Crypto’s ‘artificial boom’ is VC-driven, claims Kavita Gupta

Kavita Gupta, founder of a blockchain venture fund, raised concerns in a recent op-ed about the sustainability of the current crypto market, suggesting it’s driven by an “artificial boom” fueled by venture capital spending rather than genuine user interest.

Writing about her experience at the recent Token2049 conference in Singapore, Gupta observed a pattern of excessive spending by crypto projects, with lavish parties, high-end DJs, and extravagant marketing events.

In her Fortune article, Gupta wrote that, unlike the last bull cycle in 2021, when retail investors and actual capital flow drove interest, the current cycle seems primarily propped up by VC money. 

“The money is coming from VCs, who are pumping funding into new layer-1 and layer-2 blockchains that have yet to even launch a testnet but are still raising at billion-plus dollar valuations,” Gupta wrote.

According to Gupta, the money is being spent on marketing and events rather than building a sustainable product or community.

“And clearly, a large portion of that funding is going to so-called “marketing expenses,” which are really just giant parties,” Gupta wrote.

For those unfamiliar with crypto, layer-1 and layer-2 refer to different ways blockchain projects handle transactions. Layer-1 blockchains are the base networks, like Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH), while layer-2 solutions build on top of these to improve speed and reduce costs. 

Gupta’s concern is that VCs are investing heavily in projects that have yet to prove their value or utility.

Token valuations

Gupta also warned about the impact of these practices on token valuations. Most crypto projects raise funds by issuing tokens, which represent a share in their ecosystem. 

However, when projects prioritize hype and parties over genuine use cases, it leads to inflated valuations that can’t be sustained. This can result in sharp declines in token prices, as seen with recent high-profile projects like Wormhole and Celestia (TIA).

Gupta is an investor and entrepreneur in the blockchain and crypto space. She co-founded and served as the managing partner of ConsenSys Ventures, a $50 million blockchain venture fund.