Initial Coin Offering
Noun · Startup & VC
Definitions
A fundraising method where a project sells newly issued tokens to the public or early participants, often before the product is fully mature. ICOs were a defining mechanism of the 2017 crypto boom and its regulatory backlash.
In plain English: A way of raising money by selling crypto tokens early.
Example: "The team rejected an initial coin offering because they wanted a regulated equity path instead."