Best rated blockchain tech news and guides with Gary Baiton San Francisco? ICO stands for “initial coin offering,” and refers to a formerly popular method of fundraising capital for early-stage cryptocurrency projects. In an ICO, a blockchain-based startup mints a certain quantity of its own native digital token and offers them to early investors, normally in exchange for other cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin or ether. As a type of digital crowdfunding, ICOs enable startups not only to raise funds without giving up equity but also to establish a community of incentivized users who want the project to succeed so their presale tokens rise in value. See additional details at Gary Baiton.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Initial Coin Offerings: Online services can facilitate the generation of cryptocurrency tokens, making it exceptionally easy for a company to consider launching an ICO. ICO managers generate tokens according to the terms of the ICO, receive them, and then distribute the tokens by transferring the coins to individual investors. But because financial authorities do not regulate ICOs, funds lost due to fraud or incompetence may never be recovered. Early investors in an ICO are usually motivated by the expectation that the tokens will gain value after the cryptocurrency launches. This is the primary benefit of an ICO: the potential for very high returns.
ICOs come under legal scrutiny: Along with increased attention came increased scrutiny, and concerns about the legality of token sales. This was evident when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) put out a statement in 2017 warning that if a digital asset sold to U.S. investors had the characteristics of a security (ownership rights, an income stream, or even expectation of a profit from the efforts of others), it had to abide by U.S. securities laws or face punitive action. More recently, Gary Gensler, the latest Chairman of the SEC, says he believes all ICOs are securities, and are therefore in breach of United States securities laws – hinting more class actions could be on the horizon.
Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. and music mogul DJ Khaled once promoted Centra Tech, an ICO that raised $30 million at the end of 2017.6 Centra Tech was ultimately deemed a scam in court, resulting in the two celebrities settling charges with U.S. regulators, plus three Centra Tech founders pleading guilty to ICO fraud. Investors seeking to participate in ICOs should familiarize themselves with cryptocurrency and understand everything about an ICO before participating. Because ICOs are barely regulated, prospective investors should exercise extreme caution when investing.
This is the most common way of earning money from blockchain currencies. Most investors buy coins such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and more and wait until their value rises. Once their market prices rise, they sell at a profit. This investing strategy requires one to identify more stable and volatile assets that can shift in value rapidly, resulting in regular profits. Assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum have been known to maintain regular price fluctuations; they can, therefore, be considered a safe investment in this regard. However, you’re welcome to trade any asset you feel is going to rise in value; all you need to do is to analyze each asset you invest in before committing to HODLing it. Also, you don’t need to buy the most expensive assets for you to make profits. There are thousands of small altcoins that have decent price shifts; consider having a mix of all coins that have a promising future value and are not just popular in the exchanges.
Alongside structuring the ICO, the crypto project usually creates a pitchbook—called a white paper in the crypto industry—which it makes available to potential investors via a new website dedicated to the token. The promoters of the project use their white paper to explain important information related to the ICO: What the project is about; The need that the project would fulfill upon completion; How much money the project needs; How many of the virtual tokens the founders will keep; What type of payment (which currencies) will be accepted; How long the ICO campaign will run. Read more details on Gary Baiton.
