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The Wisdom of Crowds in FinTech: Evidence from Initial Coin Offerings

Author

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  • Jongsub Lee
  • Tao Li
  • Donghwa Shin

Abstract

Certification by analysts on a FinTech platform that harnesses the “wisdom of crowds” is associated with successful initial coin offerings (ICOs). We show that favorable ratings by a group of analysts with diverse backgrounds positively predict fundraising success and long-run token performance. Analysts’ ratings also help detect potential fraud ex ante. We document that analysts have career concerns and are incentivized by the platform to issue informative ratings. Overall, our results suggest that a market-based certification process that relies on a diverse group of individuals is at play in financing blockchain startups. (JEL D82, G11, G24, G32, G34, L26).

Suggested Citation

  • Jongsub Lee & Tao Li & Donghwa Shin, 2022. "The Wisdom of Crowds in FinTech: Evidence from Initial Coin Offerings," The Review of Corporate Finance Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 11(1), pages 1-46.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:rcorpf:v:11:y:2022:i:1:p:1-46.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/rcfs/cfab014
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Feilian Xia & James Thewissen & Winifred Huang & Shuo Yan, 2024. "Founder-CEO Extraversion and Sustainability Orientation in Initial Coin Offerings," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 48(4), pages 941-980, July.
    2. Kreppmeier, Julia & Laschinger, Ralf & Steininger, Bertram I. & Dorfleitner, Gregor, 2023. "Real estate security token offerings and the secondary market: Driven by crypto hype or fundamentals?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    3. David Florysiak, 2024. "Utility tokens, markets in crypto assets regulation (MiCAR), and the costs of being public," Chapters, in: Henrik Cronqvist & Desiree-Jessica Pely (ed.), The Elgar Companion to Decentralized Finance, Digital Assets, and Blockchain Technologies, chapter 6, pages 113-126, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Nir Kshetri, 2023. "The nature and sources of international variation in formal institutions related to initial coin offerings: preliminary findings and a research agenda," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-38, December.
    5. Kotiloglu, Serhan & Ometto, M. Paola, 2024. "An exploratory look at the role of ownership in initial coin offerings (ICO): Different audiences and ICO success," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 21(C).
    6. Kreppmeier, Julia & Laschinger, Ralf & Steininger, Bertram & Dorfleitner, Gregor, 2023. "Real Estate Security Token Offerings and the Secondary Market: Driven by Crypto Hype or Fundamentals?," Working Paper Series 23/6, Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Real Estate and Construction Management & Banking and Finance.
    7. Choudhary, Priya & Thenmozhi, M., 2024. "Fintech and financial sector: ADO analysis and future research agenda," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    8. Allen, Franklin & Fatas, Antonio & Weder di Mauro, Beatrice, 2022. "Was the ICO boom just a sideshow of the Bitcoin and Ether Momentum?," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    9. Thomas Bourveau & Janja Brendel & Jordan Schoenfeld, 2024. "Decentralized Finance (DeFi) assurance: early evidence," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 2209-2253, September.
    10. Kanis Saengchote, 2022. "Decentralized lending and its users: Insights from Compound," Papers 2212.05734, arXiv.org.
    11. Sharma, Gagan Deep & Tiwari, Aviral Kumar & Chopra, Ritika & Dev, Dhairya, 2024. "Past, present, and future of block-chain in finance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    12. Saengchote, Kanis, 2023. "Decentralized lending and its users: Insights from compound," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    13. Evgeny Lyandres & Berardino Palazzo & Daniel Rabetti, 2022. "Initial Coin Offering (ICO) Success and Post-ICO Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(12), pages 8658-8679, December.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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