The AI frenzy that dominated the last two years is giving way to a new chapter in tech investing, one where community-driven crypto crowdfunding is taking center stage. At the forefront of this shift are launch platforms like SeedList, BitgetX, and CoinList, which are helping Web3 projects access capital while giving contributors a real stake in the ecosystem from day one.
With more than 100 token sales projected in the final two quarters of 2025, the rise of institutional-grade launchpads is undeniable. These platforms are offering more than just financial support, they’re enabling regulatory compliance, community activation, and high-visibility distribution in a single, integrated environment.
The WalletConnect Launch Showed Just How Much the Model Has Evolved
When WalletConnect launched its WCT token across CoinList, Echo, and Bitget LaunchX, the results were hard to ignore:
- Bitget LaunchX raised $4 million in under two hours, following $170 million in pledges from more than 40,000 participants.
- CoinList brought in over 18,000 users from across 100 countries.
- Echo closed its $500,000 private sale in just 11 seconds, reflecting the growing efficiency of pre-qualified, automated launches.
CoinList, a well-known AngelList spinoff, remains one of the most trusted names in global token sales. With its karma system designed to reward long-term supporters, CoinList has helped projects like Filecoin, Flow, and Solana launch successfully, and continues with newer names like Obol, Bitlayer, and DoubleZero.
Republic, backed by Galaxy Digital, offers a hybrid model that blends crowdfunding with investor benefits. It has raised over $120 million and offers USDC yield to Note token holders, one of the few platforms to do so.
Yet the launchpad drawing the most attention for its radically different approach to early-stage access is SeedList.
SeedList is Redefining Participation Through a Merit-Based Contributor Model
SeedList, based in Singapore, has removed venture capital from its early allocation pipeline altogether. Instead of catering to institutional players, it’s built to serve builders, content creators, educators, developers, and organizers, those driving real traction and engagement before a token even lists.
The platform’s AI-powered merit system scores applicants on impact metrics like code contributions, translation work, social growth, and regional onboarding. There are no random lotteries, staking minimums, or fiat ramps. Instead, access is earned through provable contributions.
This contributor-first approach has drawn widespread interest from Web3 communities in Latin America, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and beyond, regions typically overlooked in private fundraising rounds.
“Capital alone shouldn’t dictate who gets to participate early,” said Rosa Pagani, co-founder of SeedList and CEO of WhiteBIT Australia. “We’ve studied what worked with CoinList, Republic, and others. SeedList builds on that foundation but adds a layer of fairness based on contribution.”
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).
According to renowned Solana ecosystem advisor CryptoSheldon, “The platforms that put contributors first will define the next market cycle. This isn’t just about launching tokens, it’s about launching communities.”
Launchpads Are Now Full-Fledged Infrastructure Layers, Not Just Sales Portals
Modern token launch platforms now offer a wide range of services: onboarding, compliance, liquidity routing, token allocation logic, and even user analytics. They’ve become strategic partners, not just fundraising utilities.
CoinList remains the standard for regulated token launches. Republic is refining its user dashboard and distribution framework. Kaito is integrating AI scoring for reputation-based access. Bitget LaunchX continues to perform well on the centralized exchange side, while Echo provides full control to teams that want a custom experience.
What sets SeedList apart is its decision to shift allocation power to the very people who grow the ecosystem. Its transparent and borderless model has made it one of the most inclusive platforms in the space, particularly among early adopters outside the U.S. and EU.
Looking ahead to Q4 2025 and early 2026, launchpads like SeedList, Republic, CoinList, and Bitget LaunchX will dominate headlines. Projects working on AI-layer infrastructure, DePIN deployment, and L2 scalability will rely on these platforms not just for funding, but for distribution, user growth, and legitimacy.
Guiding this evolution are thought leaders like Cobie (Echo), Yu Hu (Kaito), and CryptoSheldon, who also serves as a co-founder of SeedList. Together, they are reshaping the way early-stage crypto projects come to life and who gets to benefit when they do.
The next phase of Web3 is being built not behind closed doors, but through open networks and merit-based ecosystems. SeedList is proving that contributor-led platforms aren’t just the future, they’re already here.
