Upcoming ICOs to Invest in 2024 – ICO coins to invest in early for 100x Potential

ICOs (initial coin offerings) allow you to invest in new cryptocurrencies before they trade on exchanges. Not only will you be able to invest in a new project from the ground up – but ICOs typically offer a discount to early investors.

The challenging part is knowing which ICOs to invest in. In this guide, we reveal the best upcoming ICOs that could produce significant gains.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Top Upcoming ICOs - List
2. Upcomings ICOs With the Highest Potential
   1. 1. Pepe Unchained - Best Pepe-themed ICO built on Ethereum’s layer-2 blockchain
   2. 2. Crypto All-Stars - New Crypto Platform for Staking the World’s Best Meme Tokens
   3. 3. Flockerz - Leaping into the Future of Decentralized Meme Tokens
   4. 4. Shiba Shooutout - Join the Posse and Earn Rewards in the Crypto Frontier
   5. 5. SpacePay (SPY) - Offers a Revolutionary POS System with Exclusive Rewards For $SPY Holders
   6. 6. BTC Bull (BTCBULL) - New Meme Coin Offers Airdrops and 25,000% Staking APY
   7. 7. WOBS Token (WOBS) - New Crypto Platform Launching High-Leverage DEX with High Staking APY
   8. 8. WEPE Presale - Introducing a Super-Low Fee DEX for Shitcoins
3. What is an upcoming ICO?
   1. Are ICOs the Same as Presales?
4. How do Initial Coin Offerings Work?
   1. Key Takeaways of the ICO Investment Process
   2. After the ICO has Finished  
5. Why Invest in Upcoming Crypto ICOs?
   1. ICOs Offer Huge Profit Potential 
   2. Many ICOs Offer an Immediate Upside Potential 
   3. There are Many ICOs to Choose From; Invest in a Concept You Believe in
   4. ICO Investments are Suitable for Short and Long-Term Strategies
6. How to Find the Best New ICOs to Invest in
   1. ICO Calendars
   2. Join Reddit Groups 
   3. IEOs via Established Exchanges  
   4. Check Out Popular YouTubers That Specialize in ICOs   
   5. Telegram Channels Dedicated to ICOs 
7. Potential Risks of Investing in ICOs
   1. ICO Tokens Decline in Price After the Exchange Listing
   2. Scam Projects, Hacks, and Smart Contract Vulnerabilities 
8. Conclusion
9. FAQs

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Top Upcoming ICOs - List
2. Upcomings ICOs With the Highest Potential
   1. 1. Pepe Unchained - Best Pepe-themed ICO built on Ethereum’s layer-2 blockchain
   2. 2. Crypto All-Stars - New Crypto Platform for Staking the World’s Best Meme Tokens
   3. 3. Flockerz - Leaping into the Future of Decentralized Meme Tokens
   4. 4. Shiba Shooutout - Join the Posse and Earn Rewards in the Crypto Frontier
   5. 5. SpacePay (SPY) - Offers a Revolutionary POS System with Exclusive Rewards For $SPY Holders
   6. 6. BTC Bull (BTCBULL) - New Meme Coin Offers Airdrops and 25,000% Staking APY
   7. 7. WOBS Token (WOBS) - New Crypto Platform Launching High-Leverage DEX with High Staking APY
   8. 8. WEPE Presale - Introducing a Super-Low Fee DEX for Shitcoins
3. What is an upcoming ICO?
   1. Are ICOs the Same as Presales?
Show Full Guide
4. How do Initial Coin Offerings Work?
   1. Key Takeaways of the ICO Investment Process
   2. After the ICO has Finished  
5. Why Invest in Upcoming Crypto ICOs?
   1. ICOs Offer Huge Profit Potential 
   2. Many ICOs Offer an Immediate Upside Potential 
   3. There are Many ICOs to Choose From; Invest in a Concept You Believe in
   4. ICO Investments are Suitable for Short and Long-Term Strategies
6. How to Find the Best New ICOs to Invest in
   1. ICO Calendars
   2. Join Reddit Groups 
   3. IEOs via Established Exchanges  
   4. Check Out Popular YouTubers That Specialize in ICOs   
   5. Telegram Channels Dedicated to ICOs 
7. Potential Risks of Investing in ICOs
   1. ICO Tokens Decline in Price After the Exchange Listing
   2. Scam Projects, Hacks, and Smart Contract Vulnerabilities 
8. Conclusion
9. FAQs

Pepe Unchained ($PEPU)

• PEPE Unchained is a new and improved version of the original Pepe coin looking to 100x.
• Built on the Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain it offers scalability, speed and efficiency.
• $PEPU project offers double staking rewards with a current APY of 130,151%.

Project Launched

June 2024

Purchase Methods

• 
  ETH
• 
  USDT
• 
  Bank Card
• 
  BNB
• +1 more

Visit Here

Crypto All-Stars ($STARS)

• ERC-20 token that brings all the top meme coins into one platform
• Stake top meme coins like $BRETT, $TURBO, $PEPE, and $SHIB in the "MemeVault"
• $STARS holders can enjoy 3 times the staking rewards

Project Launched

August 2024

Purchase Methods

• 
  ETH
• 
  USDT
• 
  BNB
• 
  Bank Card
• +1 more

Visit Here

Flockerz ($FLOCK)

• The new Vote-To-Earn system rewards you with $FLOCK tokens for participating in votes
• Early participants benefit from 20% of tokens during the presale
• Holders can earn passive income, as 25% of the tokens are set aside for staking

Project Launched

September 2024

Purchase Methods

• 
  ETH
• 
  USDT
• 
  Bank Card

Visit Here

Best Wallet Token ($BEST)

• Boost your staking rewards on Best Wallet by holding $BEST
• Get in on the ground floor with early access to top presales before everyone else
• Hold $BEST to get even lower transaction fees in the Best Wallet ecosystem

Project Launched

November 2024

Purchase Methods

• 
  ETH
• 
  BNB
• 
  USDT
• 
  Bank Card
• +1 more

Visit Here

FreeDum Fighters ($DUM)

• Users can purchase $DUM tokens to vote for their favorite characters through staking
• Presale purchases are available on major blockchains
• Participants who have voted (staked) will be eligible to receive rewards

Project Launched

October 2024

Purchase Methods

• 
  ETH
• 
  USDC
• 
  BNB
• 
  USDT
• 
  SOL
• +2 more

Visit Here

Sponge V2 ($SPONGE)

• Missed out on $SPONGE's 100x surge in 2023? Sponge V2 tokens are here and ready to exceed its records!
• $SPONGE v2 is an ERC-20 token offering 141% p/a rewards and a P2E game in which players can earn more $SPONGE.
• Over $1M worth of $SPONGE tokens have been staked and bridged already.

Project Launched

December 2023

Purchase Methods

• 
  MATIC
• 
  USDT
• 
  Bank Card

Visit Here

SpacePay (SPY)

• Empowering the future of crypto payments for customers and merchants, SpacePay makes buying goods and services with crypto easy.
• With SpacePay businesses can begin accepting crypto payments from an ever-growing global crypto community.
• SPY token presale offers buyers the chance to get their hands on the project's utility token. SPY holders can enter airdrops, vote on the future of the project, earn revenue share, and more.

Project Launched

May 2024

Purchase Methods

• 
  ETH
• 
  USDT
• 
  USDC
• 
  Bank Card
• 
  BNB
• 
  MATIC
• 
  AVAX
• 
  BASE
• +5 more

Visit Here

Shiba Shootout ($SHIBASHOOT)

• Shiba Shootout is a SHIB-inspired Wild-West-themed meme project with tons of utility.
• Early investors can buy and stake $SHIBASHOOT for massive rewards of 2,288% p/a.
• Join the 'Posse Rewards' referral program and earn extra rewards for both you and your referrals.

Project Launched

April 2024

Purchase Methods

• 
  ETH
• 
  USDT
• 
  Bank Card
• 
  BNB
• +1 more

Visit Here

StarChain (STRC)

• StarChain aims to democratize astronomical science for modern crypto enthusiasts
• Underpinned by AI, StarChain analyzes vast amounts of astronomical data.
• STRC serves as the backbone to the project with various use cases including enabling transactions, accessing premium features and earning rewards.

Project Launched

August 2024

Purchase Methods

• 
  BNB
• 
  BNB
• 
  USDT

Visit Here

Upcomings ICOs With the Highest Potential

You’ll need to consider the risks before investing in new crypto ICOs. While some ICOs go on to generate gains of over 10,000% – others crash and burn. Below, we examine the 9 best upcoming ICOs for 2024 in our comprehensive review. 

1. Pepe Unchained – Best Pepe-themed ICO built on Ethereum’s layer-2 blockchain

Pepe Unchained coin is making waves in the crypto world with its cutting-edge approach. Utilizing Ethereum’s high-speed Layer 2 technology, its native token, $PEPU, has impressively raised $9.3 million in a few months.

The integration of Layer 2 technology means Pepe Unchained bypasses Ethereum’s mainnet limitations, offering swift transactions and significantly reduced fees.

The staking program boasts an incredible annual yield of over 210% on $PEPU. However, with millions of tokens already staked, this remarkable opportunity is quickly running out.

The ICO is currently live, with 20% of the total token supply available for purchase. Don’t miss your chance to join the next major trend in crypto.

Visit Pepe Unchained

What is an upcoming ICO?

An ICO, or initial coin offering, is a fundraising process used by new cryptocurrency projects. Also referred to as a ‘crypto presale‘, ICOs follow a similar concept to stock IPOs (initial public offerings). For example, ICOs collect funds from investors before their crypto tokens are launched on an exchange.

This is the same as buying IPO shares before being listed on a stock exchange, such as the NASDAQ. However, instead of selling shares, ICO projects offer investors their newly created digital tokens. For example, when Ethereum held its ICO in 2014, it sold ETH tokens to early investors. ETH has since increased in value by over a million percent.

As an ICO coin investor, you’ll be investing capital into a brand-new concept. While you can invest from the ground up, it also means that the risks are high. Just like an IPO stock, there is no guarantee that the ICO cryptocurrency will be a success. After all, once the tokens are listed on crypto exchanges, the project’s success will be determined by market forces.

For example, if more people buy the tokens after the ICO, this will help increase their value. But if too many ICO investors cash out, the value of the tokens will decline. Nonetheless, many upcoming crypto projects offer a discounted price. This means you’ll pay a lower price when compared to the exchange listing – which happens once the IPO has finished.

Ultimately, the main appeal with crypto ICOs is the huge growth potential. It’s not uncommon for post-ICO tokens to increase by 10,000% or more. This can happen in a matter of days or weeks if the ICO project creates hype. Equally, however, new cryptocurrencies can also trade below their ICO price; so proceed with caution.

How do Initial Coin Offerings Work?

If you’re new to ICOs, you should understand how the process works before buying ICO tokens. In this section, we explain everything there is to know about upcoming initial coin offerings as a beginner.

Initial Concept and Whitepaper Development

Before the ICO takes place, the cryptocurrency project will need to complete some initial steps. For example, it will create a whitepaper, which details the ins and outs of the project. This gives ICO cryptocurrency investors a 360-degree view of what the project is all about. For example, the project’s concept, what issues it solves, and what steps it will take to achieve its goals.

The whitepaper should also outline a clear roadmap. This highlights specific objectives and when the project aims to complete them. The roadmap should also be referenced long after the ICO finishes. As an investor, this will enable you to keep track of the project’s progress.

Smart Contract Development 

Once the whitepaper has been created, the ICO project will need to take care of its technical framework. With the odd exception, an overwhelming majority of ICO tokens are built on a secondary blockchain. While Binance Smart Chain is also popular, the Ethereum blockchain dominates this space.

It’s simple for an ICO project to build on top of Ethereum. In doing so, it becomes an ‘ERC20 token’. This simply means that it follows the Ethereum standard and that it can handle smart contracts and NFTs. Irrespective of the chosen blockchain, the ICO project will have a unique smart contract address.

This will be published to the ICO community, enabling anyone to audit the underlying code. That said, the best ICOs will use a respected smart contract auditor for this process. Examples include CertiK, Solidproof, and Consensys Diligence – but several others exist.

The auditing process ensures that the smart contract is secure. In other words, the smart contract should not have any weaknesses that could be exploited by scammers. Moreover, the smart contract should not allow the ICO project to withdraw liquidity before a certain timeframe. Nor should it allow the project to restrict sell orders or limited transactions.

If there are any issues identified during the audit process, this will be included in its final report. As such, ICO projects are incentivized to get it right the first time. If they don’t, it can take a while for smart contract revisions to be made.

New Crypto Token Creation 

Once the smart contract has been deployed, a new cryptocurrency token will be created. These tokens are what you will be purchasing during the ICO campaign. They will operate like any other cryptocurrency, meaning that the tokens are stored in wallets.

Moreover, the ICO tokens can be transferred on a wallet-to-wallet basis. All transactions will appear on the respective blockchain network – ensuring full transparency. Most ICO projects create a finite supply of tokens. This ensures that the supply is capped and that the project doesn’t suffer from inflation.

Pre-ICO Marketing and Awareness 

Before the ICO coin launches, it will need to undertake a solid marketing campaign. Otherwise, it won’t be able to attract any investors. After all, new crypto ICOs launch pretty much every day. This means the ICO market has very quickly become oversaturated.

Not all ICOs will have sufficient funding, however. These projects will often struggle to get their ICO campaign off the ground. While organic marketing can yield results, the most successful ICOs are able to target a huge audience. Just remember – the more investors the ICO coin attracts, the more capital it will raise.

Conversely, this will give the ICO project sufficient funding to meet its objectives. Not to mention more funds for marketing after the ICO finishes. Raising a lot of capital during an ICO is also a marketing perk in itself.

Private ICO Stage 

When researching the best ICOs, we found that some projects offer a ‘private’ round before launching to the public. This usually reserves a tiny percentage of ICO tokens for accredited or well-known investors.

For instance, if an investor is looking to inject a 6-figure sum into the ICO, they’ll often get a private round allocation. This means buying the ICO tokens at a slightly lower entry price.

In other cases, private-stage ICOs are available to those completing certain tasks. For instance, the project might ask users to follow their social media channels or share their whitepaper on Reddit.

Alternatively, we also found ICOs that run a lottery-style selection process. Interested parties provide their wallet address to the ICO, which grants them entry to the draw. Winners of the draw will receive access to the private ICO stage.

Main ICO Stage 

Projects will sell the majority of their ICO allocation during the main fundraising round. This means that anybody can invest. Most ICOs only accept cryptocurrencies as payment. This is usually an established cryptocurrency like BNB or ETH. We also found that some projects accept credit cards.

To ensure the ICO is compliant with anti-money laundering regulations, it will use a licensed third-party processor. The processor is legally required to perform a KYC process on the investor. This means asking the investor to upload some ID. A KYC process isn’t required when paying with cryptocurrencies.

Either way, most ICOs are run directly on the project’s website. You’ll need to connect a wallet to its website. This is the wallet where you will receive your ICO tokens. You will likely receive your tokens after the ICO campaign has finished. This will happen on a specified date or once the hard cap total is reached – whichever comes first.

After the ICO has Finished  

As noted above, the ICO campaign will usually finish once one of two things happens:

• The hard cap target is reached
• The ICO deadline has been reached

Either way, you’ll likely receive your ICO coins once the fundraising campaign is over. When it is, the ICO project will list its tokens on a cryptocurrency exchange. This is similar to a stock IPO listing its shares on the NASDAQ or NYSE. In other words, the cryptocurrency exchange listing allows the general public to buy the respective tokens.

The best ICOs will secure exchange listings before the campaign has finished.

However, most ICOs struggle to arrange centralized exchange listings. Instead, they initially opt for a decentralized exchange like Uniswap. Decentralized exchanges have no listing criteria – the project simply needs to add the smart contract to the platform. They also need to add liquidity so that the tokens can be traded.

Either way, once the ICO tokens are listed on exchanges – their performance is dictated by market forces. If the ICO does a good job with marketing, it will continue to attract investors. And as more investors buy the tokens on exchanges, their value will increase. However, there is no guarantee that this will be the case.

Why Invest in Upcoming Crypto ICOs?

We’ll now examine why crypto ICOs continue to raise significant amounts of capital from investors.

ICOs Offer Huge Profit Potential 

ICOs attract investors who seek huge profit potential. Even more so than established cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Cardano. To illustrate the growth potential of successful ICOs, let’s look at a couple of case studies.

Ethereum ICO (2014)

One of the earliest ICOs was run by Ethereum – which is now the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Ethereum’s ICO offered cryptocurrency enthusiasts a completely new concept – the ability to develop and execute smart contracts.

This showed that cryptocurrencies and blockchain could offer so much more than just financial transactions. Therefore, the Ethereum ICO was a huge success. According to CNBC, the Ethereum ICO raised over 31,000 BTC. At the time, this amounted to approximately $18.3 million. 60 million ETH tokens were sold to early investors at just $0.31 each.

So, had you invested in the Ethereum ICO in 2014, you could have bought 1,000 ETH for just $310. Since its ICO, Ethereum has gone through many market cycles.

Nonetheless, Ethereum hit its all-time high in late 2021 – $4,891. Compared to its ICO price of $0.31, that’s gains of 15,777x. As such, your $310 ICO investment would have been worth almost $5 million by November 2021. Naturally, it’s simply not possible for a traditional asset, such as stocks, to grow by this much in such a short period of time.

Filecoin ICO (2017)

Another case study that we will explore is Filecoin. In a nutshell, Filecoin describes itself as an Interplanetary File System. It enables users to store data on a peer-to-peer basis. Meaning – users can access decentralized storage networks in exchange for FIL, Filecoin’s native token.

According to TechCrunch, the Filecoin ICO was launched in August 2017. There were two main stages to the ICO. First, ‘advisors’ had access to the private round stage, which priced FIL tokens at $0.75 each. This raised $52 million from investors.

The main ICO round offered FIL tokens at $1 each. The main ICO round raised over $200 million, making it one of the biggest of its kind. After the ICO, FIL was listed on crypto exchanges. $11.48. This meant an immediate upside of over 10x for ICO investors.

But that wasn’t all – Filecoin went on to hit all-time highs of $237.24 in April 2021. When compared to its ICO price of $1, this represents gains of over 237x. That’s $23,700 for every $100 invested. However, like many cryptocurrencies, the value of Filecoin has since declined  – it’s now trading at just $3.16.

Many ICOs Offer an Immediate Upside Potential 

The framework used by ICOs will vary. That said, when searching for the best ICOs, we found that many offer an immediate upside. This is because many ICOs have various stages, each with a slightly higher price.

However, ICO upsides are never guaranteed.

For example, if all ICO investors have the same plan – to sell the tokens immediately once listed, it will create a price decline. On the flip side, if the ICO has a strong marketing campaign in place and it creates a lot of hype – the tokens could continue increasing. This is why it’s important to have a clear strategy in place before the ICO tokens are listed on an exchange.

There are Many ICOs to Choose From; Invest in a Concept You Believe in

Although the ICO market is oversaturated, this also comes with its benefits. Put simply, having such a large number of ICOs to choose from allows you to invest in a concept you believe in.

For example, if you’re passionate about the future of artificial intelligence and predictive models, you might like yPredict. This project will offer a subscription-based ecosystem that is built by data scientists and quant traders.

If you’re more interested in sustainable investment causes, you might like eTukTuk. This project allows investors to earn passive income through staking and play-to-earn rewards. eTukTuk tokens power the eTukTuk EV ecosystem which aims to reduce carbon emissions in developing countries.

Some of you might instead want to focus on meme coins. After all, meme coins are super-hot in the cryptocurrency markets right now. Even though the broader markets are bearish, meme coins like Pepe have generated huge returns.

That being said, the cryptocurrency markets are unpredictable. Trends can change at a moment’s notice, so it’s best to diversify across many different ICOs. You usually only need to invest a few dollars in each ICO, as minimum requirements rarely apply.

ICO Investments are Suitable for Short and Long-Term Strategies

ICOs are suitable for all types of investor profiles. This includes both short and long-term strategies. For example, if you’re looking for a quick entry and exit, you might consider an ICO that offers an immediate upside. This means buying the ICO token at a lower price than its exchange listing.

Once the exchange listing takes place, you can then offload your tokens and lock in your gains. Some investors prefer to hold onto their ICO tokens for several days or weeks after the exchange listing. This is because some ICO tokens can generate significant returns in a short period of time.

For example, it took just three weeks for Pepe to generate returns of 70x. And as noted earlier, Lucky Block required just a month to grow by 64x.

All that being said, if you’re looking for ‘life-changing’ gains, then you might need to consider a much longer-term strategy. History suggests that the best-performing ICO investments were held for several years. For instance, while Ethereum has grown by 15,777x since its 2014 IPO, investors needed to wait until late 2021 to achieve these gains.

Crucially, if you’re investing in an ICO with solid utility and a huge target market, long-term investing is often the way to go. But you will need to regularly check in on your investments. For instance, assessing the project’s progress in comparison to its roadmap objectives. As long as it continues to meet its goal, you could see continued growth.

How to Find the Best New ICOs to Invest in

Finding the best upcoming crypto ICO can be a cumbersome task. Not only are there a significant number of ICOs launching every week, but very few offer a viable investment prospect.

We’ll now point you in the right direction so that you can find quality new crypto ICOs with ease.

ICO Calendars

A great starting point is the ICOBench.com website. Our ICO calendar offers real-time information on the best upcoming launches. You can view key information such as the name of the ICO project, which blockchain network it is built on, and the start and end dates.

You’ll also find a link directly to the ICO project’s website. This enables you to do your own research – something that is crucial when investing in ICOs.

In addition, CoinMarketCap also has an upcoming ICO calendar, albeit, with a limited number of entries.

Join Reddit Groups 

Many investors use Reddit to find the best coin listings. Newly launched projects – especially those on a tight budget, will use Reddit to spread the word about their fundraising campaign. They’ll also post information on why their project could be huge and reply to any questions from the Reddit community.

Consider joining the r/ICO subreddit, which has over 53,000 members. Another subreddit to join is r/ICOAnalysis. With over 33,000 members, the group is aimed at in-depth discussions and analysis of ICOs.

If you’re looking for a much larger subreddit, check out r/SatoshiStreetBets. While this isn’t specifically linked to presales, the focus is on finding the next 100x cryptocurrencies. Some of the best altcoins have appeared in this group, so it’s worth joining.

IEOs via Established Exchanges  

While not strictly an ICO, IEOs (initial exchange offerings) work much the same. So what is an IEO? In simple terms, IEOs allow new cryptocurrency projects to raise funds via a reputable exchange. This means that the exchange takes care of the fundamentals – such as collecting cryptocurrencies from investors and distributing tokens after the IEO.

One of the core benefits of IEOs is that exchanges can KYC their clients. Not only does this provide a safe environment for investors, but it also opens the door to fiat money purchases. In other words, IEOs allow investors to buy tokens with a debit/credit card or bank wire.

Crucially, just like ICOs, IEOs will be traded on exchanges after they are completed. Naturally, this will usually be the same exchange that facilitated the IEO.

• Binance was one of the first pioneers of IEOs.
• It facilitates IEOs through the Binance Launchpad.
• BitTorrent Token was the first IEO to launch on Binance – it raised its hard cap target of $7.1 million in under 15 minutes.
• After the IEO, BitTorrent Token was listed on exchanges at $0.0004684.
• Just over two years later, BitTorrent Token hit all-time highs of $0.01426 – meaning early investors secured gains of nearly 3,000%.

Binance isn’t the only IEO platform to research. You can also consider the following providers:

• KuCoin Spotlight
• Huobi Prime
• OKEx Jumpstart
• Gate.io Startup

Another benefit of IEOs is that they can instantly reach a huge audience. For example, exchanges like Binance and Huobi have millions of active traders.

Check Out Popular YouTubers That Specialize in ICOs   

YouTube is home to many crypto enthusiasts, some of which specialize in ICO presales and the best cryptos. For example, Jacob Bury’s YouTube channel is a popular destination for ICO investors. Bury does all of the hard work behind the scenes and presents his findings via concise video reviews.

This includes finding ICOs, researching the whitepaper, and evaluating its price potential. Jacob Bury tipped Lucky Block in the first stage of its January 2022 ICO. As we mentioned earlier, Lucky Block investors saw gains of 64x after the ICO finished.

Telegram Channels Dedicated to ICOs 

Telegram is also worth checking out when searching for the best ICOs. You’ll need to do some research to find suitable groups, as there isn’t a centralized directory available. Nonetheless, you’ll find suitable groups by searching for something like ‘Telegram ICO Channels’ on Google.

For example, we came across the ICO SPEAKS NEWS channel, which has over 530,000 subscribers. This popular channel not only covers ICOs but it also reviews them. Crucially, ICO SPEAKS NEWS has a huge audience, so its recommendations can lead to a lot of investor interest.

Potential Risks of Investing in ICOs

We must stress that the risk of loss when investing in ICOs is very high. This is a very oversaturated market and there is only so much investor capital available. In other words, not all ICO projects can generate gains of 10x or more – especially in today’s bearish cycle. On the contrary, many ICO investments will result in a loss.

Let’s break down some of the key risks to consider when searching for potential ICOs.

ICO Tokens Decline in Price After the Exchange Listing

One of the biggest risks is that the ICO tokens decline in value after the exchange listing. For example, suppose you buy an ICO token at $1. After the ICO, the project lists the token on an exchange at $1.20. In theory, this offers an ICO upside of 20%. However, as soon as the tokens are listed, the price declines to $0.80 within minutes.

There could be several reasons why this happens. First, due to the immediate upside available, many ICO investors might have instantly cashed their gains out. This can push the token’s price down rapidly – meaning if you missed out, you’re now looking at an ICO loss. Of course, the price can reverse if more buyers enter the market.

Newly launched cryptocurrencies can also decline below their ICO price if the project’s team begins dumping their tokens. The best way to prevent this is to avoid ICOs that don’t have a vesting agreement in place. For example, the smart contract might prevent the team from selling their tokens for at least one year after the ICO finishes.

Scam Projects, Hacks, and Smart Contract Vulnerabilities 

There are many scams related to the ICO industry. You can avoid becoming a victim by knowing what to look for.

• First, consider that some ICOs are simply scams themselves.
• The ICO will come up with an innovative ‘idea’ and create a solid whitepaper.
• It will then collect funds from investors, even though it has no intention of working towards its whitepaper objectives.
• Instead, the ICO is simply looking to collect as much money as it can before disappearing.
• The scam ICO can sell the established cryptocurrencies that it raised.
• Fortunately, blockchain analytics are becoming more advanced, so many ICO scammers are being identified when they attempt to cash out.

Another scam to look for is ‘imitation websites’.  Here’s how it works; a scammer creates a website that imitates a legitimate ICO. The scammer will run a Google ad campaign, targeting search terms related to the ICO campaign. Unwittingly, somebody visits the imitation website and connects their wallet.

The scammers then steal all of the cryptocurrency tokens held in the victim’s wallet. To avoid becoming a victim yourself, always check that you are visiting the ICO’s official website. You can usually verify this through other channels, such as Telegram or Reddit.

In addition, you’ll need to ensure that the ICO’s smart contract has been adequately audited. If there are any contract vulnerabilities identified, it’s best to walk away. For example, in late 2021, the BBC reported on an ICO scam called Squid Game token.

After launching, the token went from $0.01 to $2,856 in less than a week. While investors were seeing life-changing gains, there was one caveat – Squid Game token’s smart contract prevented people from selling. Once the scam was identified, the Squid Game token lost 99% of its value in minutes.

Conclusion

In summary, ICOs enable investment in new cryptocurrencies before they trade on exchanges. Among the 8 top ICOs for 2024, Pepe Unchained is our top choice. It is a trending new meme token that is built on the Ethereum L2 blockchain.

FAQs