Before we look into how IEOs came about and where to find the latest IEOs, we need to have a quick look in the not so distant past. Those were the days of the primitive crypto market that was still very much in its infancy.

Remember when ICOs were all the rage? Barely a day went by when there wasn’t news of some cryptocurrency project launching their own ICO or Initial Coin Offering. Sure, some of these proved to be very successful and profitable. But, as with all good things, some people came along to spoil the fun.

Seeing the opportunity to make bank, some projects set up ICOs for what they claimed to be the next big thing. It seems that for many, that was all they needed to hear before spending their hard-earned money. Before they knew it, the team behind the ICO project had already run off in what is known as an exit scam. This happened enough times that people became skeptical of all ICOs.

What Is An IEO?

Now that the scene has been set, we can now look into how the IEO came about. An IEO or Initial Exchange Offering takes the concept of an ICO and builds it further. Instead of being handled by some random crypto/blockchain team, the offering takes place through a cryptocurrency exchange, as the name suggests.

Why would anyone trust an IEO after the ICO fallout? Because an IEO leverages on the reputation of the exchange. No exchange would want to tarnish their reputation on holding an IEO for a scam project, as starting up and running a half-decent exchange is no easy task. As such, people generally feel safer taking part in an IEO.

Don’t think that the exchanges are doing this out of their own kindness, mind you. I would imagine there would be some sort of agreement that sees some portion of money change hands. They also get a new listing of a new token not available elsewhere.

Which Exchanges Offer IEOs?

Let’s move on to the main topic of this article: where do IEO take place? Of course, the answer is on cryptocurrency exchanges. However, not all exchanges have the resources or reputation to hold an IEO. Here are a few prominent examples of some exchanges that have held IEOs on their platform.

Binance

I can’t talk about IEOs without mentioning the biggest and most popular exchange. Known as Binance Launchpad, Binance was amongst the first to hold a successful IEO back in early 2019. It saw the likes of BitTorrent and Fetch.AI take part to great success. In fact, many of these early projects saw successful launches that earned those involved a great ROI.

With that, however, many people now want to get involved and make their share of the profits. Adding to that that Binance is one of the biggest names in the game, and you have a formula for an IEO that will sell out in a matter of seconds. Great for the exchange and project, but not so good for those looking to get involved. Otherwise, you can take part in Binance Launchpad with some confidence of success.

KuCoin

KuCoin is no stranger to the IEO game having launched its own initial exchange offering platform KuCoin Spotlight. They have had some interesting projects come through to achieve great results. Only about 5 projects have some through KuCoin Spotlight and it has been a few months since the last IEO.

As another one of the big players in the market, they also see tokens being sold out in a matter of seconds. I guess this is to be expected and is a testament to the interest surrounding IEOs. Thanks to KuCoin’s abundant supply of crypto, namely altcoins, these new tokens will feel right at home amongst the rest. KuCoin is another option that is highly rated and a great option for anyone looking to get involved.

NEXT

Now, this is an interesting one. NEXT.exchange is a relatively new contender in the cryptocurrency exchange market, with the distinct strength of being a hybrid centralized/decentralized exchange. As I talked about previously when looking at this style of exchange, decentralization is the name of the game in the blockchain world, so when I learned of their own IEO launchpad, known as NEXT.genesis, I was intrigued.

So far, they currently have just one IEO under their belt. It is actually still ongoing in fact. Another interesting thing to point out is that the IEO has been set up to sell their own NEXT token. Then there is the fact that they are working in conjunction with P2PB2B exchange for the IEO, where users can buy the tokens from either platform.

If you want to see it for yourself, check out their IEO info page. This is definitely one to be watching.

OKEx

Lastly, let’s have a look at OKEx’s IEO platform. OKEx Jumpstart has held IEOs for around 9 projects so far. These have, of course, proven popular. One aspect that OKEx seems particularly vigilant about is offering a fair and open process. To ensure this, it has made several significant changes to the rules of participation, making one of the more involved platforms to take part on.

One of the most recent and significant overhauls by OKEx regarding its Jumpstart platform saw a change in who is allowed to participate. The exchange will now set aside an allotment of tokens to be sold to ‘OKBelivers’, essentially a subscription service that requires users to trade a certain amount of the exchanges native tokens.

There is also the OKTraders Privilege Allotment that can also be implemented for a sale. I guess these help those who are actively involved on OKEx get some sort of reward for their commitment. This is worth noting if you are interested in any IEO coming up through OKEx Jumpstart.

Should You Take Part In An IEO?

So this is far from an exhaustive list but I think it covers the main players in the market. Between Binance, KuCoin, and OKEx, a significant portion of the IEO market is taken up. I also added in the interesting case of NEXT.exchange, which I think offers a fresh new glimpse of what is to come.

If you are interested in taking part in an IEO at any point, just make sure to do your research and think carefully before getting involved. With the speed at which some of these sell out, you likely don’t have too much of a chance anyway.