Investment tokens as financial market tools

Abstract

The rapid evolution of the digital financial asset market and its growing integration with traditional financial instruments, coupled with its global reach and unrestricted cross-border capital mobility, necessitate a thorough research of these market instruments. Specifically, it calls for an assessment of their potential as alternatives to conventional financial instruments. At the same time, there are many factors contributing to an increased risk of regulatory gaps in the financial market: structural vulnerability of the market of digital financial assets, high volatility of the value of crypto-assets, low transparency, the possibility of a spillover of risks from the market of digital financial assets to other financial markets, as well as the lack of regulatory consensus among financial regulators in the countries of the world. The research objective is to determine the role of investment tokens in today’s financial market, their utility in attracting investment resources on blockchain-based trading platforms, and the nuances of their classification as securities. The article delves into the core concepts and intricacies of regulating securities tokens and analyses quantitative metrics depicting the development of the investment token market and its relative share in the global financial market compared to other financial assets. Notably, the author outlines key criteria for securities regulators to consider when determining whether tokens should be classified as securities. The article reveals the main models of the initial offering of investment tokens, highlights their features, and shows their adaptability to changing conditions within the digital financial asset market and the evolving needs of market participants. It is evident that all current models for raising funds through investment tokens, including IEO, IDO, and STO sub-models, trace their roots back to the Initial Coin Offering (ICO) model and, fundamentally, do not differ significantly from traditional capital-raising models such as Initial Public Offering (IPO) and Secondary Public Offering (SPO) in traditional financial markets. This substantiates the need for global financial regulators to take actions aimed at officially classifying investment tokens as securities. Expanding securities legislation requirements to encompass issuers of investment tokens, particularly concerning information disclosure, promises to mitigate instances of fraud within the digital financial asset market. Such measures would fortify investor protection and reduce the vulnerability of financial markets as a whole.