ICO and IDO market sinks to low point in Q2 2026

The public crypto fundraising market is experiencing a very weak period. In the second quarter of 2026, only $58 million is raised via IEOs, ICOs and IDOs, a decline of as much as 85% compared to Q1 2026. This threatens to make this quarter the worst in the past five years. That is according to data from CryptoRank.

Not only is the amount raised falling sharply, the number of public sales is also dropping steeply. While there were 105 token sales in Q1 2026, there are only 37 in Q2 2026, a decrease of 65%. Even more striking: in May, only 13 token sales were registered. That is the lowest monthly figure since December 2020, when there were only four sales.

Peak was in the first quarter of 2025

The contrast with the past is stark. In Q1 2025, the market reached its peak with nearly $849 million in raised capital spread over 429 sales. Since then, the market has lost ground every quarter. After that record quarter, a steady decline follows that eventually culminates in the current, historically low figures.

Over the entire period from Q1 2024 to Q2 2026, a total of $4 billion has been raised via 3,017 sales. That total count shows that the market was healthier before, but that momentum has been steadily fading in recent quarters. The question is whether this is a temporary correction or whether interest in public token launches is structurally declining.

What does this trend say about the crypto market?

The sharp decline in ICO and IDO activity can have several causes. Investors are becoming more selective, especially after earlier disappointments such as the price crash of the Sahara token and the hack at Humanity Protocol. Confidence in new projects is under pressure, and that is reflected in the low participation in public sales.

Whether those who want to invest in crypto nowadays prefer to focus on established coins rather than new token launches remains to be seen. The fact is that the market for public fundraising is currently operating at a historically low level, and that Q2 2026 is shaping up to go down in the books as one of the weakest quarters ever.