap after launching in December 2024 but quickly became worthless, prompting investigations by the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Welch explained that during this time, her legal team advised her to stop broadcasting and cooperate with authorities. 'They interrogated me… They went through my phone. So they cleared me,' she said, confirming she was never named in the ongoing class action lawsuit. Welch emphasized that she earned only a marketing fee and made no profit from the coin's rise and fall. 'All the money I got went to PR, lawyers—everything. I came out with nothing,' she added. She also expressed remorse for fans who lost money, saying, 'It makes me feel really bad that they trusted me.' Following the coin's crash, Welch received threats and even had FBI agents show up at her grandmother's house. Despite the trauma, she said she has been fully cleared and is ready to move forward. 'It was definitely scary… but legally, I wasn't in any trouble. It was just a big mess.'
