# ICO

> Initial coin offering. An early sale where a project raises money by selling its new token.

Canonical URL: https://fudfomo.co/glossary/ico
Source: What The Block! Dictionary v1.0 (last updated 2026-04-25), browsable at https://wtb.fudfomo.co.

## Definition

ICO stands for initial coin offering. It is a way for a crypto project to raise money by selling its token to the public, usually before the product is finished.

ICOs were extremely common in 2017 and led to a lot of regulatory action when many projects failed or turned out to be scams. Today, similar fundraises happen under different names and are heavily watched by regulators.

## Regulatory context

In many jurisdictions a token sale can count as an offering of securities, with strict registration and disclosure requirements. Always verify the legal status before participating.

## Related terms

- [Token](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/token): A unit of value created on top of an existing blockchain like Ethereum.
- [Tokenomics](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/tokenomics): The economic design of a token: total supply, how it is distributed, and how it changes over time.
- [Whitepaper](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/whitepaper): A document that explains how a crypto project works and why it should exist.

## See the full catalogue

What The Block! covers more than 2,000 plain-English crypto terms, delivered as embeddable hover-state tooltips for crypto exchanges. https://wtb.fudfomo.co