Crypto glossary
Launchpad
A crypto launchpad is a platform that helps new projects sell their tokens to early buyers, handling selection, allocations, payments and token distribution.
A launchpad sits between a new project and the public. It screens applicants, organises the sale, decides who can take part and how much each participant can buy, collects the funds and distributes the tokens, often with a vesting schedule. Centralized exchanges run launchpads for IEOs, while decentralized launchpads run IDOs through smart contracts.
Access is usually tied to the launchpad's own token: users stake or hold it to earn tiers or lottery tickets that set their allocation. Binance Launchpad is the best-known exchange example, and on chains such as Solana, memecoin launchpads let anyone create a token in minutes using a bonding curve.
A launchpad listing is a marketing event, not an audit. Allocations are often small, early prices can be inflated by hype and many launched tokens later trade well below their sale price, so the project's fundamentals and unlock schedule matter more than the platform's brand.
Example
A user stakes 1,000 units of a launchpad's token to reach a tier that guarantees a $200 allocation in the next sale, with 25% of the purchased tokens released at launch and the rest over six months.
Related terms
Latest articles on Launchpad
- Pump.fun Retakes the Lead in Solana’s Launchpad Race
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- Robinhood Chain Launchpad Vlad.fun Suspends Operations After Discovering a Serious Internal Integrity Issue
- Solana Launchpad Printr Faces Shakeup: CEO Resigns, Full Refunds Announced
