What is ICO (Initial Coin Offering)?
An Initial Coin Offering is a fundraising event in which a project sells its native token to early backers, often pre-launch. ICOs peaked in 2017-18 and have largely been replaced by IDOs, IEOs, airdrops and private sales due to regulatory pressure.
Why ICO (Initial Coin Offering) matters
Understanding ICO (Initial Coin Offering) is part of building a solid mental model of how Bitcoin, blockchain and Web3 systems actually work. Concepts in the General category sit at the foundation of the broader stack — get them right and the rest is far easier.
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Related terms
- Airdrop — Free distribution of tokens to wallets meeting criteria.
- Tokenomics — The economic design of a cryptocurrency.
More general terms
- Altcoin — Any cryptocurrency that is not Bitcoin.
- Cryptocurrency — Digital money secured by cryptography on a blockchain.
- Stablecoin — A cryptocurrency designed to track a stable reference value.
- CEX (Centralized Exchange) — A company-operated crypto trading venue.
- Whitepaper — The technical document describing a protocol's design.
- KYC (Know Your Customer) — Identity verification required by regulated services.
- AML (Anti-Money Laundering) — Regulations preventing illicit financial flows.
- Market Capitalization — Circulating supply × price.
Keep exploring
Continue with the full blockchain glossary — 136 terms in total — or read the developer blog and FAQ for deeper context.