Fair Launch
A contested distribution label for projects that claim to avoid privileged pre-launch allocations or access.
"Fair launch" describes a launch presented as open to participants under the same published rules, often without a private sale, team premine, or discounted insider allocation. Projects may distribute through mining, auctions, liquidity incentives, or public claims.
The label has no universal standard. Notice, time zones, geography, eligibility, capital, specialized hardware, transaction ordering, sybil resistance, software access, starting difficulty, and insider knowledge can create advantages even when the on-chain rule is open.
Avoiding a treasury or team allocation can reduce one concentration risk while limiting development funding and accountability. Evaluate actual allocations, vesting, early participation, governance, market liquidity, and disclosures rather than treating the label as proof of fairness or decentralization.
Related terms
Explore connected entries beyond the alphabetical index.
Premine
→Coins or tokens created or allocated before a network's public production or distribution begins.
Instamine
→A launch pattern where an unusually large share of supply is mined very early, raising fairness and concentration concerns.
Tokenomics
→The economic design of a token, including supply, issuance, distribution, utility, incentives, and unlocks.
Circulating Supply
→The estimated number of coins or tokens currently available to the market, excluding locked or unissued supply.