Implementation of ICO European best practices by SMEs

Economic Annals-ХХI: Volume 169, Issue 1-2, Pages: 67-71

Citation information:
Ivashchenko, A., Polishchuk, Ye., & Britchenko, I. (2018). Implementation of ICO European best practices by SMEs. Economic Annals-XXI, 169(1-2), 67-71. doi: https://doi.org/10.21003/ea.V169-13

Alla Ivashchenko
PhD (Economics),
Associate Professor,
Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadim Hetman
54/1 Peremohy Ave., Kyiv, 03680, Ukraine
alla.ivashchenko@kneu.edu.ua
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4599-7137

Yevheniia Polishchuk
D.Sc. (Economics),
Professor,
Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadim Hetman
54/1 Peremohy Ave., Kyiv, 03680, Ukraine
yivga_83@ukr.net
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6133-910X

Igor Britchenko
D.Sc. (Economics),
Professor,
State Higher Vocational School Memorial of Prof. Stanislaw Tarnowski
50 Sienkiewicza Str., Tarnobrzeg, 39-400, Poland
ibritchenko@gmail.com
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9196-8740

Implementation of ICO European best practices by SMEs

Abstract. The article deals with a new financial tool of attracting capital, known as Initial Coin Offering (ICO). In conditions of reduced banking lending and difficult access to finance for SMEs, ICO is viewed to be one of the possible ways to access capital. It considers the main advantages and disadvantages of ICO performance, including its typical features, challenges and regulatory approaches to tax regulation, cybersecurity. The authors of the article determine stages of the ICO mechanism, identifying potential risks and ways to mitigate them, focusing primarily on the need to control and regulate ICO projects. The authors identify the main types of ICO funding, including hybrid and pure funding. The research contains an analysis of ICO trends and their duration for the period of 2013-2017. The capital raised through ICO performance over the period of 2013-2017 is analysed, and determination of the exponential trend line showing the level of its approximation is determined. The study covers the territorial distribution of ICO, in which the top positions regarding the amount of capital raised by ICO are attributed to the USA and EU member states. The existence of ICO regulation in European countries, such as Switzerland and UK, was defined positive in terms of further development of the relevant regulation in the financial market. The article considers the best ICO practices in EU member states. To mitigate risks relating to ICO performance and to increase the level of investment, it would be reasonable to create regulatory rules in every country where cases of ICO performance are reported, based on the practice of the mentioned European countries. The authors give recommendations regarding ICO regulation in Ukraine, taking into consideration the relevant European experience.

Keywords: ICO; Cryptocurrency; Token; Blockchain; Investment; Funding; Risk; Volatility; Regulation

JEL Classification: G31; G32

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21003/ea.V169-13

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Received 29.05.2018