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Samuel is an experienced copywriter and editor, working as Head of Content at a UK-based digital marketing agency. Since completing his Creative Writing degree in 2021, Samuel has produced educational content and marketing copy for some of the world's largest centralized exchanges and Web3 projects. Outside of work, Samuel is heavily invested in the cryptocurrency space, including as an early investor in several DeFi companies.
Ruby is a seasoned Editor with 5 years of experience working in the cryptocurrency space. She currently works as a Crypto Content Editor for BanklessTimes with a focus on creating informative content that helps our readers navigate cryptocurrency with confidence. Ruby discovered crypto whilst working as a freelance writer at University. She has been passionate about shedding light on crypto and DeFi through valuable content ever since. Before joining the team at BanklessTimes, Ruby worked on a number of established finance sites including The Motley Fool, TradingPlatforms.com, StockApps, ICOBench, and MoneyMagpie.com.
Ruby is a seasoned Editor with 5 years of experience working in the cryptocurrency space. She currently works as a Crypto Content Editor for BanklessTimes with a focus on creating informative content that helps our readers navigate cryptocurrency with confidence. Ruby discovered crypto whilst working as a freelance writer at University. She has been passionate about shedding light on crypto and DeFi through valuable content ever since. Before joining the team at BanklessTimes, Ruby worked on a number of established finance sites including The Motley Fool, TradingPlatforms.com, StockApps, ICOBench, and MoneyMagpie.com.
Crypto investors are constantly looking for new investment opportunities. Buying a cryptocurrency early, potentially at a discount, is one of the best ways for investors to get involved in a new project before it’s had a chance to be listed on crypto exchanges.
However, it’s not always clear which upcoming ICOs are worth investing in, or even what an Initial Coin Offering is. So, I’ve taken some time to discuss the best upcoming ICOs, explaining what they are and how they work.
Here is an overview of why we chose the top 3 ICO projects as the best ICOs to buy in 2024.
1. iDEGEN
iDEGEN is an experimental cryptocurrency project shaped by artificial intelligence (AI). Centered around the @iDEGEN_AI Twitter (X) account, iDEGEN is an AI shaped by community engagement.
iDEGEN posts a tweet every hour, on the hour, and uses interactions (comments, tweets, etc.) to learn and adapt. The team behind iDEGEN created the AI, set the wheels in motion, and have since left it to grow and follow its own path, depending on cryptocurrency investors.
The iDEGEN ICO is a chance for investors to invest in the project before it’s listed on exchanges in early January. Not only is it an opportunity for investors to purchase $IDGN tokens early, the iDEGEN presale uses an adaptive auction structure that allows investors to determine the price of $IDGN. This makes it one of the most exciting crypto presales to participate in 2024.
There are 11,111,111,111 $IDGN tokens in total, 90% of which can be purchased during the iDEGEN ICO. The price of $IDGN is adjusted every five minutes based on demand, rising or falling depending on how many consecutive purchases were made during the previous five-minute period.
$IDGN is built on Solana, which means that investors can purchase $IDGN tokens using Solana (SOL) tokens.
Vantard is a “Meme Index Fund” that provides investors with the opportunity to gain exposure to the world’s top meme coins. Vantard works in a similar manner to the funds created by popular investment management platform Vanguard; the Vantard team have created a “Vantard Meme Portfolio” that invests in the cycle’s biggest meme coins. By purchasing $VTARD, investors will be instantly exposed to the portfolio’s price movements.
Buying $VTARD is therefore an easier way of experiencing the price movements of the meme coin sector, without needing to search for individual meme coin investments. $VTARD acts as a standalone, tradable token, but investors can also swap their $VTARD holdings for any of the investments included within the Vantard portfolio.
Vantard is also very transparent with their portfolio allocation, which means that investors are always aware of the meme coins being bought and sold.
To buy $VTARD during the Vantard ICO, investors can use ETH, SOL, BSC, USDC or USDT. The price of $VTARD tokens will increase as the ICO progresses, so earlier investors will be offered tokens at a lower price.
Dogizen is a crypto project hoping to redefine Telegram gaming and take advantage of a platform with almost 1 billion users. Dogizen offers a dog-themed social gaming experience and is preparing to make Web3 more accessible for regular users.
Developers can take advantage of the Dogizen Launchpad and the open-source Dogizen Software Development Kit (SDK) to create Web3-friendly Telegram games as part of the Dogizen Universe.
Dogizen MVP is a tap-to-earn Telegram game that has already accumulated more than 1 million users. The Dogizen team is looking to expand this Universe and create a user-first ads platform that enables players to earn revenue by engaging with brands that they’re genuinely interested in.
The team is also launching the world’s first Telegram ICO, during which 100 billion DOGIZ tokens are available for investors to purchase. There is a total supply of 1 trillion DOGIZ tokens, and so only 10% of the token’s supply is available for early purchasing.
#If you don’t want to buy DOGIZ directly through the Telegram app, you can also purchase tokens during the ICO via the official Dogizen website.
If you’re looking for upcoming ICOs in December 2024, there are lots of fantastic options to consider. Here are a few other ICOs that stood out to me during my research process.
1. Magic Eden
Magic Eden is a popular marketplace for non-fungible tokens. Originally created exclusively for the Solana blockchain, Magic Eden has since expanded to become a multi-chain marketplace available for buying and selling NFTs on the following networks:
Bitcoin
Ethereum
Base Chain
ApeChain
Polygon
Arbitrum
Magic Eden enables users to access NFT minting, advanced analytics and charting, collection trait offers, and more. The platform has achieved almost $2 billion in secondary trading volume across more than 8,000 NFT collections.
As well as accessing some huge NFT collections – including CryptoPunks, Bored Ape Yacht Club and Azuki – users can find upcoming drops using the Magic Eden NFT Drops Calendar.
With proven success, Magic Eden is undoubtedly one of the best upcoming ICOs. Having already raised almost $160 million in four funding rounds, the Magic Eden ICO will allow investors to purchase Magic Eden’s native Solana-based token ($ME) from December 10th, 2024.
Magic Eden is planning to build a cross-chain, mobile-native decentralized application (dApp) in an attempt to make digital ownership universal. $ME will help to facilitate this by rewarding users for trading assets via Magic Eden. There is a total supply of 1 billion $ME tokens, the majority of which will be allocated to the Magic Eden community.
2. Flockerz
Flockerz ($FLOCK) is “The People’s Meme Coin”. Utilizing a revolutionary vote-to-earn platform, Flockerz plans to put the power in the hands of its community: “the Flock”.
Flockerz prioritizes decentralization over anything, and Flocktopia, the project’s decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), gives the Flockerz community the ability to vote on decisions about the future of the project, while earning rewards for doing so.
In terms of a long-term plan, the Flockerz team have created a roadmap that outlines some of the key plans for the project. This includes community growth, key partnerships and token listings, as well as the launch of the unique vote-to-earn mechanism.
The $FLOCK presale is one of the best upcoming ICOs available for investors, with 20% of all tokens being allocated as “Early Bird Catch”. As time goes on, the price of presale $FLOCK tokens will increase, so early investors are rewarded with discounted tokens. During the ICO, investors can purchase $FLOCK tokens with ETH or with fiat currency using Web3Payments.
3. FreeDum Fighters
FreeDum Fighters is a “#PolitiFi” project that plays on American politics. It is described as the “Ultimate Showdown” between MAGATRON (based on Donald Trump) and Kamacop 9000 (based on Kamala Harris). It is a satirical, gamified project inspired by the recent US presidential election.
Users can stake the FreeDum Fighters’ meme coin ($DUM) by choosing either MAGATRON or Kamacop 9000. Depending on which character is in the lead, the other staking pool will offer higher rewards.
FreeDum Fighters hosts weekly debates, during which holders can participate and “inflate your chosen candidate’s ego”.
The FreeDum Fighters ICO allows investors to purchase tokens using ETH, BNB, BASE, SOL, USDT or USDC. The total number of $DUM tokens allocated to the presale is 108 billion which is 40% of the total supply. The ICO is split into four stages:
Phase One: The Primaries – 20% of presale allocation
Phase Two: The Caucus – 25% of presale allocation
Phase Three: Convention – 30% of presale allocation
Phase Four: The General Election – 25% of presale allocation
4. Doge2014
Doge2014 is a meme coin project that was created in celebration of Dogecoin’s 10-year anniversary.
Holders can benefit from stake-to-earn rewards and easy wallet integration, thanks to Doge2014’s EVM-compatibility. In terms of the Doge2014 roadmap, the team plans to expand the Doge2014 community through marketing campaigns, partnerships and social media engagement.
The Doge2014 coin launch is one of the best upcoming ICOs, with investors able to purchase DOGE2014 tokens using ETH or USDT. Alternatively, it’s possible to buy DOGE2014 using fiat payments, thanks to Web3Payments. Additionally, when purchasing DOGE2014 through the ICO, investors can qualify for a bonus of up to 75%, depending on how many tokens they buy.
There is a total supply of 100 billion DOGE2014 tokens, 60% of which are allocated to the community during the presale/ICO – this demonstrates the team’s focus on the community.
6. Pepe Unchained
Pepe Unchained, the “future of meme coins”, is a Layer 2 blockchain built on the Ethereum blockchain. Claiming to be 100x faster than Ethereum, Pepe Unchained is fast, secure, and has low transaction fees.
The $PEPU token, which can be purchased during the upcoming ICO, powers the Pepe Unchained ecosystem. This ecosystem includes a range of different elements, such as:
Block Explorer – A system of verifying transactions
Staking – To earn rewards on $PEPU tokens
Dev Grant – For those looking to build on Pepe Unchained
Bridge – Between Ethereum and Pepe Unchained
Decentralized Exchange – For swapping tokens
The Pepe Unchained ICO enables investors to purchase $PEPU tokens using ETH, USDT or by card. There are a total of 8 billion $PEPU tokens, 40% (3.2 billion) of which are allocated to investors as part of the ICO.
7. Crypto All Stars
Crypto All Stars is described as “The First Ever MemeVault”. The MemeVault Ecosystem allows holders of various meme coins to earn rewards through the native $STARS token. Crypto All Stars intends to unify popular meme coins on a single platform using the multi-token capabilities of ERC-1155 tokens.
Essentially, Crypto All Stars will allow meme coin holders to stake different meme coins within the MemeVault, even if these tokens are built on different blockchains.
The $STARS token is the protocol’s native token, and users are incentivized and rewarded for holding $STARS. The more $STARS tokens that somebody holds, the greater their staking rewards.
The Crypto All Stars ICO allows investors to buy $STARS at a discounted rate. In terms of tokenomics, 20% of the total supply is allocated to investors during the ICO.
What is an ICO?
An ICO, otherwise known as an Initial Coin Offering, is a method of fundraising employed by new Web3 projects. It works in a very similar manner to an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in the traditional finance space.
Typically, crypto companies use ICOs to try and gain the financial resources needed to launch a new project or cryptocurrency. Investors that believe in the long-term potential of the project can buy crypto tokens during an ICO – sometimes at a discounted rate – and earn themselves a “share” in the project.
These tokens will often play a significant role in the project itself, perhaps as a governance or utility token. Investors will buy cryptocurrencies during an ICO in the hopes that the token’s value will increase once the project is launched properly.
How to Find Upcoming ICOs
Finding upcoming ICOs, especially those that have genuine promise, can be difficult, but there are some proven ways of learning about new cryptocurrency projects before they’re launched.
Read the news
Firstly, investors can read the news to learn about upcoming crypto ICOs. It’s unlikely that the mainstream media will report on ICOs – unless they’re expected to have a significant impact on the crypto space – but crypto-centered news sites will likely announce any exciting new product launches.
ICO calendars
Take a look at ICO calendars to see which of the top upcoming ICOs you might be interested in. These sites are specifically designed to provide investors with information about the best crypto presales and ICOs, including:
There are a number of different ICO calendars available, although some of my favorites include ICODrops or CryptoTotem.
Social media
Social media is probably the easiest way of learning about the best upcoming ICOs, or at least those with the most community interest. Although there’s no guarantee that it will see success, if the project has a large following on social media – especially before the project has even launched – then it suggests that other investors see potential in it.
It’s worth following experienced cryptocurrency investors or news platforms on social media platforms such as Twitter (X). You should always do your own research before investing, but social media can be one of the best places to find out about the upcoming ICOs that people are talking about.
How to Know if a New Crypto Project Has Potential?
If you think you’ve found one of the best upcoming ICOs, there are things that you can check to see if the crypto project has true potential.
Utility and tokenomics
One of the most important things to look out for is token use cases and solid tokenomics. First, does this cryptocurrency have real utility, either within the project itself – for staking, governance or transaction fees, for example – or within the real-world? If the project has good potential utility, it’s more likely to see real-world adoption.
Secondly, tokenomics can be used to make estimates about the long-term potential of a cryptocurrency token. Token supply – both circulating and total – will tell you how many crypto tokens will ever exist. Depending on vesting schedules, this is important information that relates to token inflation or deflation.
Also, look to see how tokens are allocated. If most of the tokens are allocated to holders or the community as part of an ICO or presale, this is usually a good sign. On the other hand, if a large percentage of tokens are allocated to the team behind the project, this could be a potential red flag.
My top ICO project for 2024, iDEGEN, is allocating 90% of the token supply to investors and the remaining 10% will be allocated to liquidity.
Roadmap
Roadmaps are used by project developers to keep investors updated with their short-, medium- and/or long-term plans for the project. The more detailed the roadmap, the better. Also, if a project has already ticked items off their roadmap, this could be a good indication that the team is already following through with the goals that they’ve set.
If you have your eye on some upcoming ICOs, check the roadmap to make sure that the team has plans in place regarding:
Marketing
Exchange Listings
Partnerships
Technical Implementations
Viral marketing
New crypto projects, especially those that are holding ICOs, will always need to drum up interest before they launch. Because ICOs are used as a method of fundraising, it’s important that enough investors purchase presale tokens – these funds are typically used to launch the project and implement the things that were promised to investors.
With this in mind, the best crypto projects will market their project as much as possible to try and increase interest before an ICO. Therefore, look for projects that have strong marketing strategies and have successfully gone viral. This is often easier for meme coins, which play on popular online trends, but it’s perfectly possible for utility tokens to achieve virality during their marketing campaigns.
Community support
Community support is one of the key things to look out for when considering buying into an upcoming ICO. If a project has a significant community on social media – specifically Twitter (X), Discord and Telegram – it suggests that people are interested in the cryptocurrency. This could, theoretically, lead to increased interest and trading volume once the project goes live.
Also, if the project has a large following, it could be an indication that people have done their research and are confident that the token is a promising long term crypto.
How to Invest in an ICO
Investing in upcoming ICOs doesn’t need to be difficult. Below, I’ll talk you through the exact steps so you know what to do when you find an ICO that you’re interested in.
Step 1: Research the market
Firstly, and perhaps most obviously, you’ll need to do significant research to make sure you’re confident in a project before you commit real funds to any trades.
Look at the following and make sure that they meet your expectations:
Project Whitepaper
Token Utility
Long-Term Project Roadmap
Tokenomics
Social Media Following
Step 2: Fund your wallet with crypto coins
Once you’ve found a project you’re interested in, you’ll need to fund your wallet with the crypto tokens that you’re going to use to purchase the new cryptocurrency. Make sure you know which tokens will be accepted by the ICO in question.
Typically, the token launch will take place on a specific blockchain – often Ethereum, Solana or BNB Chain. It’s therefore likely, although not guaranteed, that you’ll need a token native to that blockchain in order to purchase tokens during an ICO.
Find out which cryptocurrencies you can use during the ICO, and then buy those on a centralized exchange. Once you’ve done so, transfer them to your personal crypto wallet using the exchange’s “Send” function. Remember to account for any fees that might be incurred during this transaction!
Step 3: Connect your wallet to the ICO
Find the platform being used for the ICO and connect your wallet to it. Usually, this will usually be a really straightforward process – you’ll simply need to find the “Connect Wallet” button, choose the wallet that you’ll be using, and sign to say that you’re happy to connect your crypto wallet to the platform in question.
Step 4: Swap cryptos for ICO coins
Once the ICO is live, swap the crypto that you bought previously for the ICO tokens. You’ll usually be able to choose how many tokens you want to purchase – although the amount you can buy may be limited – and follow the necessary steps to complete the transaction.
After you’ve purchased crypto tokens during an ICO, you may receive them immediately, although it’s often the case that you’ll need to wait until after the Initial Coin Offering has been completed.
Final Thoughts
Initial Coin Offerings can be beneficial for both investors and crypto projects. They provide investors with a way to invest in projects with potential, often at a discounted rate, while also giving developers the means to raise funds for their new project launch.
Just remember, not all upcoming ICOs will earn you a profit – it’s for this reason that you should do your due-diligence and make sure you’re only investing in ICOs that you’re really confident in.
After researching ongoing projects, the best upcoming ICOs to buy in December 2024 include iDEGEN, Vantard and Dogizen. Each of these projects has a promising roadmap and tokenomic design that could lead to long-term potential.
If you are interested in buy iDEGEN before the coin is listed on exchanges, you have until the 1st of January 2025.
You can find upcoming ICOs on various platforms such as ICODrops or CryptoTotem. These sites will have a calendar of upcoming ICOs, as well as any key information that investors should be aware of.
Alternatively, keep an eye on crypto news sites and social media platforms such as X to learn about any ICOs.
What is the most promising ICO?
iDEGEN is potentially one of the most promising ICOs in December 2024. Not only does it play into the popular AI narrative, it’s a truly decentralized project that has the potential to grow in a number of different directions. The tokenomics behind the $IDGN token are solid, with 90% of the total supply being allocated to the iDEGEN community, and the adaptive auction structure means that the token pricing is determined by community interest.
What tokens are launching in 2024?
There are a number of different cryptocurrency tokens being launched through ICOs in 2024. This includes iDEGEN ($IDGN), Vantard ($VTARD), Dogizen (DOGIZ), Magic Eden ($ME) and Flockerz ($FLOCK).
Samuel is an experienced copywriter and editor, working as Head of Content at a UK-based digital marketing agency. Since completing his Creative Writing degree in 2021, Samuel has produced educational content and marketing copy for some of the world's largest centralized exchanges and Web3 projects. Outside of work, Samuel is heavily invested in the cryptocurrency space, including as an early investor in several DeFi companies.
Samuel is an experienced copywriter and editor, working as Head of Content at a UK-based digital marketing agency. Since completing his Creative Writing degree in 2021, Samuel has produced educational content and marketing copy for some of the world's largest centralized exchanges and Web3 projects. Outside of work, Samuel is heavily invested in the cryptocurrency space, including as an early investor in several DeFi companies.