Real World Assets

The compliant path from community to cap table

Molecule's Coin-to-Company model provides a way for people to contribute to early research and receive tokens, paired with a legally grounded way for token holders to gain equity ownership in the projects they support.

Dual Track Structure

Our model builds the open, participatory, community-driven ecosystem that makes the space compelling and collaborative, while creating the legal and financial infrastructure that allows capital to flow into promising research projects.

Token Track

A project's community can buy a project's tokens permissionlessly, and become part of the association focused on the research project. The tokens provide access to research data, and tokenholders can take part in onchain research governance decisions. This is the simplest way to get involved in specific projects. The tokens provide a way for the grantors, donors, and/or participants to see and provide input into how their money or time is being used by the research project to increase researcher accountability.

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Company Track

Token holders may lock their tokens and apply to become shareholders in the company running the research, whether as community members or investors. The company raises capital, employs the team, holds the intellectual property portfolio, and issues equity to investors and service providers through standard U.S. securities exemptions.

Read the legal whitepaper

How users benefit

Potential tax considerations

Speculative Research Stage

Initial donations to the research projects may be eligible for a tax deduction when a project is in the speculative scientific stage that is not being commercialized while getting the project tokens as a thank you for the donation.

Commercialization Stage

For research projects being commercialized, shares acquired through Coin-to-Company may be eligible for exclusion of federal capital gains under Internal Revenue Code Section 1202 (Qualified Small Business Stock), subject to satisfaction of issuer-level, shareholder-level, holding-period, active-business, redemption, and gain-limitation requirements. The potential exclusion is 50% after three years, 75% after four years, and 100% after five years, subject to a per-issuer limitation of the greater of $15 million of eligible gain or ten times qualifying basis.

A verified shareholder of Lifespan Study, with their locked and available tokens.

How users benefit

Liability reduction

The Coin-to-Company model organizes the community of tokenholders as an unincorporated nonprofit association, which may provide members with liability protection while preserving open participation.

Coin-to-Company takes a lab from community to tokens to company equity.

How users benefit

Institutional compliance

Institutional investors who cannot hold or manage any crypto assets can still participate either at the speculative research stage or the commercialization stage of a project. The company in the Coin-to-Company model can escrow and handle all crypto tokens on behalf of institutions. The company can also provide any required compliance documentation. The use of blockchains to manage research and capital formation is no longer an exclusion factor for institutions.

Qualification steps to become a shareholder: link an email, complete identity verification and sign the agreement, then shareholder approval.

How users benefit

Replicable template

The Coin-to-Company model is a structured, documented framework applicable to new and existing DeSci projects. Each project that adopts it contributes to a growing body of precedent and shared infrastructure, making the next implementation faster and more robust.

A lab's Real-World Assets tab showing Coin-to-Company is open for this lab.

From token holder to shareholder, step by step.

A voluntary path. You choose if and when to apply. Tokens have standalone utility and can be held, used, or transferred independently by you.

Lock Tokens (Optional)

Lock your tokens through the Molecule interface to vote on research proposals, and become eligible to apply for equity if an equity offering is made. Locking is fully reversible at any time before equity is issued. You are not required to lock tokens to hold or use them, and locking does not guarantee equity approval.

Complete Verification

Go through identity verification. Accredited investor verification may also be required if you are acquiring your equity under certain securities exemptions as applicable.

Apply For Equity

Apply through one of the company's approved pathways, which may be as a community participant or as a traditional investor.

Hold Equity & Tokens

If approved, receive equity through a separate agreement.

Frequently asked questions.

Common questions about the Coin-to-Company model.

No. Tokens are never converted to equity under any circumstances. The tokens provide the community association and blockchain administrative functions only. You can hold and use your tokens without ever applying for equity. The equity track exists as an option for those who want it, and would use the blockchain infrastructure to exercise their equity rights if separately obtained.

Equity issued through Coin-to-Company may provide U.S. tax advantages depending on the shareholder's circumstances and the structure of the issuing company. Shares may be eligible for exclusion of federal capital gains under Internal Revenue Code Section 1202 (Qualified Small Business Stock), subject to satisfaction of issuer-level, shareholder-level, holding-period, active-business, redemption, and gain-limitation requirements.

The potential exclusion is 50% after three years, 75% after four years, and 100% after five years, subject to a per-issuer limitation of the greater of $15 million of eligible gain or ten times qualifying basis. Tax treatment is highly fact-specific and jurisdiction-dependent. State tax treatment varies and may differ from federal treatment. Consult a qualified tax advisor to understand the tax consequences applicable to your situation before participating.

No. Molecule AG is not a registered broker-dealer or investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities regulator, or FINRA. Molecule operates a technology platform that facilitates transactions between projects and participants. Molecule does not solicit securities transactions, provide investment advice, or receive transaction-based compensation for securities-related activities.

No. Tokens are not US qualified stablecoins or bank deposits, and are not insured by the FDIC, SIPC, or any government agency. Equity represents ownership in a private company and is not insured. Both tokens and equity may lose value, and you may lose your entire equity investment. Customer tokens may be exposed to custody, cybersecurity, counterparty, smart-contract, and insolvency risks.

Molecule AG may receive compensation from project fees, subscription fees, or other arrangements with projects listed on the platform. These arrangements create conflicts of interest because they may give Molecule a financial incentive concerning which projects are displayed or promoted on the platform. Molecule does not receive transaction-based compensation for securities-related activities. See our Fees and Conflicts Disclosure for additional information.

Build a project that's open to the world and ready for capital.

Reach out to learn how the Coin-to-Company model applies to your project.

This is not investment, legal, or tax advice. The information on this page is for general informational purposes only. It does not consider your complete financial circumstances and is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. You remain responsible for evaluating whether a transaction is appropriate for you. Consult qualified legal, tax, and investment advisers before participating.

Molecule AG is not a registered broker-dealer or investment adviser. Molecule AG is a Swiss company that operates a technology platform. It is not registered as a broker-dealer or investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities regulator, or FINRA. Molecule does not solicit securities transactions, provide investment advice, or receive transaction-based compensation for securities-related activities.

Tokens and equity are not bank deposits. Tokens and equity are not bank deposits, are not insured by the FDIC, SIPC, or any government agency, and may lose value. Customer assets may be exposed to custody, cybersecurity, counterparty, smart-contract, and insolvency risks.

Swiss and U.S. securities laws may apply. Molecule AG is organized under Swiss law. Both Swiss and U.S. securities laws may apply to token and equity transactions. Eligibility to participate depends on your jurisdiction of residence and applicable local law. Token holders from any jurisdiction can participate in the token layer; eligibility for the equity track depends on applicable securities regulations in your jurisdiction.