The Dawn of Democratized Launchpads in 2022
Published: 2022-04-18 08:38:07

If you were into crypto 4-5 years ago, you probably remember the Initial Coin Offering (ICO) craze. At that time, a lot of new exciting projects appeared. Some of these projects have generated staggering returns within weeks or months.

While many ICO-funded projects have been unsuccessful, some have been successful. Blockchain platforms such as Ether, Polkadot, and Cardano can be distinguished. Each of them is in the top 30 largest crypto assets by market capitalization.

The average ICO generated unimaginable returns of over 1300% for short-term investors: it made them incredibly attractive investment opportunities despite questionable long-term results overall.

However, there were also problems. It was pretty challenging to accurately measure the project's potential due to the huge number of ICOs and hype. It often was just a matter of luck, connections, or significant investment to secure a slot.

## Go-ahead times

Everything began to change drastically 2-3 years ago with the advent of the Binance Launchpad. It provided a unique path that opened up mass projects at their earliest stages.

While the Binance Launchpad may have started the democratic cryptocurrency crowdfunding space, it has become less accessible due to the need to hold large amounts of BNB to secure a reasonable size allocation from its IDOs.

2021 was also a remarkable year due to the advent of many platforms. These projects shared the same goal: to democratize access to the next generation of crypto startups and protocols. 

Democratized launchpads provide access to new opportunities. Hundreds and even thousands of users get a chance to participate and are also eligible for guaranteed distribution, depending on the specifics of each platform. These projects are also manually verified; they help reduce fraud and other mess around.

## More about the launchpad industry

The launchpad industry is filled with various platforms, many of which aim to launch projects on specific blockchains or in particular sectors. While there is usually a set of platforms that provide launchpad services for each blockchain, some have come to dominate their chains, absorbing most of the quality projects.

There are many kinds of launchpads available in the market now. They aim to help new crypto projects to have successful launches. For example, DAO Maker dominated the Ethereum project landscape by launching powerful projects such as XCAD Network, Opulous, Orion Money, GameFi, and DeRace. BSCPad is generally considered the launchpad for Binance Smart Chain projects due to successes such as NFTLaunch, BitOrbit, WagyuSwap, etc.

Other blockchains also have their own outstanding launchpads. One of them is Solanium, a Solana-focused launchpad that has hosted successful Project SEED, Cryowar, and DeFi Land projects. Avalaunch is a really great one as well. It launched a number of in-demand assets in the Avalanche ecosystem.

[BullPerks](https://bullperks.com), [GamesPad] (https://gamespad.io), Red Kite are some of the recent entrants in the launchpad and IDO market. BullPerks is a decentralized VC community with multichain functionality. BullPerks aims to provide equitable access to investment opportunities for everyone interested in crypto-related startups. GamesPad is not only a gaming, metaverse, and NFT ecosystem; it is also a holistic platform that guides game startups from a concept to execution and public launch. In addition, it provides real opportunities for retail buyers to invest in the future built by the most potent GameFi projects. As for Red Kite, it is helping investors participate in the transparent token sale for the new crypto projects. 

## Bottom line

Launchpads have become mainstream over the past few years, benefiting both startups in need of funds and crypto investors. Launchpads give mid-sized investors access to opportunities that were previously only available to venture capitalists and other large investors. However, it is clear why many want to invest in launchpad projects. Who wants to miss a unique opportunity to access new potentially successful crypto projects? 

However, it is essential to choose a good launchpad. As we move further into the bull market, the gap in quality will only widen. This can be a problem for less-experienced traders and investors, who may suffer losses by trusting their funds to a growing number of launchpads that will not be able to gain a foothold in the market.