Binance Launchpad Delivers 78x ROI While HODLers Get Wrecked — The Brutal Truth

Binance's latest Launchpad project just minted a staggering 78x return for early participants. Meanwhile, long-term holders are watching their portfolios bleed. Welcome to crypto's two-tiered reality.

The Launchpad Lottery

Getting allocation in a Binance Launchpad feels like winning a golden ticket. The platform's token sale mechanism consistently turns modest stakes into life-changing sums overnight. This 78x surge isn't an anomaly—it's the system working exactly as designed for a privileged few.

HODLers Holding the Bag

While Launchpad participants cash out, the classic 'buy and hold' crowd faces a different math. Volatility cuts both ways. Assets that aren't constantly in the spotlight often bleed value slowly, then crash dramatically—a silent wealth transfer from patient investors to tactical traders.

The Liquidity Mirage

Massive Launchpad returns create market illusions. They pull attention and capital toward new shiny objects, starving established projects of the oxygen they need to thrive. It's the financial equivalent of planting a rainforest while clear-cutting old-growth trees.

Timing Beats Conviction

In today's market, being right about technology matters less than being right about timing. Launchpad's structure guarantees early exits at peak hype—a luxury traditional HODLing simply can't match. The game rewards speed, not faith.

The 78x figure isn't just a number—it's a flashing sign that in crypto, the house always wins, and the house isn't holding your bags. Sometimes the smartest trade is recognizing when you're not at the VIP table, just paying for the champagne.

As Public Token Sales Return, Binance Wallet Emerges as the Clear Leader

Data compiled by DeFi Oasis and CryptoRank shows Binance Wallet leading all major ICO, IDO, and IEO platforms by a wide margin.

Over the past year, Binance Wallet recorded a current return on investment of 12.69x, with an all-time high ROI reaching 78.01x across 44 launched projects.

统计了过去一年以来主要 ICO/IDO/IEO Launchpad 的 ROI 情况：

– Binance Wallet 以 12.69x 当前 ROI 和 78.01x ATH ROI 遥遥领先，印证了掌握流动性就掌握了一切

– Echo 是非 CEX 中最为值得参与的打新平台，ATH ROI 超过 17x（虽然现在也被 Coinbase 收编了）

– Buildpad 的 ATH ROI 近… pic.twitter.com/py9d9hnls3

Its most recent launch took place on Dec. 17. No other platform came close to matching that peak performance, reinforcing Binance’s position as the dominant venue for primary token distribution.

MetaDAO ranked second in current performance, posting a 4.15x ROI and an all-time high of 8.73x from seven projects, with its latest launch in mid-November.

The platform has drawn attention alongside rising interest in Solana-based issuance models, particularly as traditional solana ecosystem listing channels have become more constrained.

OKX Wallet followed with a current ROI of 3.22x and an ATH ROI of 34.75x, despite launching only three projects this year, highlighting how limited supply can distort peak performance metrics.

Echo, founded by crypto investor Cobie and recently acquired by Coinbase in a $375 million deal, placed fourth with a current ROI of 2.83x and an ATH ROI of 17.08x across 30 projects.

Coinbase said the acquisition is intended to simplify community-based fundraising and bring more transparency to public token sales, a model that has seen renewed interest after years of decline following the 2017 ICO boom.

The deal comes as public token launches quietly return through platforms that emphasize compliance and investor protections.

Beyond the top tier, returns dropped sharply. MEXC recorded a current ROI of 1.98x, and Kraken Launch posted 1.92x, while Buildpad delivered 1.22x despite an ATH ROI NEAR 10x across six projects.

Platforms such as LEGION, CAKE Pad, and Bybit all reported current ROIs below 1x, meaning many tokens are now trading below their initial launch prices.

In total, eight of the twelve major launchpads tracked posted average current ROIs below 2x, with five already below 1x.

Launchpads Thrived on Activity, Not Holding Power

Analysts tracking these figures say the divergence reflects timing rather than platform quality.

According to DeFi Oasis, participants who exited positions shortly after launch generally realized profits, while those who continued holding tokens saw gains evaporate as liquidity thinned and post-launch selling pressure set in.

The data suggests that control over liquidity, rather than long-term token fundamentals, has been the defining factor in launchpad performance.

Broader market data helps explain the pattern as DeFi total value locked declined steadily from February through April, falling roughly 32% as capital exited risk assets.

Much of that capital later exited, but the market settled at a higher base by year-end, signaling partial retention rather than a full reversal.

On Oct. 1, launchpad-related activity spiked, with volume reaching more than $530 million. By December, total value locked stood at about $342 million, while seven-day fees reached $7.51 million and revenue totaled $6.77 million.

Activity across meme-focused and experimental platforms such as pump.fun, four.meme, and Binance Alpha reflected strong short-term participation rather than sustained holding behavior.

The current landscape shows a launchpad market that remains active and profitable for disciplined participants while exposing longer-term holders to declining returns once early momentum fades.

As compliant launchpads such as Sonar, Buildpad, Legion, and Kaito gain traction, the structure of token launches continues to evolve, but the underlying data shows that timing, liquidity, and exit discipline remain central to outcomes.