As the cryptocurrency ecosystem continues to expand, two key players in the investment segment are planning to team up to secure their position as the ‘go-to’ avenue for cryptocurrency research and due diligence.

As of late June, Crush Crypto, a research firm with a track record of analysing over 100 ICO’s over a period of 12 months, will be merging with Picolo Research.

The deal brings together two companies, well known for their extensive due diligence and transparency in relation to the coverage of new Initial Coin Offerings.

Under the terms of the arrangement, Crush Crypto and its employees will work under the banner of Picolo Ventures (Singapore), the head corporation of Picolo Research as well as its asset management arm, Astronaut Capital.

CEO and founder of Picolo Research and Astronaut Capital, Matthew Dibb, commented on the merger, saying, “We believe that research and analytics in the cryptocurrency market is going to be one of the largest segments going forward, particularly as institutional interest is starting to enter the market. By unifying two household names in the industry, our aim is to secure and maintain the leading position in the market for emerging company due diligence.”

Dibb, who runs both Picolo Research and the asset manager Astronaut Capital, has been a key influencer in the cryptocurrency market, advocating ICO transparency and best investment practices since the beginning of 2017. Picolo Research has over 25,000 subscribers and distributes its research through key investment platforms such as Bloomberg.

“After spending a lot of time with Victor and the team at Crush Crypto, we recognised that not only do we share the same approach to due diligence and company analysis, but also the same investment ethics. We believe this is key to the long-term stability in the crypto market and we couldn’t think of a better company to be joining us on this journey”, says Dibb.

Cryptocurrency research remains an extremely fragmented market. To date, there are very few research publications that have been able to consistently produce unbiased and non-remunerated content. Indexing sites such as ICO Bench and ICORating are increasingly being scrutinized for their methods of analysis as well as the fees being charged to prospective listings.

Founder and CEO of Crush Crypto, Victor Lai, explains “independent, and non-biased research is an absolute must to efficiently and organically grow the entire ICO ecosystem. The aim of the Picolo/Crush merger is to take this point to the next level. By pooling our resources, knowledge and experience in the marketplace, it is our belief that we can create the leading research and analysis platform for both retail and institutional investors.”

In addition to the merger between the two research firms, Victor Lai and the team at Crush Crypto will also be joining the asset management segment of the business, Astronaut Capital.

Under the new structure of the merger, Victor Lai will be appointed as a member of the Investment Committee of the funds management businesses under the Astronaut banner. Dibb says that the integration of Victor and his team will greatly benefit the company in terms of resources, network and new deal-flow.

While the brands will still remain as is, the company advises that there will be some major changes over the coming month with respect to the preparation of research, the website content, focus of distribution between both companies, and the frequency of publication.

For more information, visit the announcement page of Astronaut Capital.