How to Find Early-Stage Cryptocurrencies to Invest In?

For most crypto newcomers, investing starts with buying major cryptocurrencies or those being widely discussed at the moment. Meanwhile, more experienced investors know that choices are not limited to those options. One of the best times to invest in a project is before it has reached popularity. Early-stage investors benefit if the crypto proves to be successful and sees high demand.

If you’re interested in acquiring cryptocurrencies early, first of all, you need to know that there is no one common way for all the projects to launch, market and distribute their tokens. Some may hold public sales to raise funds, while others may launch the tokens into circulation among network participants through mining and other methods. Also, there are multi-stage token launches when a project breaks down the token distribution between private sale, initial offering, rewards distribution, or other phases.

Learning about a token early, you can get it before it hits crypto exchanges. Sources of information differ depending on how a project launches its token. 

Crypto launchpads are token sale platforms where projects present their initial offerings. This means they offer participants the opportunity to buy a limited amount of tokens at a set price. Types of launchpads based on the way they hold the token sale include:

You can learn about new cryptocurrencies through specifically designed calendars, often called ICO calendars. This is because when crypto started, ICOs were the main way to launch tokens. However, most platforms now include various types of token launches. On these calendars, you can see completed, ongoing, or upcoming events from different platforms. Token launch calendars can operate independently, such as ICO Drops and ICOBenc, or be part of broader crypto market data aggregation platforms like CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko. 

If there’s a specific project whose native token you want to buy, the most direct way is to follow their blog, social media channels, and community forums like Telegram, X (formerly Twitter), and Discord. You can join the watchlist and get notifications about launch details as soon as they are available. Projects may also announce bounty programs and participation rewards for investors who join the project in the early stages.

The most expected launches or tokens heavily focused on marketing usually get traction on social media. You may notice a token's name among the top hashtags on X, come across a post by a crypto analyst, or see a discussion in a crypto community group. Learning about a token this way is a good option if you don’t want to constantly monitor new token launches.

Crypto news platforms are another popular source to learn about new projects, token launches, and airdrop news. Besides news about direct sales, pay attention to presales and token reward programs. You can earn new tokens in different ways, like running nodes, which means validating transactions on the blockchain and ensuring its security. If you’re interested in airdrops, you can check out platforms such as airdrops.io, freeairdrop.io, DefiLlama, and DEXTools.

Buying cryptocurrencies early doesn’t automatically guarantee high returns. Sometimes, a token may be traded at its highest right after the launch because of hype and high demand. Apart from that, there are risks related to rug pulls and scams. 

Before investing, it’s better to research the token to understand what use cases it has, how it functions, and who is behind its development. This can help you decide if you want to invest in the token and whether to focus on short-term or long-term trading. You might also consider joining the project to earn tokens through community involvement, bounty programs, or running a node.

If you're still uncertain, examining community feedback and reviews can help. However, be aware that the excitement over a crypto isn't always genuine and may sometimes be part of marketing efforts. Moreover, people can make wrong assumptions about a token’s potential growth. When hunting for new tokens, try to not set high expectations, but to view your options as a part of the overall investment strategy.

Disclaimer: Please note that the article doesn’t include financial advice. Do your own research on new tokens and the methods you can acquire them.