ICOs of 2018 - The Five Best

Here are our picks for this year’s best ICOs!
As you’ll see, it was not easy to choose. Let’s take a look at the crucial projects of one crucial year.

2017 - 2018: The Breaking Point

In 2017, ICOs managed to raise a massive $5.6 billion worldwide. This growth trend, which (arguably) started in 2015 and grew exponentially in 2016, continued to expand at a seemingly unstoppable rate over the past year. 

In 2018, this growth  hasn’t quite stopped, but things are definitely not the same. 

While the number of ICOs keeps rising, the funding that each company receives (on average) is declining fast. As of August 2018, ICOs have raised more than $6.6 billion; however, their quantity has outpaced the amount of available investor funding.

Now, new funding is starting to slow down and may eventually stagnate for the rest of the year. There are several reasons for this, the main ones being:

1. The tumbling cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin saw a dramatic drop of over 50% and is currently trading just above $6000 (after previously hitting $20,000 for a brief period).
2. Possible negative regulation around the world creates insecurity, which has scared both startups and investors.
   
3. The sheer number of new ICOs also means that the investors can’t provide funding for all projects.
4. Security breaches and hacking have hit the industry like a tidal wave. Although losses are marginal when compared to the value of the entire market, they are still a major inhibitor for new investors.

The result is clear: it’s harder than ever for an ICO to succeed. 

Now, this may sound like bad news, but it really isn’t. It’s actually the best thing that could have possibly happened to the crypto industry. 

Why? Because the one universal truth of markets continues to hold true: Harder markets mean only the best can survive. 

Only the most experienced and professional teams, highly dedicated to a truly impactful and workable project, manage to survive scrutiny and competition. 

This means that quality increases, and with that, more trust. 

Now, without further ado, let’s move on to:

The Five Best ICOs of 2018

What makes for a good ICO has not changed much since the very first token sale. But there are two things that have grown in importance and that continue to remain relevant throughout this list: 

#1: Versatility in the use of blockchain technology.  Bitcoin was the first blockchain use case, but this technology is capable of much more. Today’s ICOs can rise to the top  by using blockchain in the most disruptive ways possible, bringing its power to new industries. 

#2: Transparency. As with any market, there are those who abuse it. Mediocre or straight-up fraudulent projects have been blemishes on the ICO industry for a while now. Fortunately, the number of such projects is rapidly declining. 

Wary professional and institutional investors have raised the bar for transparency, disclosure, and security.
Bearing this in mind, here’s our list:

#1 Qravity

Qravity is a project dedicated to creativity and entertainment, made by and for creative people. 

The core concept of the platform is the production and distribution of original high-quality digital content, such as movies, video games, and music. On Qravity, decentralization is the key. The system also enables creative teams to collaborate flexibly and efficiently, and pays each member royalties for their work once the completed content is released in the platform’s integrated marketplace. 

Producers and creators can contribute to specific projects through tasks. For completing tasks, project team members receive ownership stakes in the content they produce. Based on their stakes, they receive payment with every purchase or rental of the digital media they created.

Highlights

1. Uniqueness

Although there are some creative platforms out there, none of them are like Qravity, and not just because of the variety it offers. 

Content creators use these platforms to showcase their work and (ideally) attract the interest of producers and studios. Qravity, in contrast, was created for distributed creative teams to assemble and collaborate freely. It also provides managing tools to facilitate every step of the process, from team formation to product distribution and royalties payment.

     2. Token model

Two tokens drive the Qravity platform: QCO is for external use and QPT is for internal use. 

Consumers can use QCO to purchase Qravity content directly from the platform’s marketplace. At the same time, creators and project founders receive stake-based royalties in QCO for their work. It’s a tradable coin and the base of the company’s ICO. 

The internal token, QPT, is a management tool that is earned and allocated through tasks. The QPT value of a task is calculated according to the amount of work and level of skill the task requires. When content is purchased or rented, a portion of the QCO payment is then distributed among creators in accordance with the amount of QPT they have earned through the project. 

Qravity achieves all of this through smart contracts for each project and their respective tasks. 

This is not only a very efficient way of facilitating creative cooperation, it also reflects a complex and creative way of harnessing the power of blockchain technology.

   3. Projects in the pipeline

The Qravity platform is already fully functional; the company’s development team is currently improving it with additional features. 

A demo version of the platform is now available for booking, so you can experience the benefits of Qravity for yourself. 

#2 AgentMile 

AgentMile is set to change the commercial real estate (CRE) industry , which involves the practice of investing and brokering real estate that serves any business need, such as office blocks, warehouses, and shops to name a few
AgentMile seeks to launch a platform that will transform this industry with the combined power of blockchain and AI. Through this platform, landlords, brokers, and tenants will benefit from transparent, decentralized information, automated processes, powerful decision-making tools, and an easy-to-use interface.

Highlights 

1. The team 

The AgentMile team is highly experienced and dedicated to the project. They have launched two successful projects:, AgentDrive and AgentGrow, and the company’s CEO- Wladimir Baranoff-Rossine, has a long record of successful business ventures. 

The company designed both of its previous projects to be digital tools for real estate brokers, franchises and developers - AgentDrive- a feature-rich real estate CRM and a marketing platform, and AgentGrow - a platform which allows you to create real estate websites & landing pages. This indicates that the AgentMile team knows precisely what the industry needs. 

   2. Existing business 

With its knowledgeable and well-connected team, AgentMile has exposure to a wide array of potential customers and investors, specifically those who are already using its existing  products. This has enabled them to rapidly acquire a large portion of their projected funding. 

  3. A well-rounded use of blockchain 

Being familiar with the industry, the AgentMile development team has identified key problems that are crippling the CRE ecosystem, and is leveraging blockchain technology to provide the corresponding solutions. 

Take, for example, the process of doing due diligence on a property. These often take a long time to corroborate, since there is an abundance of information regarding several  aspects of a real estate listing. Thanks to blockchain technology, information can be stored transparently and securely , without facing the risk of being altered. This saves time, effort, and money, and ensures a more efficient due diligence process that benefits all parties, including owners, brokers and investors. 

Blockchain’s decentralized nature and ability to provide complete price transparency will help eliminate “grey” deals and ensure complete pricing information regarding prices is immediately available to interested parties. 

AgentMile will even include AR/VR virtual tours, which will allow for  remote real-time property inspections. This will streamline the viewing process for anyone who wants to look at properties located anywhere in the world. 

 #3 Araw 

Imagine being able to use cryptocurrencies just as easily and quickly as you use fiat currencies while shopping online or at your local store!

Araw offers end-to-end solutions for e-commerce merchants, which includes its flagship Touch & Pay cryptocurrency card, which enables consumers to make instant crypto-payments at brick-and-mortar shops. It is also primed to offer a streamlined online cryptocurrency payment gateway that will make it easy for merchants to accept digital currencies on their websites. The system is designed to be easy to use to drive consumer and merchant adoption. 

While it is not the first crypto-payment gateway, Araw distinguishes itself through its Unified Reward System. Powered by the Ethereum Blockchain, the platform uses its native ARAW token to offer users and merchants attractive incentives such as cashback schemes, two-way communication tools, and tools to track “customer behavior, interests and sales statistics”.

Highlights 

1. Ready to go 

The Araw development team understands that in the highly competitive ICO market, a long list of proposed features does little to distinguish one blockchain project from the rest. The e-commerce platform already has a working MVP that demonstrates the platform’s functionality. It has also entered into  strategic partnerships with companies across several industries, including fashion, retail and online payments. 

In a Medium blog post on the subject of leading the blockchain-based e-commerce revolution, the team states, “One of the biggest strengths of the ARAW Token Ecosystem is the fact that it already has a live product and is already well established in the e-commerce and payments industries. This is not the case for most of its other competitors, which gives the project a huge advantage in the space. The fact that the Araw marketplace has been up and running for over a year now shows that the company has plenty of experience and is already a major force in the industry.” 

 2. Feature rich 

The Araw ecosystem and makes a convincing argument that it is much more than just a payment gateway. The platform leverages the Ethereum blockchain to deliver its promise of decentralized e-commerce and uses smart contracts to ensure proof-of-delivery and proof-of-service. Users will exchange ARAW tokens for physical products, as seen in the live demo. 

The company will also offer a mobile wallet for users to hold their ARAW tokens and facilitate the peer-to-peer exchange of goods. Ultimately, even users that purchase products from merchants outside the Araw ecosystem will be able to receive rewards through a unified reward system. They can then use these tokens to purchase other products within the Araw marketplace. 

All of this indicates that Araw has a clear goal of global blockchain adoption, and is capable of enabling billions of people to make cryptocurrency payments sooner rather than later. 

 3. Already successfully funded in the presale 

The Araw pre-ICO has already reached its  soft cap, indicating that investor sentiment in the project has been largely positive. It is worth noting that the company is building a complete end-to-end solution that is as easy to use as current e-commerce platforms. 

The Araw Touch & Pay card is perhaps the company’s most significant offer as consumers can use it to make micropayments and still receive rewards through their bank or credit card’s loyalty programs. All in all, Araw has built a compelling use case for blockchain-based payments. 

User enthusiasm for the project also seems to be high, with Araw’s official Telegram group and Twitter account each attracting tens of thousands of followers. This count is expected to rise once the ICO opens up to the general public in the coming weeks. 

#4 DataBlockChain 

The name might be obvious at first, but DataBlockChain (DBC) is much more than what one might expect. It is a platform that aims to democratize data with the help of blockchain technology. According to the company, premium data should be made available to users in a more cost-effective and transparent manner. 

As the people behind DBCsay, clients that purchase big data sets often pay for extraneous data that is not relevant to their respective use cases. Companies need to obtain massive quantities of data for several reasons, with advertising being the most prominent. For instance, demographic data is important to many companies as it helps them deliver ads to specific target audiences. However, the same company may not require users’ political preferences or other.

The project has been very well-received by ICO experts and currently holds the top- positions in several well-respected trackers, including ICOBench, ICOHolder and ICOExpert. Additionally, DBC has already raised more than $6 million over their preassigned softcap. 

Highlights 

1. A solid plan for the future 

DBCis helping data vendors build long-term relationships with clients, something that is sorely lacking in today's fragmented ecosystem. To achieve this, it will create a common interface that will link interested parties without compromising quality or confidentiality. 

The company plans to compile the “world's largest databases, ranging from government and industry-specific data, through voting records and business-to-business data, to property, and credit bureau data. to create a comprehensive variety of data sets valuable to individuals and businesses looking to both attract and retain clients.” 

    2. Blockchain and big data 

With data security an ever-growing concern, blockchain’s unparalleled security makes it a perfect fit for big databases and data sets. This is especially true for data related to transaction records, tax records, hospital data and other forms of sensitive information that need to be stored safely from hackers and security breaches. 

As such, the combination of blockchain and big data is a rather unique one. The platform's native token DBCCoin will also be used to pay for data purchases and exchanges. Once a client creates a request for a particular data set, they are provided a specific price which they can then decide to pay or decline. If the deal is finalized, the platform will automatically execute a smart contract to facilitate the exchange. 

The use of smart contracts ensures that the transfer of data and money is automated and simultaneous. Neither party is forced to wait for their share to be delivered and everything is automated. 

   3. Patents 

As a blockchain company, DBC is unique in that the company holds several patents for the technology it uses. This added legitimacy is perhaps why the platform’s ICO has attracted $16 million in presale investment. The upcoming public token sale will likely be off to a great start as well. 

DBC has an alpha MVP of its platform available testing. Users can query data based on geographic location, financial estimates, interests, occupation, and a host of other factors. The platform boasts 300 million consumer entries with “400+ demographic, psychographic, and lifestyle attributes.” 

#5 Ubex 

Ubex is a promising company that is using blockchain technology to bring artificial intelligence to the advertising industry. The platform uses a sophisticated neural network to analyze interests and needs, and provides the user with targeted advertisements. Advertisers can view this data as the network processes and analyzes information.

Highlights 

1. Disrupting the advertising paradigm with blockchain 

Currently, the advertising market is controlled by a small group of intermediaries that dictate their own terms and fees, which can often be prohibitive for many companies. Ubex solves this problem through the use of smart contracts that connect advertisers to publishers, without any middlemen. This also removes the problem of censorship, a key limitation that advertising firms face today. 

Ubex is also proud of its Pay-Per-Action program, where advertisers only pay in the event that users click on their advertisements and are directed to their website. The company believes that this is the most cost-effective method of user outreach for advertisers and establishes a healthy economic relationship between all players. 

Finally, the platform uses artificial intelligence to instantly auction ad space on a publisher’s website. This automated engine is “responsible for making decisions about transactions without any human involvement, on the basis of a user’s socio-demographic and behavioral profiles.” 

2. The users are not the product 

The Ubex platform serves users, advertisers, and publishers simultaneously. Rather than serving irrelevant advertisements to consumers, the platform intelligently builds a unique digital profile for every one, enabling the production of individually tailored advertisements. This will increase the likelihood of a person receiving ads related to the content they consume regularly. 

The risk of being scammed through advertising is also a major concern online. The Ubex model discourages coercive and provocative methods of promotion, and actively promotes relevant advertisements. 

3. An unprecedented success 

The platform has already managed to attract a significant following. It managed to raise 4,000 ETH within the first day of its presale. It has currently sold tokens worth over 25,000 ETH in total. The platform’s official Telegram group has over 99,000 members, a rare feat for most blockchain companies. The Ubex token sale has a hard cap set at 28,000 ETH and is scheduled to run until the end of September 2018. 

Notably, Ubex plans to comply with the rules set by leading financial regulators, including the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). The company’s tokens are limited in number and will be bought back in small chunks by the company every quarter, driving up scarcity in the total supply. 

Conclusion 

It wasn’t easy to go through all the ICO’s that are currently running or are about to enter their sales stages. The five projects we listed above all hold great value and potential;they not only enhance their targeted markets, they also  bring value to the blockchain/crypto industry as a whole. We strongly believe that such promising ideas and solid projects hold the future in their hands, and will ultimately drive the industry forward.

Disclaimer. This article is paid and provided by a third-party source and should not be viewed as an endorsement by CoinIdol. Readers should do their own research before investing funds in any company. CoinIdol shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services mentioned in this article.