ICOs are suddenly back, but this time the projects are real, the mechanisms are better, and retail isn’t shut out. Ryan and David break down why MegaEth, Monad, Aztec, Zama, and Infinex are launching public sales all at once, how onchain auctions are fixing 2017’s mistakes, and what regulatory cl...
ICOs are suddenly back, but this time the projects are real, the mechanisms are better, and retail isn’t shut out. Ryan and David break down why MegaEth, Monad, Aztec, Zama, and Infinex are launching public sales all at once, how onchain auctions are fixing 2017’s mistakes, and what regulatory clarity means for U.S. participation.
They also dive into the rise of internet native capital markets on Ethereum, the shift away from airdrop farming, and why fair price discovery could be a defining theme of 2026.
------
📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE: SPOTIFY24
https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium
------
BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS:
🔵COINBASE | ETH & BTC BACKED LOANS
https://bankless.cc/coinbase-borrow
🪙FRAXNET | MINT, REDEEM, & EARN
https://bankless.cc/fraxnet
🦄UNISWAP LABS | SWAP NOW
https://bankless.cc/uniswap-labs
🛞MANTLE | GLOBAL HACKATHON 2025
https://bankless.cc/mantle-hackathon
💤EIGHT SLEEP | IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP
https://bankless.cc/eight-sleep
------
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
0:13 Are ICOs Back?
2:54 The Rise of Capital Formation
5:04 Learning from 2017 ICO Mania
7:19 Regulatory Challenges & Arbitrage
10:56 Recent ICOs Overview
17:01 Exploring the MegaEth Sale
26:21 Monad's Unique Approach
30:40 The Innovative Aztec ICO
45:19 Upcoming Auctions: Zama & Infinex
1:04:41 The Future of Capital Formation
1:07:46 Closing & Disclaimers
------
Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here:
https://www.bankless.com/disclosures