By
Mayowa Adebajo
March 12th, 2024
Coinspeaker talked to the well-known publisher and founder of ICO Battle, Radu Balas, about the ICO marketing, his favorite blockchain projects and the future of the industry.
Today, we caught up with Radu Balas from ICO Battle, a startup that helps new crypto coins reach their potential investors.
“For every generation there is a turning point, a discovery that ends up being a disruption which changes the way we live as humans forever,” says Radu Balas, #1 Best-selling Author and Founder of ICO Battle. “A hundred years ago, there was the invention of electricity. Then we had the invention of the combustion engine, then the telephone, the personal computer, the internet and the dotcom boom, smartphones, etc. Now we have the Blockchain! Don’t miss it as there’s still time to get in,”
The advent of blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, and a new way of raising money for startups known as Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), has created a new service that is booming right now: “ICO marketing”.
We wanted to know what he thinks about this incredible industry, the current trends and what the future holds from here on out.
Coinspeaker: “How do you think ICOs will look like in the future and what are your favorite projects?”
Radu Balas: “Ahh, good, this is an easy one. I’ll start from the second part of the question. The best projects must have a few important elements in place: a working product which may already have customers, a beta version or an MVP (minimum viable product). Gone are the days from 2017 when you could launch an ICO with a pretty website and a long list of promises only. In 2018, the fall of crypto prices will make investors more selective in what ICOs they put money in.
And for good reasons, there are several examples when ICO’s left with investors’ money. They will scrutinize ICOs for viability and workability. So, ICOs will need to have a product or service with a ready market, and at least a beta version to prove that the product solves an ecosystem’s need. They need to be heavily funded, both need to raise awareness and be able to develop, grow and maintain the project. ICOs will have to meet these requirements if they are to attract continued investor attention.”
Coinspeaker: “Which type of projects do you think have the most chances of success?”
Radu Balas: “If we look at the core of what Satoshi Nakomoto wanted, payment solutions will be the first to be implemented. However, I can tell you which projects I want to see succeed. One project that I really like is blockchain-based e-learning platforms, an example of which is Bitdegree. I believe that we need to change the delivery of education. Such blockchain-based e-learning projects are a good way to disrupt the current educational system.
This is why I am so passionate about cryptocurrencies; they open new doors and new possibilities. Bitdegree wants to reward students for learning and I think they can do that if they play their cards right. It’s an interesting concept. Imagine a top level C+ programmer creating a 3-month course with an exam at the end and students getting rewarded for scoring high. An added advantage is that companies could access the student profiles to find good candidates and pay a fee to do so.
This reduces hiring costs for companies, and the fees paid by recruiting companies could go back to the students taking the classes. I have no affiliation with BitDegree, I have only invested a few ETH in their ICO because I love the concept so much. I believe there is a need for students to access education. I believe 5 years of college can be condensed into a 6 months laser-focused course. You also get to learn from the best.”
Coinspeaker: “What do you think of these new regulations?”
Radu Balas: “Regulations are great, but the people putting the regulations in place are not, because they do not fully understand the concept of the blockchain and what good it can do to mankind. It’s hard to create laws for something that you barely understand. The future will give us decentralized exchanges and decentralized ICOs that will give the people more power and more control over.”
Coinspeaker: “Tell us a bit about ICO Battle.”
Radu Balas: “I first learned about Bitcoin in 2011 from my mentor, but like most people I wasn’t sold on it instantly (yeah, I know!). It took a few years to become very passionate about the blockchain technology and really see the possibilities. But once I got it, I didn’t want to leave this space. Our website says it all: ‘We are a young and passionate team and we really love what we do. But I guess one thing that sets us apart from other companies, is that we only work with projects we like and believe in and because of that we can accept payment in their tokens or coins. We are a “crypto digital agency” with a massive portfolio. We can reach over 200 million crypto passionate people. Give us a try!’ “
Coinspeaker: “Ok, thanks for taking out time to talk to us today.”
Radu Balas: “Thank you for having me. It was my pleasure.”