1. User ownership can jumpstart growth, but sustaining it is more challenging Giving users ownership in the form of tokens can be a powerful alternative to paid marketing, helping to bootstrap networks and overcome the cold-start problem.

Ownership, via employee stock option plans, has been a powerful tool for incentivizing talented people to dedicate their skills to building startups in Silicon Valley. While this model has been extremely successful, it hasn’t been accessible to all, constrained by geography and legacy financial infrastructure, among other factors. One result is... See more

2. New token distributions designs are boosting user loyalty In theory, when users become owners and are (literally) invested, they should become more highly engaged and retained. Today, the reality is mixed.