Success Tokens: An Incentive Aligned Way for VC Funds to Invest in DAOs

Many crypto startups raise traditional venture capital to fund product/market fit discovery, often under a Simple Agreement for Future Tokens (SAFT), a structure developed by Protocol Labs and Cooley that’s similar to Y Combinator’s SAFE, except that it converts into tokens instead of equity should the company issue tokens in the future.

Token distribution mechanisms have adopted a lot of the structures from within the traditional financial world — including vesting schedules and vesting cliffs — which have resulted in some unintended consequences like adverse price action as tokens vest; and the inability of holders with large economic interests in a protocol to exercise governanc... See more

Retroactive airdrops New protocols are designed to incentivize users further, such as airdrops to spread awareness, foster ownership, or reward early adopters retroactively. As an example, Uniswap awarded the UNI token retroactively to all users.

In the past, there have been many attempts at disrupting venture capital:

• The proliferation of angel investors (AngelList, 2010)


• Enactment and regulation of equity crowdfunding (Jobs Act, 2012)


• Cryptonative crowdfunding via token sales (2013)

While many of these efforts were successful at generating a greater supply of passive capital for founders, the... See more