Forbes Exposes "Crypto Zombies": Billion-Dollar Assets with Dubious Value

Forbes unveils a report identifying a group of crypto assets as "billion-dollar zombies," highlighting the inherent volatility of the cryptocurrency market. These Layer 1 (L1) tokens, including Ripple's XRP, Ethereum Classic, and Cardano, have lofty valuations but limited utility beyond speculative trading, raising concerns about their viability.

Forbes Unveils "Crypto Zombies": Billion-Dollar Assets with Questionable Utility

Amidst the recent surge in speculative cryptocurrency investments, Forbes has released a comprehensive report that identifies a significant number of crypto assets as "billion-dollar zombies." These assets, primarily known as Layer 1 (L1) tokens, epitomize the inherent volatility of the cryptocurrency market. Their defining characteristic lies in their lofty valuations accorded by industry leaders, despite their limited utility beyond risky trading.

The Controversial List

Forbes' list of crypto assets identified as "zombies" includes prominent names such as Ripple (XRP), Ethereum Classic (ETC), Tezos (XTZ), Algorand (ALGO), and Cardano (ADA).

Ripple: A Conspicuous Figure

Ripple Labs, the creator of the XRP token, emerged as a notable figure in the "crypto zombies" category. XRP has established a strong trading presence, boasting an active daily volume of nearly $2 billion. However, Forbes expresses skepticism about its broader purpose, arguing that XRP remains primarily a speculative asset with minimal tangible utility.

Escalating Concern

Ripple Labs and XRP are not isolated examples in this questionable category. Forbes' investigation revealed that a total of 50 blockchains, excluding Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), currently trade at values exceeding $1 billion. Approximately 20 of these blockchains have been classified as "functional zombies," with a collective market value of $116 billion despite limited user bases.

Examples of "Functional Zombies"

Forbes provides insightful examples of "functional zombies" within the cryptocurrency landscape.

• Ethereum Classic: Hailing as the original Ethereum chain, Ethereum Classic's market value stands at $4.6 billion. However, its fee earnings in 2023 amounted to a mere $41,000, raising questions about its operational viability.
• Tezos: Tezos, which raised a significant $230 million via its Initial Coin Offering (ICO) in 2017, boasts a market capitalization of $1.2 billion. However, its transaction fee earnings were a paltry $5,640 in February 2024 and $177,653 for the entire year of 2023.
• Algorand: Touted as an "Ethereum killer," Algorand has encountered challenges in gaining traction. With a market cap of $2 billion and a treasury of $500 million, it generated only $63,000 in blockchain transaction fees in 2023, casting doubt on its real-world adoption and utility.

Categorizing the "Zombies"

Forbes classifies the identified "crypto zombies" into two distinct categories: spin-offs and direct competitors.

• Spin-Off Zombies: This category includes Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Litecoin (LTC), Monero (XMR), Bitcoin SV (BSV), and Ethereum Classic. These assets emerged from disagreements among project developers regarding the governance and development direction of their parent chains. Such conflicts often result in hard forks, creating new networks with the same historical transaction data as their predecessors. Despite their market values often exceeding their real-world usage, these spin-offs have earned the "zombie" label.
• Direct Competitors: This category encompasses projects that sought to challenge the dominance of Bitcoin and Ethereum, such as Ripple, Tezos, Algorand, and others. While these projects boast impressive valuations, their utility and adoption have remained limited, leading to their classification as "zombies."

A Widening Disconnection

Forbes' report highlights a growing disparity between the valuations of many crypto projects and their tangible applications. This widening gap has earned these ambitious yet underutilized projects the unwelcome title of "zombies." As the total cryptocurrency market capitalization continues to fluctuate around $2.2 trillion, the discussion surrounding these "zombie" blockchains is likely to fuel ongoing debates about crypto utility and market volatility.