ICOs Raised $4 Bln in 2017, What 2018 Has in Store

From Cointelegraph

2017 has definitely been a record-breaking year for ICOs: a fiat equivalent of some $4 bln have been raised, and the number of successful token placements have increased to a couple of hundreds globally. Yet, in the same year, traditional IPOs are estimated to have raised $188.8 bln in total of 1,624 deals, according to E&Y IPO Global trends report. Only in third quarter, 2,645 venture capital deals amounted to $42 bln.
ICOs have raised less about two percent of global IPO proceeds, but ICOs not IPOs, and not venture capital deals, are the talk of the street these days. Why?

In one year only ICOs proceeds have surged almost 40-fold, from $96.3 mln in 2016. In 2014- 2015 the amount was microscopic. More than 180 new ICOs are scheduled to launch in 2018, according to ICObench listing.

It would be superficial and arrogant to explain the ICO explosion only by desire of newly-rich crypto-miners to invest their unexpectedly reevaluated digital assets in something productive and to protect themselves against volatility. It may be the case, but it doesn’t explain the whole case. In fact, there are three root causes of ICO success.

While I think we will see all time highs for Bitcoin in 2018 I'm not so sure about us seeing as many ICOs raising as much money as 2017. Many are licking wounds from some ICOs in 2017 that have left a bitter taste in their mouths and the regulators are paying close attention. This is the year when we will see major adoption but added regulations and controls on these ICOs.