Coinbase Returns to Token Sales with Regulated Platform, Monad Debuts Amid Fairness Concerns

Coinbase is reentering the token sale arena with a regulated platform aimed at reviving transparency, structure, and compliance in crypto fundraising. The exchange plans to host about one token sale each month, featuring a one-week purchase period and an algorithm-based allocation process to ensure fairness. Only verified users will be able to participate, and transactions will be conducted exclusively in USD Coin (USDC).

The first project to launch through Coinbase’s new platform is Monad, a Layer-1 blockchain designed for scalability and efficiency. The upcoming sale will make 7.5% of the total MONAD supply available to the public, targeting approximately $187.5 million in funds and valuing the project at $2.5 billion. This marks a major return for Coinbase to the token offering market—akin to a new era of compliant, regulated ICOs.

However, Monad’s tokenomics have sparked debate across the crypto community. Analysts have raised concerns about its insider-heavy distribution, where the founding team holds around 27% of the tokens and venture capital investors control another 20%. With only a small fraction available to retail participants, critics argue that the structure favors insiders over community-driven decentralization.

An additional 38.5% of tokens are reserved for ecosystem development, which can encourage partnerships and growth but may also lead to dilution for early investors. Such concentration of ownership has reignited discussions on fairness, governance, and the challenges of achieving true decentralization in modern token launches.

While Coinbase’s involvement adds legitimacy and regulatory assurance to the process, it cannot fully address concerns about equity and control. As the industry watches Monad’s debut, the project stands as a litmus test for whether regulated token sales can balance compliance with the crypto community’s core values of transparency and decentralization.