ICO

Initial investment in the build-up of a new crypto system or a new cryptocurrency via an ICO - and the connected risks and opportunities

As of fall 2017, more than 3.65 billion dollars have already been invested in ICOs, and the predictions say that it will be over 4 billion by the end of the year. That's six to eight times more than traditional venture capital companies spent in the same time. Venture capital is money that professional investors invest in something after conducting a comprehensive evaluation and analysis. Investments in ICOs are usually sent in the form of cryptocurrencies into the wallets of the initiators with the click of a button. In a few minutes or hours, the initiator(s) often collect(s) millions of dollars.

The miraculous multiplication of money through initial investments via ICO

No analysis, no evaluation, no legal framework - only "FOMO", the fear of missing out. People switch off their brains, their fingers hover over the send button and, in the second the ICO is activated, send hundreds or thousands of Bitcoins, Ether or other cryptocurrencies to an ICO wallet whose owner is unknown, just like the intended use of the money. An El Dorado for gangsters and scammers of all sorts, who are taking advantage of people's greed for large gains during the initial investment via ICO.

This category is about the risks that an initial investment brings, but also about the opportunities for those that know what they're doing.