An ICO (initial coin offering) raises funds by selling tokens directly to the public, popular in 2017.
Many ICOs lacked investor protections. Modern raises often use private rounds, IDOs, or launchpads instead.
In research workflows, ICO is usually interpreted with IDO, IEO, Tokenomics, and Crypto regulation rather than as a standalone signal. Compare circulating float, unlock overhang, and where size can actually trade before trusting a breakout headline.