Blockchain is a new technology and startups are, by nature, quite risky. For both of these reasons, investors often seek out the input, advice, and viewpoints of established experts in the field. In a field this new, an expert is typically just someone well known, or someone who has made a few, very public correct predictions in the recent past.

In an era of social media, a multitude of YouTube channels, podcasts, and other organizations have sprung up to act as gatekeepers and commentators on the ICO ecosystem. The more successful of these shows have over 100,000 subscribers interested in cryptocurrencies and ICO projects.

Successful ICOs are therefore highly motivated to get on these shows to raise awareness of their project. In turn, the operators of these shows can charge whatever the market will bear in order to get a presence. It's not unusual for high-visibility shows and podcasts to charge $5-20,000 USD for a single appearance, paid in a combination of fiat, crypto, and project tokens.