Coinbase Shakes Up Crypto: Retail Investors Get First Dibs on Token Sales with MON Launch
Coinbase just flipped the script for retail traders—launching a token sale platform that puts mom-and-pop investors at the front of the line. No more waiting for whales to take their cut first.
Retail's revenge: Finally, a fair shot at early-stage crypto projects
The move comes just days before MON's hotly anticipated debut, timing that's either strategic genius or suspiciously convenient—depending on who you ask. Coinbase insists it's all about 'democratizing access,' but let's be real: they know retail FOMO fuels 80% of crypto bull runs.
How it works: The platform will use a lottery system (because what's crypto without gambling mechanics?) to allocate tokens. No minimums, no VIP tiers—just pure, unfiltered capitalism with extra blockchain.
The cynical take: Another masterclass in converting retail enthusiasm into corporate revenue streams. But hey, at least this time the little guys might get a few crumbs before the institutional vultures descend.
Coinbase has announced the launch of a new token sales platform that will let everyday investors buy digital tokens even before they are officially listed on its exchange.
The MOVE is designed to make token launches more fair, transparent, and accessible.
Read on to know more about the details.
Monthly Token Sales Open to All
Under this initiative, Coinbase will host roughly one token sale per month, where investors can submit purchase requests during a one-week window. An algorithm will then decide how tokens are distributed. Payments will be made in USDC.
The first token to launch on the platform will be MON, the native token of the Monad blockchain.
Token launches just got a whole lot better.
→ Early access to your favorite tokens
→ Real supporters are prioritized
→ Sustainable token distribution
→ US users can finally join
Now possible with token sales on Coinbase.
Oh, one more thing: the @monad sale starts Nov 17. pic.twitter.com/ox5VRAqfiH
The token sale runs from November 17–22, 2025. It will offer up to 7.5 billion tokens, about 7.5% of the total supply, priced at $0.025 each, with an implied valuation of the project at roughly $2.5 billion.
If demand exceeds supply, tokens are distributed evenly using a “fill-up from the bottom” system, and users who sell within 30 days may receive smaller future allocations, rewarding long-term supporters.
To participate, users should have verified Coinbase accounts and meet the platform requirements.
Strict Rules in Place
Coinbase’s framework introduces strong transparency requirements. Issuers must provide clear disclosures about their project, team, and tokenomics. Founders and affiliates are restricted from selling tokens for six months after the sale.
Issuers pay a fee based on funds raised – investors, however, won’t pay for participation.
How MON Tokens Will Be DistributedThe MON token’s total supply is capped at 100 billion MON tokens, with 49.4B (49.4%) unlocked at mainnet launch. The token distribution is as follows:
- Ecosystem development: 38.5%
- Team: 27%
- Investors: 19.7%
- Public sale: 7.5%
- Category Labs Treasury: 4%
- Airdrop: 3.3%
Monad remains focused on growth and community participation.
Token Sale Brings More TransparencyThe MON token sale reveals a new level of transparency for a crypto launch. It’s the first large-scale issuance to fully disclose its market makers, loan sizes, and execution periods.
The issuer, MF Services (BVI) Ltd., has signed token loan agreements with top market makers like Auros and Wintermute. A third-party monitor, Coinwatch, will track how these tokens are used, including checking for idle balances.
The issuer also plans to use a small portion of the total MON supply, about 0.2%, to provide initial liquidity on decentralized exchanges (DEXs). This is a small, short-term measure to make it easier for people to buy and sell MON and help keep prices stable.
A Strong Comeback for Public Token SalesCoinbase notes that this initiative is meant to solve a common problem for new crypto projects, which is getting tokens into the hands of real users while still building market liquidity.
This marks the first time since 2018 that U.S. investors can easily join public token sales, after years of regulatory uncertainty around ICOs.
Coinbase is clearly setting a new standard for how projects go to market, by creating a balanced and transparent token sales platform for both issuers and users.
