IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jfinte/v3y2023i1p2-39d1308540.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

ICO vs. Equity Financing under Imperfect, Complex and Asymmetric Information

Author

Listed:
  • Anton Miglo

    (Adam Smith Business School, College of Social Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G128QQ, UK)

Abstract

This paper offers a game-theoretic model of a firm that raises funds for financing an innovative business project and chooses between ICO (initial coin offering) and equity financing. The model is based on information problems associated with both ICO and equity financing well-documented in the literature. Several new features are introduced, for example, information complexity, which is analyzed along with a more traditional imperfect information and an asymmetric information approach. The model provides several implications that have not yet been tested. For example, we find that the message complexity can be beneficial for firms conducting ICOs. Also, high-quality projects can use ICO as a signal of quality. Thirdly, the average size of projects undertaking equity financing is larger than that of firms conducting ICO.

Suggested Citation

  • Anton Miglo, 2023. "ICO vs. Equity Financing under Imperfect, Complex and Asymmetric Information," FinTech, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-23, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jfinte:v:3:y:2023:i:1:p:2-39:d:1308540
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1032/3/1/2/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1032/3/1/2/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stewart C. Myers & Nicholas S. Majluf, 1984. "Corporate Financing and Investment Decisions When Firms Have InformationThat Investors Do Not Have," NBER Working Papers 1396, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Myers, Stewart C. & Majluf, Nicholas S., 1984. "Corporate financing and investment decisions when firms have information that investors do not have," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 187-221, June.
    3. Jay R. Ritter & Ivo Welch, 2002. "A Review of IPO Activity, Pricing, and Allocations," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 57(4), pages 1795-1828, August.
    4. Andy Cosh & Douglas Cumming & Alan Hughes, 2009. "Outside Enterpreneurial Capital," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(540), pages 1494-1533, October.
    5. Manigart, Sophie & De Waele, Koen & Wright, Mike & Robbie, Ken & Desbrieres, Philippe & Sapienza, Harry J. & Beekman, Amy, 2002. "Determinants of required return in venture capital investments: a five-country study," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 291-312, July.
    6. Jain, Bharat A & Kini, Omesh, 1994. "The Post-Issue Operating Performance of IPO Firms," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 49(5), pages 1699-1726, December.
    7. Innes, Robert D., 1990. "Limited liability and incentive contracting with ex-ante action choices," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 45-67, October.
    8. Loughran, Tim & Ritter, Jay R, 1997. "The Operating Performance of Firms Conducting Seasoned Equity Offerings," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(5), pages 1823-1850, December.
    9. Miglo Anton, 2021. "Crowdfunding Under Market Feedback, Asymmetric Information And Overconfident Entrepreneur," Entrepreneurship Research Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 11(4), pages 1-19, October.
    10. Gilles Chemla & Katrin Tinn, 2020. "Learning Through Crowdfunding," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(5), pages 1783-1801, May.
    11. Leland, Hayne E & Pyle, David H, 1977. "Informational Asymmetries, Financial Structure, and Financial Intermediation," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 32(2), pages 371-387, May.
    12. Magnus Schückes & Tobias Gutmann, 2021. "Why do startups pursue initial coin offerings (ICOs)? The role of economic drivers and social identity on funding choice," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 1027-1052, August.
    13. Gryglewicz, Sebastian & Mayer, Simon & Morellec, Erwan, 2021. "Optimal financing with tokens," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(3), pages 1038-1067.
    14. Mollick, Ethan, 2014. "The dynamics of crowdfunding: An exploratory study," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 1-16.
    15. Christian Catalini & Joshua S. Gans, 2018. "Initial Coin Offerings and the Value of Crypto Tokens," NBER Working Papers 24418, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Demichelis, S. & Tarola, O., 2006. "Capacity expansion and dynamic monopoly pricing," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(4), pages 169-178, December.
    17. repec:bla:jfinan:v:43:y:1988:i:1:p:1-19 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Nachman, David C & Noe, Thomas H, 1994. "Optimal Design of Securities under Asymmetric Information," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 7(1), pages 1-44.
    19. Ulrike Malmendier & Geoffrey Tate & Jon Yan, 2011. "Overconfidence and Early‐Life Experiences: The Effect of Managerial Traits on Corporate Financial Policies," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 66(5), pages 1687-1733, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Miglo Anton, 2021. "Crowdfunding Under Market Feedback, Asymmetric Information And Overconfident Entrepreneur," Entrepreneurship Research Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 11(4), pages 1-19, October.
    2. Anton Miglo & Victor Miglo, 2019. "Market imperfections and crowdfunding," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 51-79, June.
    3. Miglo, Anton, 2007. "Debt-equity choice as a signal of earnings profile over time," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 69-93, March.
    4. Anton Miglo, 2021. "STO vs. ICO: A Theory of Token Issues under Moral Hazard and Demand Uncertainty," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-35, May.
    5. Anton Miglo, 2022. "Theories of Crowdfunding and Token Issues: A Review," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-28, May.
    6. Miglo, Anton, 2021. "A New Capital Structure Theory: The Four-Factor Model," MPRA Paper 105102, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Miglo, Anton, 2006. "Debt-equity choice as a signal of profit profile over time," MPRA Paper 1283, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Miglo, Anton, 2010. "The Pecking Order, Trade-off, Signaling, and Market-Timing Theories of Capital Structure: a Review," MPRA Paper 46691, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2013.
    9. Bruno Biais & Thomas Mariotti, 2005. "Strategic Liquidity Supply and Security Design," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 72(3), pages 615-649.
    10. Miglo, Anton & Zenkevich, Nikolay, 2005. "Non-hierarchical signalling: two-stage financing game," MPRA Paper 1264, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2006.
    11. Hartman-Glaser, Barney & Piskorski, Tomasz & Tchistyi, Alexei, 2012. "Optimal securitization with moral hazard," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(1), pages 186-202.
    12. Burkart, Mike & Lee, Samuel, 2010. "Signalling in tender offer games," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 119085, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    13. Miglo, Anton, 2022. "Theories of financing for entrepreneurial firms: a review," MPRA Paper 115835, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Anton Miglo, 2012. "Managers versus Students: New Approach in Improving Capital Structure Education," Journal of Education and Vocational Research, AMH International, vol. 3(11), pages 353-369.
    15. Anton Miglo, 2009. "Earnings‐Based Compensation Contracts Under Asymmetric Information," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 77(2), pages 225-243, March.
    16. Miglo, Anton, 2017. "Timing of earnings and capital structure," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 1-15.
    17. Fulghieri, Paolo & Hackbarth, Dirk & Garcia, Diego, 2015. "Asymmetric information, security design, and the pecking (dis)order," CEPR Discussion Papers 10660, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    18. Maarten Cerpentier & Tom Vanacker & Ine Paeleman & Katja Bringmann, 2022. "Equity crowdfunding, market timing, and firm capital structure," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(6), pages 1766-1793, December.
    19. Magnus Schückes & Tobias Gutmann, 2021. "Why do startups pursue initial coin offerings (ICOs)? The role of economic drivers and social identity on funding choice," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 1027-1052, August.
    20. Cho, Jaemin & Lee, Jaeho, 2013. "The venture capital certification role in R&D: Evidence from IPO underpricing in Korea," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 83-108.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    asymmetric information; complex information; initial coin offering (ICO); equity financing; signaling;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • M15 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - IT Management
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jfinte:v:3:y:2023:i:1:p:2-39:d:1308540. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.