Virtuals’ 60-Day Gamble: Will Founders Stay or Flee?

by

Virtuals Protocol has launched a 60-day trial that’s basically a “try before you buy” for startups, but with more crypto jargon and less actual product. Instead of forcing immediate commitment, founders get 60 days to build publicly while capital forms through trading activity. Because who doesn’t want to test their product in a high-stakes, high-volatility environment?

VIRTUAL’s market cap is $422.27M – because nothing says “trust me, I’m a startup” like a number that’s probably just a guess. The token’s 24h volatility? A thrilling 2.0% – just enough to keep you on the edge of your seat.

At the end of the 60 days, founders choose whether to commit. If they do, funds unlock over time. If not, the token winds down and all eligible funds are returned to holders. A framework that removes the usual one-way risk tied to early token launches… or just turns it into a 60-day suspense movie.

– Virtuals Protocol (@virtuals_io) February 2, 2026

 

How the 60 Days Mechanism Works

Each project launches a token on the Base network using a standard bonding curve. Tokens trade during the 60-day trial while founders ship updates, engage users, publish metrics, and collect feedback. Because nothing says “we’re serious” like a 60-day trial where you can’t even launch a product without a bonding curve.

Projects start in private pools. Once cumulative volume hits 42,000 VIRTUAL, liquidity migrates to a Uniswap V2 pool. Because nothing says “open trading” like a 42,000-token threshold that’s probably just a number someone pulled out of a hat.

All trades carry a 1% fee. 30% goes to the protocol, 70% to the founder… but it’s locked during the trial. Because nothing says “trust us” like holding your own money hostage.

Capital Formation and Founder Support

Virtuals uses Automated Capital Formation (ACF) to allocate funds to founders based on trading activity. Released ACF funds support operations and early scaling. Unreleased allocations stay locked and are excluded from refunds until formally released. Because nothing says “we’re flexible” like locking your own money until you commit.

Founders can also open a Growth Allocation pool by selling up to 5% of team tokens at a fixed valuation. These funds are held in escrow and fully refunded if the founder doesn’t commit. If they do, the tokens vest linearly over six months. Because nothing says “long-term commitment” like a six-month vesting schedule that’s probably just a way to keep you tethered to the project.

To cover living and operating costs, founders receive stipends every 30 days. The stipend equals 10% of collected funds from founder trading fees and released ACF, capped at $5,000 USDC per payout. Because nothing says “I believe in your vision” like a $5k payout that’s capped at $5k. Practical, right?

VIRTUAL Attempts a Comeback

VIRTUAL token is up almost 3% in the past 24 hours, currently trading at $0.6374. However, the token has dropped more than 20% in the last 30 days alone. A chart that looks like a rollercoaster with a broken track. The chart below shows prices below a descending trendline and the main demand zone sits near the $0.60 area. Because nothing says “recovery” like a token that’s hovering around a price it was at 30 days ago.

VIRTUAL price chart with momentum indicators. | Source: TradingView

If VIRTUAL holds the current support and breaks the descending trendline, a test of the $0.95 to $1.50 range is possible. However, a clean break below support would expose the $0.38 area. Because nothing says “optimism” like a token that’s teetering on the edge of a cliff.

Read More

2026-02-03 13:49