The Chain logo

Things ICOs Have Fundraised For

From promising startups to industry behemoths, these are some of the most impressive things ICOs have fundraised for.

By Joseph D. N. KendrickPublished 6 years ago 6 min read
Like
Photo by Icons8 team on Unsplash

The world of blockchain-based platforms and technologies has exploded within just the past few years. One of the central processes that has enabled this proliferation is the concept of initial coin offerings (ICOs). The cryptocurrency market's answer to the initial public offering, ICOs are a form of crowdfunding that allows venture capitalists to purchase an ICO's proprietary tokens in exchange for a monetary investment. This paradigm allows ICO platforms to raise funds for their projects while distributing new forms of blockchain-based digital currency, along with the many other uses for ICO tokens.

Platforms funded by initial coin offerings are faced with heavy risks, but those that have endured have created unspeakable value. Without further ado, here are a few of the most successful things ICOs have fundraised for, from industry behemoths to the most promising recent startups.

NEO

Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash

Often referred to as "China's Ethereum," NEO (formerly known as AntShare) is one of the top smart economy network ICOs in the world. NEO has similar smart contract technology to its cousin Ethereum, but NEO bolsters its platform with digitized identification and assets as well as decentralized commerce. NEO has garnered support from many huge players on the cryptocurrency market, including Microsoft and the Chinese government, so it is well-positioned to be a major player in the world of digital currency and blockchain platforms.

WePower

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

If you take a look at all the things ICOs have fundraised for, you'll find an incredible variety of platforms designed with various goals in mind for the future. One of the most promising new ICOs this year is WePower, which has been successfully raising funds to the tune of over $40 million. WePower's platform is intended to help usher in a new era of green energy. WePower enables green energy developers to raise capital upfront by selling their energy production through Smart Energy Contracts. This ICO already has a strong presence on the international cryptocurrency market, and there's only room to grow.

Truegame

Photo by Jonathan Petersson on Unsplash

One of the most successful ICO-funded blockchain projects of 2018, Truegame is an iGaming platform that functions as an online game room. Truegame's realm is lotteries and gambling-style games. The project started with simple games like digital scratch cards and prize draws, but after having reached its funding goals in the spring of 2018, Truegame plans to expand to include more complex dice- and card-based games for its userbase. When first raising funds as an ICO, Truegame found success through its commitment to transparency, an issue that has plagued many online gaming programs. Truegame accomplishes this by accepting TGAME tokens in exchange for online tickets within the software.

Play2Live

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

Perhaps one of the most unexpected (to me, anyway) pastimes emerging in the past few years is the proliferation of live streaming, especially video game streaming. The industry, however, is positively booming as millions of viewers check in to watch talented gamers play video games from any number of genres. Play2Live represents the first prominent effort to bring the video game streaming community to a blockchain based platform. Designed to overcome bottlenecks and other issues that plague conventional streaming platforms, Play2Live uses an underlying cryptocurrency called Level Up Coin to ensure safe and reliable transactions.

AppCoins

Photo by Rahul Chakraborty on Unsplash

With the wide variety of things ICOs have fundraised for, the development of a cryptocurrency specifically for mobile app purchases should hardly come as a surprise. AppCoins is one of the more promising attempts at filling that hole, providing a platform for users to use ERC-20 compatible tokens to complete mobile purchases. The platform is incredibly nuanced but well-programmed, and it should be: the mobile market industry is one of the fastest-growing in the world. One of the main reasons AppCoins is slated for success is that it facilitates the experiences of both the buyer and the seller. Better efficiency and token value provide great incentives for app developers and sellers, while buyers get to see reliability ratings of the developers they purchase from.

AidCoin

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

AidCoin is a uniquely nonprofit entry into the cryptocurrency market designed to open up communications with charities and charity banks across the globe. The underlying programming and tech has been enthusiastically well-rated by professionals, and AidCoin's team has shown commendable transparency as well, making AidCoin one of the most promising new initial coin offerings of 2018. Thanks to its earned status as a reliable investment, AidCoin reached its fundraising goal in early April 2018, well before its crowdfunding deadline.

Solve.Care

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

In the United States, healthcare is one of the most vital and controversial industries right now. For this reason, the many things ICOs have fundraised for include a number of healthcare based platforms intended to alleviate the myriad issues that plague the industry. Of all the early stage healthcare-based blockchain platforms, Solve.Care is the largest and most promising. Solve.Care's central mission is simply to make it easier for people to get access to the care they need. The platform intends to accomplish this by reducing the administrative burden and speeding up payment by providing blockchain resources to existing healthcare providers.

XYO Network

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

With so many aspects of modern trade being automated and entirely online thanks to the advent of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, a disconnect has formed between the online and real world industries. While the combined cryptocurrency market cap is in the hundreds of billions (peaking at close to $800 billion in early 2018), the "real world" market eclipses this number at nearly $100 trillion. In other words, cryptocurrency has a lot to gain from a reliable connection to the real world. This connection is the central motivation behind XYO Network's platform. XYO Network has spent the past six years developing GPS beacons all over the world in order to bridge the gap between digital currency and the real world.

DreamTeam

Photo by Pawel Kadysz on Unsplash

Like Play2Live, DreamTeam is an ICO designed to embrace the burgeoning esports industry. Unlike Play2Live's mission as a blockchain-based streaming platform, however, DreamTeam is intended to be the first esports and gaming recruitment and management network. Blockchain's security and smart contract technology are a perfect match for the needs of pro gamers and other professionals in the esports industry. In addition to this security, DreamTeam offers a variety of tools to its platform users, including management and coaching software as well as media tools for analytical analysis.

Ethereum

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Any discussion about ICOs and things ICOs have fundraised for is not complete without mentioning the original ICO: Ethereum. One of the first competitors to Bitcoin on the cryptocurrency market, Ethereum stood out thanks to its implementation of smart contract technology. This automated ledger technology allowed Ethereum to grow immensely in size, with tokens valued in the hundreds of dollars. Now the second most valuable cryptocurrency, Ethereum has inspired countless new platforms to follow in its footsteps, blowing the market wide open. Plus, there are signs that Ethereum may overtake Bitcoin in 2018.

ico
Like

About the Creator

Joseph D. N. Kendrick

Writer of words. Haver of cats. joeykendrick.com

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.