As the AI investment boom gives way to a new cycle, crypto crowdfunding is emerging as the breakout trend of 2026. Major launch platforms like SeedList, Binance Launchpad, and CoinList are leading this evolution, offering Web3 projects a scalable, community-driven way to raise capital while skipping over the limitations of traditional venture funding.
More than 100 token launches are forecasted in the back half of 2025, with founders and communities increasingly opting for open-access platforms over private equity deals. These launchpads don’t just provide funding, they shape ecosystems by onboarding users, building loyalty, and accelerating adoption from day one.
WalletConnect’s WCT Token Marked the Arrival of Multi-Platform Distribution
The turning point in this movement came when WalletConnect debuted its WCT token across three major platforms: Binance Launchpad, CoinList, and Echo.
- Bitget LaunchX (preceding Binance) had already drawn more than $170 million in pledges for its $4 million cap, which closed in just under two hours.
- CoinList welcomed over 18,000 participants from more than 100 countries, reinforcing its global reach.
- Echo’s $500,000 private allocation was filled in just 11 seconds, showcasing how automated, modular token launches are meeting massive demand.
CoinList, launched as a spinoff of AngelList, continues to be the platform of record for regulated Web3 token sales. It helped bring high-profile names like Solana, Filecoin, and Flow to market, and more recently has supported Bitlayer, DoubleZero, and Obol. Its karma score system remains a leading model for rewarding long-term community participation.
Meanwhile, Binance Launchpad has returned to prominence in the post-AI landscape, using its global brand and exchange liquidity to deliver rapid exposure for early-stage projects. And Echo, backed by Cobie, offers total customization through its Sonar architecture, ideal for teams that want hands-on control over every aspect of their sale.
Yet of all the platforms rising in this cycle, SeedList is making the strongest statement by completely reinventing how early access is allocated.
SeedList Removes the VC Gatekeepers and Empowers Contributors
Headquartered in Singapore, SeedList has intentionally excluded VCs from its early allocation rounds. Instead, it offers access to KOLs, grassroots builders, content creators, and technical contributors, those actively driving community growth and product traction.
SeedList relies on a proprietary AI merit system to assess applicants based on measurable ecosystem impact. From GitHub commits and documentation to regional activations and social engagement, contribution, not capital, is the key to participation.
There are no staking thresholds. No lotteries. No fiat onboarding. And no centralized custody. Everything is designed for crypto-native, non-custodial users across the globe to access pre-seed and seed-stage opportunities once reserved for elite VC insiders.
“We took what worked from CoinList and others, and rebuilt the access layer from scratch,” said Rosa Pagani, co-founder of SeedList and CEO of WhiteBIT Australia. “Capital is no longer the main filter. We believe effort, influence, and contribution should define who gets in early.”
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, recently remarked, “We’re entering an era where launchpads become ecosystems in their own right. The platforms that prioritize builders and contributors will be the ones that lead the next cycle.”
Launch Platforms Have Grown Into Full-Stack Infrastructure
Today’s launchpads are more than fundraising tools, they’re turnkey ecosystems that deliver everything from legal compliance and distribution to contributor rewards and liquidity design.
Republic continues refining its payout model for Note token holders. CoinList maintains its regulatory-first framework for international offerings. Kaito is integrating AI to match quality contributors with early-stage deals. Binance Launchpad is leveraging its massive user base to amplify token exposure at scale.
Still, SeedList remains in a category of its own for its deep focus on equitable access. Its contributor-first design has proven particularly effective in emerging regions like Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, where many users are hungry for opportunity but often excluded from the VC-first world of early token launches.
With dozens of high-profile projects in DePIN, L2 infrastructure, and decentralized AI tooling preparing to launch between Q3 and Q4, platforms like SeedList, Binance Launchpad, Republic, and CoinList are positioned to dominate the Web3 fundraising narrative.
Driving this evolution are leading figures like Cobie (Echo), Yu Hu (Kaito), and CryptoSheldon, who also serves as a co-founder of SeedList. Their collective vision is transforming launchpads from token sale venues into the backbone of decentralized growth.
The future of crypto funding isn’t gated by capital, it’s being built by platforms that reward participation, transparency, and contribution. And at the center of that shift is SeedList.
