initial coin offering
noun
: the first sale of a cryptocurrency to the public conducted for the purpose of raising funds (as to support a start-up)
Coinciding with the substantial growth in cryptocurrencies, companies and individuals increasingly have been using initial coin offerings to raise capital for their businesses and projects.—
Jay Clayton
Jay Claytoncalled also ICO
Examples of initial coin offering in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Back in 2019, the Institute of Risk Management dropped a bombshell: 90% of initial coin offerings (ICOs) and security token offerings (STOs) belly-flopped, with 80% looking like straight-up scams.
—Tomer Warschauer Nuni, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
In 2017, protocols such as decentralized exchanges began to emerge, contributing to the growth of initial coin offerings.
—Cathy Ross, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Despite these challenges, Switzerland remains a hub for innovation, with the successful launch of Ethereum’s initial coin offering (ICO) in 2014 serving as a key example of how regulatory clarity can foster growth in the industry.
—Tonya Evans, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024
Polybius raised $25 million in an initial coin offering from outside investors.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 31 May 2024
Tezos raised $230 million in a 2017 initial coin offering (ICO), and the current market capitalization for its XTZ token is $1.2 billion.
—Steven Ehrlich, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Ethereum, by contrast, conducted a crowdsale in the form of an initial coin offering in mid 2014 and reserved a portion of the 72 million ether created at launch for the founding team led by Buterin.
—Steven Ehrlich, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Elements of this idea bear a relationship to an initially underappreciated benefit of blockchain technology—the financial innovation known as initial coin offerings.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Dec. 2023
As TechCrunch recounts, the Securities and Exchange Commission previously shut down Telegram’s TON initial coin offering, but the foundation that was subsequently founded is these days powering multiple applications on Telegram.
WhatsApp Channels.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 13 Sep. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tomer Warschauer Nuni, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
In 2017, protocols such as decentralized exchanges began to emerge, contributing to the growth of initial coin offerings.
—Cathy Ross, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Despite these challenges, Switzerland remains a hub for innovation, with the successful launch of Ethereum’s initial coin offering (ICO) in 2014 serving as a key example of how regulatory clarity can foster growth in the industry.
—Tonya Evans, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024
Polybius raised $25 million in an initial coin offering from outside investors.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 31 May 2024
Tezos raised $230 million in a 2017 initial coin offering (ICO), and the current market capitalization for its XTZ token is $1.2 billion.
—Steven Ehrlich, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Ethereum, by contrast, conducted a crowdsale in the form of an initial coin offering in mid 2014 and reserved a portion of the 72 million ether created at launch for the founding team led by Buterin.
—Steven Ehrlich, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Elements of this idea bear a relationship to an initially underappreciated benefit of blockchain technology—the financial innovation known as initial coin offerings.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Dec. 2023
As TechCrunch recounts, the Securities and Exchange Commission previously shut down Telegram’s TON initial coin offering, but the foundation that was subsequently founded is these days powering multiple applications on Telegram.
WhatsApp Channels.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 13 Sep. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Initial coin offering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initial%20coin%20offering. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share