# Case Studies Founder lessons A licence question, a token launch or a founder dispute. See what happened, what changed and what you can take from it. Find a case like yours Client identities and certain identifying details have been anonymised. Filter case studies by topicAllSetupLicences & tokensDisputesContracts 14 case studies Structuring**Needed a fund?** ![Video thumbnail for This Founder Thought They Needed a Fund](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/001a20e6cd4c85303dc7f50ad5f6af43864d0f63d1fbe921bdc9a8f13bae7951.png) TECHNOLOGY · INVESTMENT ## [Thought three investors meant they needed a fund.](https://ape.law/case-studies/founder-thought-he-needed-a-fund) **Challenge** Assumed the raise required a fund **The Win** Clear structure and roadmap Licensing**Ready to apply?** ![Video thumbnail for This Crypto Exchange Thought the Licence Was the First Step](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/1aac83037c2358a9b5066ac9fa9466416f38df9a04ed93fb415a1963f8982b10.png) CRYPTO BUSINESS · UAE ## [The licence was not the first step.](https://ape.law/case-studies/crypto-licence-starts-before-application) **Challenge** Started with the application **The Win** Clear license and launch roadmap CORPORATE**Ready to launch?** ![Video thumbnail for This Company Was Incorporated. It Still Wasn’t Ready to Launch.](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/6fb28d092ea6edfa77e55d54df1996938f9aa226ebd14db530da7fd91e4d6839.png) TOKENIZATION · UAE ## [The company existed. The business was not ready.](https://ape.law/case-studies/incorporation-does-not-mean-ready-to-launch) **Challenge** Thought they were ready to launch **The Win** Foundations in place before launch RISK STRUCTURING**Too much in one company?** ![Video thumbnail for This Staking Platform Could Not Live Inside One Company](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/1b6ab43dd03d77c92919e49a7432058929f7286bab77b8f1648477da459f535b.png) STAKING PLATFORM · STRUCTURING ## [One company was carrying every risk.](https://ape.law/case-studies/one-company-should-not-carry-every-risk) **Challenge** Everything sat inside one company **The Win** Key risks separated by design TOKENIZATION**Starting with the token?** ![Video thumbnail for Why Tokenization Should Not Start With the Token](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/f157ced0fc85dcf3197399f6814237e36c3d3970d1155dd3a5ceff66259e3080.png) TOKENIZATIOn · REGULATORY STRATEGY ## [The token was not the place to start.](https://ape.law/case-studies/tokenization-should-not-start-with-token) **Challenge** The token was being treated as the start **The Win** Regulator-ready structure designed first ADGM STRATEGY**The license said no?** ![Video thumbnail for How We Created an ADGM Pathway for a Web3 VC](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/b1a0d1dc3b2f2ec7253c528d055e7d6137768d064341e0fa6e643b9cfac6ec20.png) WEB3 VC · ADGM REGULATORY STRATEGY ## [The regulations appeared to end the project.](https://ape.law/case-studies/adgm-web3-vc-regulatory-pathway) **Challenge** The licence appeared to rule out token investments. **The Win** A new ADGM pathway created ADGM LICENSING**Biggest licence first?** ![Video thumbnail for Why This ADGM Exchange Needed a Phased Licence Strategy](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/edcfc26be52ce5d6ba598b2b5c23dbd473c28b5113d462fbe5efa6eda9d7c3bf.png) DIGITAL ASSET EXCHANGE · ADGM LICENSING ## [The biggest licence was not the right first step.](https://ape.law/case-studies/adgm-exchange-licensing-roadmap) **Challenge** Started with the final licence **The Win** Clear phased licensing roadmap TRANSACTIONS**Just another contract?** ![Video thumbnail for Why This Crypto Acquisition Needed More Than a Contract](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/edcfc26be52ce5d6ba598b2b5c23dbd473c28b5113d462fbe5efa6eda9d7c3bf.png) CRYPTO ACQUISITION · TRANSACTION STRATEGY ## [This acquisition needed more than a contract.](https://ape.law/case-studies/crypto-acquisition-contract-risks) **Challenge** Crypto was treated like a normal asset **The Win** Crypto-specific protections built in JOINT VENTURE**Is trust enough?** ![Video thumbnail for Cross-Border Joint Ventures: Why Trust Is Not Enough](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/edcfc26be52ce5d6ba598b2b5c23dbd473c28b5113d462fbe5efa6eda9d7c3bf.png) PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT · JOINT VENTURE ## [Trust alone could not protect the partnership.](https://ape.law/case-studies/cross-border-joint-venture-structure) **Challenge** Key relationship terms were unclear **The Win** Structure built around the people FOUNDER DISPUTE**No perfect evidence?** ![Video thumbnail for How We Built Leverage in a Founder Dispute](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/c5b1c41c690d30a6a92f5db6b87670f1e540e35ef206a008a12ce3b13039785b.png) FOUNDER DISPUTE · EVIDENCE STRATEGY ## [The founder had more leverage than he realised.](https://ape.law/case-studies/founder-dispute-evidence-leverage) **Challenge** No single piece of perfect evidence **The Win** Evidence rebuilt into leverage CLASSIFICATION**What licence?** ![Video thumbnail for Why This Prediction Market Needed Classification Before Licensing](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/777a4b98b903267a87744a7cbf71ded9e1134078bd485c12aecdbff310dfdb20.png) PREDICTION MARKET · PRODUCT CLASSIFICATION ## [The licence was not the first question.](https://ape.law/case-studies/prediction-market-regulatory-classification) **Challenge** The product was not yet classified **The Win** Product-first regulatory roadmap RWA STRATEGY**Too many options?** ![Video thumbnail for How We Chose the Right RWA Tokenization Path](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/9c69d22c335f4cfc1b4d7b79cbb6a2f69d574af7506b1bc7a5df249ebc475ce6.png) RWA TOKENIZATION · REGULATORY STRATEGY ## [More options were creating less clarity.](https://ape.law/case-studies/rwa-tokenization-regulatory-strategy) **Challenge** Too many pathways remained open **The Win** Strongest path validated and mapped LEGAL INFRASTRUCTURE**Who owns the rights?** ![Video thumbnail for A Token Cannot Create Rights That Do Not Exist](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/0f59928b7bbc73c77ae0bbb4196888dfcb0bd386e1581389e3c7b2435864597b.png) WEB3 DATA PLATFORM · DAO & TOKEN STRUCTURING ## [The token story needed legal foundations.](https://ape.law/case-studies/web3-dao-token-legal-infrastructure) **Challenge** IP, data and licence rights were unclear **The Win** Rights aligned with the ecosystem WEB3 DISPUTE**Respond immediately?** ![Video thumbnail for Web3 Dispute: Rebuild the Facts Before You Respond](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/922cc9638be8491bcf3498107406d4b6255400ea7fdac6a9fa62697b31a8cd9b.png) WEB3 COMMERCIAL DISPUTE · EVIDENCE STRATEGY ## [The first accusation was not the full story.](https://ape.law/case-studies/web3-commercial-dispute-evidence-strategy) **Challenge** The client started on the defensive **The Win** Evidence rebuilt and leverage protected Canonical page: https://ape.law/case-studies