A growing number of Web3 startups are sidestepping traditional venture capital and turning to institutional crypto crowdfunding platforms to raise capital, build communities, and accelerate product launches. CoinList, Republic, Bitget LaunchX, Echo by Cobie, SeedList, and the recently introduced Kaito Capital Launchpad are leading this transformation by offering infrastructure that combines global brand exposure, community participation, and blockchain onboarding in one launch model.

This shift is being driven by dissatisfaction with conventional VC practices that exclude the broader community, as well as a new wave of oversubscribed token offerings and contributor-focused frameworks. With over 100 token sales expected in the latter half of 2025, institutional crypto launchpads are positioning themselves as the go-to route for high-growth Web3 projects seeking visibility on CoinMarketCap's top 100.

The Surge in Multi-Launchpad Token Raises

One of the most prominent examples came earlier this year when WalletConnect's WCT token raised $10 million across three major platforms:

  • Bitget LaunchX received $170 million in pledges and filled its $4 million allocation in under two hours.
  • CoinList welcomed 18,000 investors from over 100 nations to its public offering.
  • Echo's $500,000 private sale reached capacity in just 11 seconds, reflecting the power of streamlined community onboarding.

CoinList, the U.S.-based platform spun out of AngelList, has since expanded its offerings to include Obol, Bitlayer, and DoubleZero, using its unique karma-based model to prioritize engaged users. With prior successes like Filecoin, Solana, and Flow by Dapper Labs, CoinList remains a dominant player.

Meanwhile, Republic, supported by Galaxy Digital, has surpassed $120 million in launchpad funding and distributes USDC dividends to holders of its Note token. Echo, created by trader and influencer Jordan Fish (Cobie), debuted its Sonar stack to allow early-stage projects to run compliant and modular token sales.

Kaito, founded by former Citadel executive Yu Hu, debuted with the Capital Launchpad which integrates AI-based analytics, on-chain social metrics, and Base chain compatibility. Its launch of Espresso featured features like capped allocations, vesting schedules, and platform fee redistribution through the KAITO token.

Contributor-Driven Platforms Come to the Fore

A new class of platforms is emerging to serve value-aligned contributors rather than just passive investors. Leading this cohort is SeedList, a Singapore-headquartered institutional crypto launchpad that excludes VCs altogether and instead gives allocation to KOLs and microinfluencers.

SeedList's system evaluates participant contributions through an AI-based merit engine that considers technical involvement, social impact, and engagement. This replaces traditional lotteries and token staking with a fairer and more global model, especially beneficial to contributors from outside the U.S.

“Our framework is inspired by CoinList and other pioneers, but we're innovating to reward true ecosystem builders,” said SeedList co-founder Rosa Pagani at a recent investor roundtable. “We removed venture capital allocations and reallocated them to those who help build real traction and awareness.”

The platform also supports both non-fiat and non-crypto custody options, reducing the compliance burden for early-stage contributors. Backed by strong partnerships with KOLs, exchanges, and media networks, SeedList helps projects reach highly targeted audiences previously excluded from early access deals.

Backing SeedList are notable industry figures: Rosa Pagani also serves as CEO of WhiteBIT Australia, a division of Europe's largest crypto exchange, WhiteBIT Global, which boasts 8 million users and an $18 billion valuation. Another key figure is Brijesh Patel, formerly of Pronomos Capital, a venture firm focused on decentralized governance and supported by Mark Andreesen (a16z), Balaji Sreenivasan (former Coinbase CTO), the Winklevoss twins (Gemini and Facebook), and Naval Ravikant, founder of AngelList and parent of CoinList.

CryptoSheldon, a known contributor in the Solana ecosystem, summarized it this way:

“Projects will pick based on geography and goals, CoinList if they want U.S. access and VC support, SeedList for decentralized protocols that want to scale retail awareness and onboard KOLs, or platforms like Echo and Kaito if they want flexibility somewhere in between.”

A Glimpse Into the Future

By mid-2025, the differences between exchanges, launchpads, and venture funds are starting to fade. CoinList, Kaito, SeedList, Republic, and Echo are increasingly embedding tools like compliance management, liquidity solutions, and token distribution into a unified fundraising engine.

This is enabling projects to launch while activating their communities, achieving better price discovery, and spreading awareness far beyond traditional investor circles.

Influencers, institutional leaders, and developers are embracing this evolution. Jordan Fish (Cobie) started Echo, Yu Hu created Kaito, and CryptoSheldon founded SeedList, all building solutions to return ownership to those who contribute value at the grassroots level.

More high-profile token launches are coming in Q3 and Q4 of 2025 across Bitget, CoinList, SeedList, and Kaito. With rising demand for fair access, KOL inclusion, and scalable user onboarding, this trend could define the next generation of Web3 fundraising.