Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) took off in 2017, as crypto-fever continues to reach new heights. This relatively new fundraising method has captivated companies ranging from startups to large-cap enterprises. The cryptocurrency craze in 2017 led to over $5 billion in fundraising from a little more than 700 ICOs. Տhe top ten ICOs by funds raised in 2017 generated a total of more than $1.74 billion.
Some ICOs turned out to be fraudulent, others led to scandals between co-founders of issuing companies. In the end, the ICO market attracted the attention of the authorities in many countries and were subsequently banned in some places. Regulators in other countries tried to subordinate them to securities legislation.