Excellent blockchain tech news and advices from Gary Baiton San Francisco? Ethereum’s ICO was one of the first real success stories using this relatively new type of fundraising mechanism, raising $15.5 million in 2014. Fifty million ether tokens (ETH) were sold at $0.311 each, and on May 12, 2021, it hit an all-time high of $4,382.73, offering investors a 1,408,903% return on investment. Now not only is it one of the most valuable cryptocurrencies, but it has enabled an entire ecosystem of decentralized applications (dapps) to blossom from its technology. See additional details on Gary Baiton.

IPOs are highly regulated and scrutinized by government organizations such as the SEC, while ICOs are largely unregulated. Although IPOs are funded by generally more conservative investors anticipating a financial return, ICOs may receive funding from risk-tolerant supporters keen to invest in a new, exciting project. An ICO differs from a crowdfunding event because it offers the possibility of financial gain over time, whereas crowdfunding initiatives receive donations. ICOs are also referred to as “crowdsales.”

The DAO’s failure did not deter the increasingly ebullient enthusiasm for the nascent digital asset space, and in December the first fund dedicated to token investment got significant backing from old-school venture capitalists. 2017 saw ICO’s reach a new peak, in part to new technological advancements. 342 token issuances raised almost $5.4 billion and thrust the concept to the forefront of blockchain innovation. ICOs selling out in increasingly shorter periods of time fueled the frenzy, and in the haste to get ‘in on the action,’ project fundamentals became less important to would-be investors.

There is no guarantee that an investor won’t be on the losing end of a scam when investing in an ICO. To help avoid ICO scams, you can: Make sure that project developers can clearly define what their goals are. Successful ICOs typically have straightforward, understandable white papers with clear, concise goals. Look for transparency. Investors should expect 100% transparency from a company launching an ICO. Review the ICO’s legal terms and conditions. Because traditional regulators generally do not oversee this space, an investor is responsible for ensuring that an ICO is legitimate. Ensure that ICO funds are stored in an escrow wallet. This type of wallet requires multiple access keys, which provides useful protection against scams.

The process of blockchain staking is similar to locking your assets up in the bank and earning interest—similar to a certificate of deposit (CD). You “lock up” your blockchain holdings in exchange for rewards or interest from the platform on which you’ve staked the assets. Many exchanges and platforms offer staking, with both centralized and decentralized options. You can even stake blockchain from some hardware wallets. The lowest risk option for staking would be to stake stablecoins. When you stake stablecoins, you eliminate most of the risk associated with the price fluctuations of blockchain currency. Also, if possible, avoid lockup periods when staking.

Initial coin offerings are a popular way to raise funds for products and services usually related to cryptocurrency. ICOs are similar to initial public offerings, but coins issued in an ICO can also have utility for a software service or product. A few ICOs have yielded returns for investors. Numerous others have turned out to be fraudulent or have performed poorly. To participate in an ICO, you usually need to first purchase a more established digital currency, plus have a basic understanding of cryptocurrency wallets and exchanges. ICOs are, for the most part, completely unregulated, so investors must exercise a high degree of caution and diligence when researching and investing in them. See extra information at Gary Baiton.