The LayerZero/Wormhole Bidding War Shows How to Value a Crypto Business - Ep. 890
The drama is heating up in crypto M&A. LayerZero, the omnichain interoperability protocol, shocked the market with a $110 million bid to acquire Stargate DAO — the very bridge it originally launched. Then Wormhole jumped in, asking the DAO to pause the vote so it could make a counter-offer. This episode unpacks the first-ever so-called onchain bidding war: how to value DAOs like real businesses, why LayerZero and Wormhole are fighting over Stargate, and whether this deal marks the beginning of a consolidation wave across crypto. Guests David Nage of Arca and M&A advisor Lawson Bae of Relayzero break down the numbers, the strategy, and what this turning point means for the industry. Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Sui Xapo Bank Guests: David Nage, VC Portfolio Manager at Arca Lawson Bae, Founder of Relayzero Links: Unchained: Wormhole Foundation to Counter LayerZero’s Bid for Stargate LayerZero Foundation Proposes $110 Million Stargate Acquisition, Retiring STG for ZRO Tokens Timestamps: 🎬 0:00 Intro 🧱 2:57 Why LayerZero wants to buy Stargate, the bridge it launched 💸 8:36 Whether the $110 million offer from LayerZero was actually fair 🕵️♂️ 14:07 How Wormhole may be trying to make things difficult for its biggest rival 📊 16:35 Why David thinks the $110 million number can be justified 📈 21:07 How the number of daily active users factors into valuing crypto projects 🔢 27:07 What a “reasonable multiple” for Stargate could look like 🗳️ 30:34 How the Stargate DAO should approach this pivotal decision 🤝 34:49 Why this deal shows that crypto M&A is booming Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices