Below is a concise glossary of key terms you’ll encounter in Project Launchpad & Grants discussions. Definitions are practical and clear—perfect for founders, contributors, and grant seekers.
Launchpad & Token Sale Basics
Launchpad: A platform that helps new crypto projects raise funds and gain exposure (e.g., Binance Launchpad, Polkastarter).
ICO (Initial Coin Offering): A project sells tokens directly to the public, usually in exchange for ETH or BTC.
IEO (Initial Exchange Offering): An exchange hosts and vets a token sale, handling KYC and listing the token post-sale.
IDO (Initial DEX Offering): A token sale conducted on a decentralized exchange, with liquidity pools established immediately.
Presale: Early token sale to private investors or community members, often at a discount and subject to a whitelist.
Public Sale: The main token sale phase open to everyone, typically after presale and private rounds.
Whitelist: A pre-approved list of addresses allowed to participate in a token sale or presale.
Pitch Materials & Documentation
Whitepaper: In-depth document outlining a project’s problem, solution, technology, tokenomics, and roadmap.
Litepaper: A shorter, more accessible summary of the whitepaper’s key points—great for quick reads.
One-Pager: A single-page overview highlighting project vision, token metrics, and team info.
Pitch Deck: Slide presentation used to pitch to investors, incubators, or grant committees.
MVP (Minimum Viable Product): The simplest functional version of a project—used to demonstrate feasibility and gather feedback.
Co-Founder & Team Building
Co-Founder Matchmaking: Process or forum subthread where founders seek complementary partners (tech, marketing, biz).
Equity Split: How project ownership (or token allocation) is divided among founders, advisors, and early contributors.
Vesting Terms: Schedule determining when team tokens unlock—commonly 4 years with a 1-year cliff to ensure commitment.
Advisor Allocation: Token set aside for advisors, typically with shorter vesting or performance-based milestones.
Grants & Funding Rounds
Grant Program: On-chain or foundation grants awarded to projects or contributors—often no-repay, milestone-driven funding.
Seed Round: Early private funding round, usually from angels or VCs, preceding public token sale.
Series A/B/C: Subsequent venture rounds for scaling—less common in pure token launches, but relevant for hybrid on-chain/off-chain startups.
DAO Grants: Community-governed funding from DAO treasuries, applied for via proposals and voting.
Milestone-Based Funding: Funds disbursed only after predefined milestones are met—mitigates execution risk for backers.
Tools & Resources
GitHub Repo: Project’s source code repository where contributors can review and submit pull requests.
Bounty: Task with a token reward (e.g., bug fix, feature build) posted by the project or DAO.
Hackathon: Time-boxed event where teams build project features or prototypes, often with prize grants.
Incubator / Accelerator: Programs offering mentorship, office space, and seed funding in exchange for equity or tokens.
Mentorship Program: Structured guidance from experienced industry figures, sometimes tied to grant eligibility.
️ Legal, Tokenomics & Compliance
Tokenomics Model: Economic design of the token supply, including inflation schedule, utility, and governance rights.
Lockup Period: Time during which early investors or team cannot sell tokens after listing, to reduce sell-pressure.
Legal Opinion: Lawyer’s assessment of token classification (security vs. utility) and regulatory risk.
KYC/AML: “Know Your Customer” and “Anti-Money Laundering” checks required on many exchanges or IEO platforms.
Regulatory Compliance: Adherence to local laws and guidelines (e.g., SEC, MiCA) when conducting a token sale or grant distribution.
Pin this thread as your go-to reference for all things project funding. Spot a missing term or want real-world examples? Drop a comment below!
