Home
Glossary
Initial Exchange Offering (IEO)

Initial Exchange Offering (IEO)

Beginner
An Initial Exchange Offering, commonly referred to as an IEO, is a fundraising event that is administered by an exchange. In contrast to an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) where the project team themselves conduct the fundraising, an Initial Exchange Offering means that the fundraising will be conducted on a well-known exchange’s fundraising platform, such as Binance Launchpad, where users can purchase tokens with funds directly from their own exchange wallet. 

The ICO fever in 2017 proved to be a very high-risk environment for individuals wanting to participate in new blockchain project token releases, from accidentally sending funds to the wrong wallet, or some project teams absconding with funds.


What are the Benefits of an IEO?

For a user, an IEO is easy to participate in as they don’t need to manage on-chain transactions with different wallets on different blockchains. Instead, a user only needs an account on the exchange and some funds in their account and can participate completely through the trusted website’s interface. Additionally, the exchange is staking its reputation behind the projects on its platform, offering a higher degree of trust behind the project.

For a project looking to raise funds, an IEO offers the promise of an immediate userbase that can see their product, and depending on the size of the exchange’s audience, could mean that the project can reduce their outside marketing funnels for fundraising, allowing them to focus only on the development of their product. 

If you plan on participating on an IEO on Binance Launchpad, it is recommended that you read through the entire Binance Research report for the specific token you wish to purchase.