Projects in the ICO space, such as blockchain itself, operate in a unique fashion. Depending on the project, they may operate along the lines of a traditional business, but also as a central bank—adding and removing currency from circulation. For a traditional company, profitability is paramount and straightforward, in that a company offers a product and earns a return from sales. However, if you are also creating a currency from nothing and selling and trading it for some other product, or if this currency IS the product, then the situation is more complicated. If the sustainability of the project comes from selling currency, then a downturn can be catastrophic as currency buyers dry up and immense swings in the value of the network can take place nearly instantly. Just as was the case with failed state economy, trust in the currency could evaporate and, as a result, hyperinflation ensues as individual tokens become nearly worthless as a medium of exchange.

Because company-based blockchain projects are so new, it's still not clear what the long-term sustainable models look like for these companies. Earlier projects, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, did not need to turn a traditional project but just attract enough currency interest to pay the small team of developers.