The crypto market is witnessing an explosive trend called Internet Capital Markets – where companies launch tokens on the Solana network for marketing, fundraising, and community building, rather than pursuing traditional fundraising methods from venture capital.
From Vine Coin to Dupe: The story of token fundraising
This trend started to gain attention in 2024 with Vine Coin (#VINE ), released by the co-founder of the Vine video app, although the project has not yet revived. Next is the JellyJelly token – a marketing tool for the podcast app of the same name.
The common point is that these tokens are all deployed on the Pump.fun or Believe.fun platforms, two prominent launchpads in the Solana ecosystem. Notably, Believe.fun is creating a frenzy by sharing 50% of fees with founders, stimulating a slew of project launches.
The result is:
Token Dupe once reached a market cap of $79 million before dropping 77% to only $17 million.
Creator Buddy – social media AI assistant: from a peak of $23.5 million down to under $5.5 million.
Uber.fun – a no-code Web3 platform: once reached $13.7 million.
The reason for this trend explosion
According to experts, the traditional fundraising model is currently 'breaking down':
Startups depend too much on venture capital.
Retail investors are excluded from the game right from the start.
#InternetCapitalMarkets is being seen as a true step towards democratizing finance – where anyone can invest in ideas they believe in, just by clicking to buy a token.
Real value or 'vaporware' gimmick?
Despite having an innovative mindset, many in the crypto community warn that most of the trending tokens are just 'vibe-coded memes' – meaning they only create viral effects without a real product. This is a reminder of the 'ghost' ICOs of 2017, where 46% of projects failed and another 13% quietly disappeared.
Nevertheless, some experts still believe this trend is healthy: the initial speculative frenzy can trigger capital flow, helping quality projects to emerge and mature after the initial wave.
Connecting with crypto and Binance users
The Internet Capital Markets trend is proving the growing influence of blockchains like Solana and opening a new era for decentralized fundraising. With a large user community and strong DeFi infrastructure, Binance can completely become a bridge between users and potential projects in this new fundraising model – provided there is quality control and transparency from the start.
Risk warning: Investing in newly released tokens can carry high risks, especially with projects that lack a real product. Users need to thoroughly research information and should not invest beyond their risk tolerance. Crypto is a highly volatile market and is not suitable for everyone.