What if crypto felt less like a finance terminal and more like a social app? That’s the question driving Mel Gelderman, CEO of Token.com, to rebuild the user experience around stories, creators, and seamless participation.
Earlier this month, BeInCrypto spoke with Gelderman to unpack his vision for Token.com, a crypto platform that combines video-first discovery with seamless in-app trading.
Launched in 2023, Token.com blends short-form video, curated feeds, and in-app trading. It offers a TikTok-like experience where users can discover and buy, tokens directly from content. However, underneath that design is a broader mission to rethink how discovery, trust, and trading come together in Web3.
“We’re not competing against Coinbase or Binance. We’re really competing against social media. We’re competing for the user’s time, and the app needs to be at least as exciting as TikTok or Instagram,” Gelderman said.
On Token.com, each video is tagged with tokens, and a real-time algorithm surfaces content by tracking trading activity rather than relying solely on likes or comments.
“We are tracking the performance of the tokens they talk about. If a creator is literally pump and dumping on their audience all the time, our system will know that, our algorithm will take that into account, and their score will go down. Whereas the creators that are really good with their audience, that are actually showing tokens that might do well. Those are the creators that should go to the top.”
The Creator Economy, Reinvented
While discovery is a major focus, Token.com also reimagines what it means to be a creator in crypto. On most platforms, creators build audiences but don’t own the value they generate. Token.com flips that dynamic by tying revenue directly to trading activity. If a viewer buys or sells a token after watching a creator’s video, that transaction generates a fee, and the fee goes to the creator.
“Imagine Joe Rogan coming onto Token.com and interviewing founders in crypto. Those videos will generate millions, if not maybe even hundreds of millions of dollars in volume. […] It should be going to the creators who are doing the work,” he explained.
In addition to the creators and users, Token.com provides opportunities for projects to promote their content by offering token-based rewards to viewers. When a project wants to highlight a walkthrough of their protocol, they can “boost” that video. Users who watch it may receive an airdrop, and creators who host it receive additional income. This game-changing feature is currently in the works.
By tying visibility and rewards directly to engagement, the platform creates a system where incentives reinforce quality. Creators are rewarded when their content drives trading, projects can boost visibility through token-based promotions, and the platform’s algorithm surfaces content that performs. Over time, higher-quality content gets more reach, and audiences engage with fewer unknowns.
Unlocking the Next Phase for Creators
While the current product focuses on discovery and in-feed engagement, Token.com is preparing to launch a new feature that allows creators to issue tokens directly through the platform.
“But that’s the future. We’re going to finish some major updates first, and then I think maybe at the earliest in October, we launch the Launchpad feature where people can create new projects,” Gelderman said.
This feature would give creators and founders a way to tokenize their ideas and raise support from their communities. For Gelderman, it marks a turning point for what Token.com is really building toward.
“I think that is the last part to how an app like Token.com gets to a billion users.”
The upcoming Launchpad builds on the current $TOKEN utility model. Right now, both users and creators can earn partial rewards through platform activity—airdrop participation, trading volume, or content engagement. But full access is only unlocked through staking or holding the native token.
“What we’re going to do is if you are a creator on Token.com, you will earn some of the revenue from your videos. But if you hold our own token, if you stake some of our token, you will unlock all of it. It’s the same for the user. If you are a user on Token.com, you will earn some airdrops on some of the boosted videos. But if you hold our Token.com token, you will unlock fully all the rewards. This is the functionality that we’re bringing to the app.”
Security, Compliance, and the Cost of Playing by the Rules
As an app that blends investing and content, BeInCrypto asked how Token.com is thinking about the platform’s security. According to Gelderman, security starts by giving users control.
Token.com has moved entirely to a non-custodial wallet model, meaning the platform doesn’t have any access to the users’ funds. Wallets are generated directly on the user’s device and secured through encrypted hardware modules, with access tied to familiar logins like Gmail or Apple ID.
“Is it perfect? No. But no storage solution in this industry is perfect,” he acknowledged. “If better solutions come out in the future, then we will upgrade. But right now, this is really the best case scenario because the trade-off with security is if you make it too secure, the user could also lose access.”
Furthermore, regulatory compliance can be challenging for an app like Token.com, particularly in jurisdictions like the UK, where lawmakers have begun cracking down on how crypto influencers promote tokens. Rather than retrofitting the platform to comply with what Gelderman describes as “unworkable” frameworks, Token.com has shifted focus toward markets with more supportive environments.
“We’re going to go to countries that do want innovation, like in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. These countries are open to innovation because so much innovation can happen with crypto,” he added.
To hear more about how Token.com is rethinking crypto discovery, creator incentives, and the future of tokenized communities, watch the full interview with Mel Gelderman on BeInCrypto’s podcast.
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