Guideline for enterprise to a Value Plan through Blockchain and ICO

Abstract

In 2013 a new fund-raising modality was born. It’s called Initial Coin Offering (ICO), it’s based on blockchain technology and requires a significant enterprise business model review. ICO is not only a new financing approach; through token issue, it permits to establish a wide range of direct relationships between interested counterparts as entrepreneurs, investors, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders; this set of relationships can generate several types of token-based communities depending on each ICO specific goals. ICO is under regulation in several countries and one of the first is Switzerland through government and FINMA ICO Guidelines, which supplies an institutional and legal framework. Given that ICO is recently born and there is a lack of well-defined standards and phenomenon comprehension, investors are not yet confident to operate in this market. In order to face this matter, a deep knowledge of operative mechanisms and a consolidation of standards for fully potential exploitation are needed. The goal of this Paper is to integrate in an innovative way enterprise Business Model, Business Plan and Communication Plan with the Token Plan in order to exploit the ICO critical success factors. As deliverable the Paper identifies some critical factors and furnishes a set of key recommendations, suggestions and guidelines for a successful ICO.