Many cryptocurrency projects involve issuing a native cryptocurrency or tokenwhich helps them raise funds for further growth, development or maintenance of the network/ project/ ecosystem. The platform and manner adopted to launch the cryptocurrency tokens have undergone significant changes compared to the initial trend started in 2016 – 17. Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) happened to be the most popular choice to raise funds initially, however, other methods including Initial DEX Offering (IDO) and Initial Exchange Offering (IEO) are also being frequently opted now by the crypto projects.

Many of the DeFi platforms which encourage buyer of the tokens to contribute to the liquidity pool of the protocol choose to sell tokens through Initial Liquidity Offering (ILO).ICOs and other forms of Token sale are now regulated in many jurisdictions and certain cryptocurrency tokens having characteristics of securities may trigger additional registration approval requirements. In few jurisdictions like the USA, ICO is to be mandatorily registered before being offered to the public. There are also many jurisdictions where launch of Tokens through ICO / IDO / IEO / ILO / INO are unregulated as there is no specific regulations in this regard; however, registration and certain compliances under securities and under laws may get triggered depending on the functions, utility and characteristics of the particular token.