The post Luca Netz: Trove’s $11.5 million token sale highlights flaws in ICO structure, liquidity issues threaten NFT market, and the rise of echo groups over traditionalThe post Luca Netz: Trove’s $11.5 million token sale highlights flaws in ICO structure, liquidity issues threaten NFT market, and the rise of echo groups over traditional

Luca Netz: Trove’s $11.5 million token sale highlights flaws in ICO structure, liquidity issues threaten NFT market, and the rise of echo groups over traditional VC



Trove’s token sale raised $11.5 million, focusing on real-world assets like collectible cards. The ICO process for Trove was oversubscribed, leading to incomplete refunds for investors. The token sale process lacks the structure needed for success, highlighting a gap in support for token founders.

Key Takeaways

  • Trove’s token sale raised $11.5 million, focusing on real-world assets like collectible cards.
  • The ICO process for Trove was oversubscribed, leading to incomplete refunds for investors.
  • The token sale process lacks the structure needed for success, highlighting a gap in support for token founders.
  • The physical collectible market faces liquidity issues, presenting opportunities for innovation.
  • Perpetual contracts on illiquid assets face significant challenges due to liquidity constraints.
  • NFT floor prices are susceptible to manipulation because of low liquidity.
  • Many problems in the crypto space are challenging but solvable with innovation.
  • Combining popular narratives to attract investment can lead to scams in the crypto market.
  • Trust indicators in the crypto landscape are often manipulated, complicating the discernment of intentions.
  • Oversubscribed projects pose financial risks, driven by fear of missing out (FOMO).
  • A consensus among key opinion leaders may indicate market manipulation through paid campaigns.
  • The new generation is moving away from traditional venture capital models.
  • Echo groups have emerged as alternatives to venture capital, driven by adverse selection.
  • Having experienced advisors on a cap table is crucial for successful project launches.
  • The drastic drop in value of certain tokens highlights misalignment between market expectations and reality.

Guest intro

Luca Netz serves as CEO of Pudgy Penguins. He acquired the struggling NFT project and transformed it into a global billion-dollar brand with Walmart deals, an ETF launch, and the Pengu token. As host of Unchained’s Uneasy Money series, he analyzes crypto’s persistent ICO challenges and decentralized social media trends.

The significance of Trove’s token sale

  • Trove raised $11.5 million in a public token sale, focusing on real-world assets like collectible cards.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Trove’s focus on real-world assets positions it uniquely in the crypto and collectibles space.
  • The contrasting perceptions of Trove and Infinix highlight market volatility and differing reputations.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Understanding Trove’s market positioning is crucial for assessing its long-term potential.
  • The oversubscription of Trove’s ICO led to incomplete refunds for investors.
  • — Luca Netz

Challenges in the token sale process

  • The current token sale process is fundamentally flawed and lacks necessary structure.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Token founders face significant challenges without traditional financial institution support.
  • The situation with Trove is perceived as worse than a meme coin.
  • — Luca Netz

  • The lack of structure in token sales affects investor trust and market behavior.
  • The physical collectible market is poised for innovation due to liquidity issues and archaic systems.
  • — Luca Netz

NFT market dynamics

  • Creating perpetual contracts on illiquid or fragmented assets is extremely challenging.
  • — Luca Netz

  • The floor price of NFTs can be easily manipulated due to low liquidity.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Liquidity issues in the NFT market lead to price manipulation vulnerabilities.
  • Many challenges in the crypto space are difficult but not impossible to solve.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Innovation is still possible despite the challenges in the NFT space.

Market manipulation and investor behavior

  • Current trends often involve combining popular narratives to attract investment, leading to scams.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Trust indicators in the crypto landscape are often manipulated, complicating the discernment of intentions.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Oversubscribed projects can lead to significant financial risks for investors.
  • — Luca Netz

  • A consensus among key opinion leaders can indicate a manipulated market.
  • — Luca Netz

The rejection of traditional venture capital

  • The new generation is rejecting traditional venture capital models.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Echo groups have emerged as alternatives to venture capital, driven by adverse selection.
  • — Luca Netz

  • The popularity of certain echo groups is driven by adverse selection, favoring less desirable deals.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Empirical data shows that having 200 degens is not better than traditional angel investors.
  • — Luca Netz

Social media dynamics and innovation

  • The existing social networks will not dominate in the next ten to twenty years.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Investing in new social networks with different incentive structures is a worthwhile endeavor.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Lowering the barriers to entry is crucial for fostering innovation in social networks.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Small teams leveraging AI have the potential to create viral social apps that can compete with larger investments.
  • — Luca Netz

Security and technological advancements

  • AI and improved tooling are enhancing the ability to conduct complex code audits.
  • — Luca Netz

  • The security posture and knowledge in the auditing and builder side have improved significantly.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Transparent ledgers can inadvertently facilitate spam transactions.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Using zero-knowledge technology can help obscure test transactions from public view.
  • — Luca Netz

Blockchain ecosystems and developer challenges

  • Cosmos is losing builders and is in a state of stagnation.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Building on EVM-compatible chains is significantly easier due to better tooling and infrastructure.
  • — Luca Netz

  • The NEAR ecosystem has strong technology but faces challenges in attracting users due to fragmentation.
  • — Luca Netz

  • User adoption is hindered by the proliferation of wallets and chains, leading to increased switching costs.
  • — Luca Netz

Philosophical and practical considerations in blockchain

  • Pragmatically, I prefer code not to be law because I need flexibility to build effectively.
  • — Luca Netz

  • 99% of projects are not truly immutable or decentralized.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Disconnection from users and product reality hinders the ability to build valuable solutions.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Choosing not to fix a mistake in a project, even for philosophical reasons, is a significant red flag.
  • — Luca Netz


Trove’s token sale raised $11.5 million, focusing on real-world assets like collectible cards. The ICO process for Trove was oversubscribed, leading to incomplete refunds for investors. The token sale process lacks the structure needed for success, highlighting a gap in support for token founders.

Key Takeaways

  • Trove’s token sale raised $11.5 million, focusing on real-world assets like collectible cards.
  • The ICO process for Trove was oversubscribed, leading to incomplete refunds for investors.
  • The token sale process lacks the structure needed for success, highlighting a gap in support for token founders.
  • The physical collectible market faces liquidity issues, presenting opportunities for innovation.
  • Perpetual contracts on illiquid assets face significant challenges due to liquidity constraints.
  • NFT floor prices are susceptible to manipulation because of low liquidity.
  • Many problems in the crypto space are challenging but solvable with innovation.
  • Combining popular narratives to attract investment can lead to scams in the crypto market.
  • Trust indicators in the crypto landscape are often manipulated, complicating the discernment of intentions.
  • Oversubscribed projects pose financial risks, driven by fear of missing out (FOMO).
  • A consensus among key opinion leaders may indicate market manipulation through paid campaigns.
  • The new generation is moving away from traditional venture capital models.
  • Echo groups have emerged as alternatives to venture capital, driven by adverse selection.
  • Having experienced advisors on a cap table is crucial for successful project launches.
  • The drastic drop in value of certain tokens highlights misalignment between market expectations and reality.

Guest intro

Luca Netz serves as CEO of Pudgy Penguins. He acquired the struggling NFT project and transformed it into a global billion-dollar brand with Walmart deals, an ETF launch, and the Pengu token. As host of Unchained’s Uneasy Money series, he analyzes crypto’s persistent ICO challenges and decentralized social media trends.

The significance of Trove’s token sale

  • Trove raised $11.5 million in a public token sale, focusing on real-world assets like collectible cards.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Trove’s focus on real-world assets positions it uniquely in the crypto and collectibles space.
  • The contrasting perceptions of Trove and Infinix highlight market volatility and differing reputations.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Understanding Trove’s market positioning is crucial for assessing its long-term potential.
  • The oversubscription of Trove’s ICO led to incomplete refunds for investors.
  • — Luca Netz

Challenges in the token sale process

  • The current token sale process is fundamentally flawed and lacks necessary structure.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Token founders face significant challenges without traditional financial institution support.
  • The situation with Trove is perceived as worse than a meme coin.
  • — Luca Netz

  • The lack of structure in token sales affects investor trust and market behavior.
  • The physical collectible market is poised for innovation due to liquidity issues and archaic systems.
  • — Luca Netz

NFT market dynamics

  • Creating perpetual contracts on illiquid or fragmented assets is extremely challenging.
  • — Luca Netz

  • The floor price of NFTs can be easily manipulated due to low liquidity.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Liquidity issues in the NFT market lead to price manipulation vulnerabilities.
  • Many challenges in the crypto space are difficult but not impossible to solve.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Innovation is still possible despite the challenges in the NFT space.

Market manipulation and investor behavior

  • Current trends often involve combining popular narratives to attract investment, leading to scams.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Trust indicators in the crypto landscape are often manipulated, complicating the discernment of intentions.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Oversubscribed projects can lead to significant financial risks for investors.
  • — Luca Netz

  • A consensus among key opinion leaders can indicate a manipulated market.
  • — Luca Netz

The rejection of traditional venture capital

  • The new generation is rejecting traditional venture capital models.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Echo groups have emerged as alternatives to venture capital, driven by adverse selection.
  • — Luca Netz

  • The popularity of certain echo groups is driven by adverse selection, favoring less desirable deals.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Empirical data shows that having 200 degens is not better than traditional angel investors.
  • — Luca Netz

Social media dynamics and innovation

  • The existing social networks will not dominate in the next ten to twenty years.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Investing in new social networks with different incentive structures is a worthwhile endeavor.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Lowering the barriers to entry is crucial for fostering innovation in social networks.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Small teams leveraging AI have the potential to create viral social apps that can compete with larger investments.
  • — Luca Netz

Security and technological advancements

  • AI and improved tooling are enhancing the ability to conduct complex code audits.
  • — Luca Netz

  • The security posture and knowledge in the auditing and builder side have improved significantly.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Transparent ledgers can inadvertently facilitate spam transactions.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Using zero-knowledge technology can help obscure test transactions from public view.
  • — Luca Netz

Blockchain ecosystems and developer challenges

  • Cosmos is losing builders and is in a state of stagnation.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Building on EVM-compatible chains is significantly easier due to better tooling and infrastructure.
  • — Luca Netz

  • The NEAR ecosystem has strong technology but faces challenges in attracting users due to fragmentation.
  • — Luca Netz

  • User adoption is hindered by the proliferation of wallets and chains, leading to increased switching costs.
  • — Luca Netz

Philosophical and practical considerations in blockchain

  • Pragmatically, I prefer code not to be law because I need flexibility to build effectively.
  • — Luca Netz

  • 99% of projects are not truly immutable or decentralized.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Disconnection from users and product reality hinders the ability to build valuable solutions.
  • — Luca Netz

  • Choosing not to fix a mistake in a project, even for philosophical reasons, is a significant red flag.
  • — Luca Netz

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