The mercurial rise in popularity for the ICO fund-raising model has led many industry observers and evangelists to conclude that the days of venture capital are long gone. Indeed, the market for ICOs has exploded in the past year and a half. During the first quarter of 2018, ICO funding easily outstripped the full year sum for 2017. The ability for retail investors to contribute to projects they believe in, and the freedom it grants companies themselves, made ICOs appear as the only solution going forward. Even so, the VC world has not stayed on the sidelines as many participants would be led to believe. The sector’s ... (full story)