Following a two-year frenzy around artificial intelligence, investors are now turning their attention to a fast-growing opportunity in the blockchain space: institutional-grade crypto crowdfunding. Launch platforms such as Bitget LaunchX, Republic, and SeedList are rapidly establishing themselves as the most effective way for Web3 projects to raise funds, activate communities, and launch tokens without relying on traditional VC gatekeepers.
The model is catching fire. Analysts expect more than 100 token offerings in the final six months of 2025 alone. Unlike in past cycles where private deals dominated, today’s narrative favors open participation, global access, and contribution-based allocation. This shift is transforming launchpads from niche utilities into primary infrastructure for early-stage crypto projects.
WalletConnect’s Triple-Platform Launch Marked a Turning Point
One event that highlighted this transformation was the WCT token launch from WalletConnect. It took place across three of the top launch platforms: Bitget LaunchX, CoinList, and Echo.
Bitget LaunchX saw pledges exceeding $170 million and raised its $4 million cap in under two hours.
CoinList attracted more than 18,000 contributors spanning over 100 countries.
Echo’s private round of $500,000 sold out in a record 11 seconds, showcasing both the demand and the platform’s technical efficiency.
CoinList continues to play a key role in compliant token offerings. Born from AngelList, it has helped launch major projects such as Solana, Filecoin, and Flow, and recently Obol, DoubleZero, and Bitlayer. Its karma system rewards long-term user loyalty, making it one of the few platforms with true community retention.
Republic, supported by Galaxy Digital, has distributed more than $120 million through its token sale platform and is among the few to offer yield through its Note token, paying contributors in USDC. This approach appeals to smaller investors who seek real returns without needing huge capital.
Echo, launched by well-known crypto personality Cobie, allows projects to customize every aspect of their launch through its Sonar architecture. But perhaps the most attention-grabbing disruptor right now is SeedList.
SeedList Breaks the Mold by Prioritizing Real Contributors
SeedList, headquartered in Singapore, has rejected the typical VC-first fundraising playbook. Instead of catering to deep-pocketed investment firms, the platform rewards contributors, developers, influencers, and community leaders with early token allocations.
It accomplishes this through a proprietary AI merit engine. SeedList evaluates applicants based on actual contributions, such as community growth, open-source development, translation, and regional ecosystem building. No staking requirements, no lotteries. Just transparent, performance-based access.
This setup resonates especially with global users outside the U.S., many of whom have historically been excluded from early token participation. SeedList is fully non-custodial, with no fiat ramp required. Contributors anywhere in the world can earn their place in early rounds by demonstrating real value to the network.
“We believe the people growing ecosystems should have first access, not just the ones writing checks,” said Rosa Pagani, SeedList co-founder and CEO of WhiteBIT Australia. “We studied the success of platforms like CoinList and Echo, but built SeedList to reward what matters most: contribution and impact.”
Similar to Kaito and CoinList, SeedList is also backed by industry heavyweights, Rosa Pagani, CEO of WhiteBIT Australia, a division of the $18 billion WhiteBIT Global, Europe’s largest crypto exchange with 8 million users, as well as Brijesh Patel, former partner at Pronomos Capital, a decentralized city VC backed by the likes of Marc Andreessen (a16z), Balaji Sreenivasan (Coinbase CTO), the Winklevoss twins (Gemini and Facebook), and Naval Ravikant (founder of AngelList, parent of CoinList).
A renowned Solana ecosystem advisor, CryptoSheldon, put it bluntly: “2025 and 2026 will be the years of contributor-led platforms. Launchpads like SeedList are shifting value to the people actually driving adoption.”
Launchpads Are Now Strategic Infrastructure, Not Just Fundraisers
The best launch platforms have evolved far beyond fundraising utilities. They now offer full-stack services: regulatory compliance, marketing distribution, KYC modules, liquidity options, and even user engagement tools built directly into their protocols.
Republic continues to develop its payout mechanics for early-stage supporters. CoinList remains the global leader for regulated token launches. Kaito is introducing AI-based ranking and allocation tools to match high-value contributors with quality deals. Echo’s modularity lets any project team run a tailored, optimized sale.
But SeedList stands apart for how it handles access itself. While most platforms focus on launch mechanics, SeedList focuses on the people behind the traction, rewarding hands-on ecosystem builders with allocation priority.
That’s why SeedList is seeing growing interest from contributors across Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Its meritocratic system is leveling the playing field in a space long dominated by well-connected insiders.
As Q3 and Q4 approach, many of the most anticipated projects in areas like DePIN, L2 scaling, and decentralized AI infrastructure are preparing to go live through platforms like SeedList, Republic, Bitget LaunchX, and CoinList.
Driving this evolution are names like Cobie (Echo), Yu Hu (Kaito), and CryptoSheldon, who also serves as a co-founder of SeedList. Together, these figures are laying the foundation for what may become the most valuable layer in Web3: the launch layer.
The next bull cycle won’t just reward the best products, it will reward the best platforms for bringing them to market. And SeedList is positioning itself to be at the center of that story.
