How SOAR is Solving Tokens | Tom Curry
How SOAR is Solving Tokens | Tom Curry
109 days agoLightspeedBlockworks
Podcast1 hr 1 min
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

Consider investing in the emerging theme of Internet Capital Markets, which focuses on tokens that represent a legal, ownership-like claim on a business's value. The SOAR platform is a key project to watch in this space, as its model provides token holders with a senior debt claim against a company's assets. A major catalyst is SOAR's upcoming mobile app launch in approximately three weeks, which could drive mainstream adoption. As a prime example, CPT Impulsor (CPT) is presented as a high-quality venture bet on a real-world business that has already launched on the platform. It is strongly advised to avoid meme coins, as they are considered pure gambling and detrimental to building long-term value in the crypto space.

Detailed Analysis

SOAR (Platform & Future Token)

  • SOAR is a platform designed to allow businesses, particularly Web2 companies, to tokenize their business and fundraise on-chain, giving retail investors early access to startups.
  • The CEO, Tom, states that SOAR will most likely launch its own token in the future, following the same model it offers to other companies on its platform.
  • Core Problem Solved: The platform addresses the major issue in crypto where project teams hold private equity while issuing separate tokens to the public. In events like an acquisition, the equity holders get paid, but the token holders are often left with nothing (examples cited: Padre, Tantra).
  • The SOAR Model:
    • Instead of tokenizing a small portion of equity, the model tokenizes the entire business, creating an on-chain cap table.
    • It uses a senior debt mechanism that is legally tied to the circulating supply of the token. This means if the public owns 10% of the tokens, they have a senior debt claim against 10% of the company's value.
    • This structure is designed to be fully legal and compliant, ensuring that if the company is acquired or has a liquidation event, token holders have a legal right to recuperate their share of the value, putting them first in line.
  • Future Plans:
    • A mobile app is launching soon (in ~3 weeks) focused on retail users. It will simplify the investment process with features like Apple Pay and cash deposits, abstracting away crypto complexities to feel more like Robinhood.
    • The platform aims to become the go-to place for founders to raise money and for retail to participate in startup investing.

Takeaways

  • SOAR represents a potential investment in the infrastructure for "tokenized equity" or "Internet Capital Markets." The thesis is that the future of startup funding will move on-chain, and SOAR aims to be a key platform for this shift.
  • An investment in a future SOAR token would be a bet on their model being adopted by both high-quality startups and retail investors.
  • The upcoming mobile app is a key catalyst to watch. Its ability to attract Web2 users who are not crypto-native will be a major test of the model's mainstream appeal.
  • The model's use of a senior debt structure is a significant de-risking feature compared to traditional utility or governance tokens, as it provides a legally enforceable claim on company value.

CPT Impulsor (CPT)

  • CPT Impulsor was the first project to launch on the SOAR platform and is presented as a prime example of a successful use case.
  • The company is a group of scientists developing wireless charging technology for drones and other devices, led by Patrick Seng, who previously took FuboTV public in a multi-billion dollar IPO.
  • Through the SOAR platform, CPT raised approximately $250,000 in startup capital.
  • Since the raise, the company has reportedly signed multiple contracts, including one with a major lab for wireless technology, and is moving towards mass-scale production.

Takeaways

  • CPT serves as a proof-of-concept for the SOAR model, demonstrating that it can attract founders with significant real-world business experience and help them raise meaningful capital.
  • For investors considering projects on platforms like SOAR, CPT provides a template for what a high-quality opportunity might look like:
    • An experienced and credible founder ("one in a million").
    • A real-world business with a tangible product (not just a crypto protocol).
    • Clear progress and milestones post-fundraise (e.g., signing contracts, moving to production).
  • Investing in tokens like CPT is akin to a venture capital bet on an early-stage startup. The value is tied to the long-term success of the business, not short-term market speculation.

Investment Theme: Tokenized Equity & Internet Capital Markets (ICM)

  • The podcast heavily critiques the historical model of crypto tokens, where utility tokens and governance tokens have failed to deliver value to holders, calling most of what has been sold for the last 5-8 years a "scam" or "garbage."
  • The core issue identified is the "dual token-equity path," where value accrues to private equity holders while token holders, who fund and support the project, are left behind.
  • The guest argues that the future lies in converging these two worlds. He believes that equity, a structure that has worked for hundreds of years, will not be replaced but rather adopted and put on crypto rails.
  • This new wave of tokens, sometimes called ICM or ownership coins, aims to give holders a direct, legally-backed stake in the underlying business.
  • The guest is skeptical of models that try to completely remove equity or founder control (like some DAOs), arguing that strong, even "arrogant," founders are necessary to build great companies (Tesla, Apple cited as examples).

Takeaways

  • There is a significant shift occurring from speculative meme coins and valueless utility tokens towards tokens that represent real, intrinsic value in a business.
  • Investors should be highly critical of projects with a dual structure where the team holds private equity and the public holds a separate token with no clear mechanism for value accrual from business success.
  • Look for projects where the tokenomics are explicitly and legally tied to the company's overall value (e.g., through debt mechanisms like SOAR's model or direct tokenized equity).
  • This theme represents a long-term, fundamental investment strategy in crypto, focusing on business viability rather than hype cycles. It requires a venture capital mindset: many will fail, but the winners could be substantial.

Meme Coins

  • The guest expresses a strong bearish and negative sentiment towards meme coins, calling them "jokes" and a "net negative for the industry" in the short term.
  • The primary criticism is that they promote a culture of hyper-gambling and extremely short attention spans ("30 second charts"), which is detrimental to serious, long-term projects.
  • This culture makes it difficult to onboard new, non-crypto native users, as they are likely to buy into a meme coin, see it fall 90%, and conclude that all of crypto is a scam. This "shoots the industry in the foot."

Takeaways

  • According to the guest, meme coins should be viewed as pure gambling, not serious investments.
  • The prevalence of meme coins creates significant market noise and risk, making it harder for fundamentally sound projects to gain traction and attract long-term capital.
  • Investors looking for sustainable returns should be wary of the meme coin sector and instead focus on projects with real business models and clear value-accrual mechanisms.
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Episode Description
Gm! In this episode we are joined by Tom Curry to discuss Soar’s approach to tokenizing businesses, and improving fundraising via onchain models. We also cover internet capital markets, token–equity alignment, founder incentives, liquidity challenges, regulation, and onboarding retail investors into long-term, startup-focused crypto investing. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq⁠ Follow Soar: https://x.com/LaunchOnSoar Follow Tom Curry: https://x.com/imtomcurry Follow Carlos: https://x.com/0xcarlosg Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QUl_ZOj2nMJlZTEx⁠ -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:25) Why SOAR? (4:21) Meme Coins vs Real Value (10:04) How SOAR Is Different (25:29) Founder Control vs Governance (32:25) Ideal Founders for SOAR (36:34) Should Launchpads Curate? (39:15) What Success Looks Like (43:34) Challenges on the Token Side (47:01) New Investors and Liquidity (51:10) Learning From IPOs (54:25) What's Next for SOAR? (1:00:06) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
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