Binance’s launchpad ecosystem has delivered some of the strongest returns in the market over the past year.
However, recent data shows a widening gap between early exits and long-term holders, raising questions about how value is actually distributed across token launches.
As public token sales return, Binance Wallet is emerging as the clear leader
Data collected by DeFi Oasis and CryptoRank shows Binance Wallet leads all major ICO, IDO and IEO platforms by a wide margin.
Over the past year, Binance Wallet posted a current return on investment of 12.69x, with a record ROI of 78.01x across 44 projects launched.
The most recent launch took place on December 17. No other platform came close to this top performance, cementing Binance’s position as the dominant primary token distribution venue.
MetaDAO ranks second in current performance, with an ROI of 4.15x and an all-time high of 8.73x from seven projects, with the latest launch in mid-November.
The platform has attracted attention alongside the increasing interest in Solana-based issuance models, especially as the Solana ecosystem’s traditional listing channels have become more limited.
OKX Wallet followed with a current ROI of 3.22x and an ATH ROI of 34.75x despite launching just 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, came in fourth with a current ROI of 2.83x and an ATH ROI of 17.08x across 30 projects.
Coinbase said the acquisition aims 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 via platforms that emphasize compliance and investor protection.
Outside the top class, returns fell sharply. MEXC recorded a current ROI of 1.98x, and Kraken Launch recorded 1.92x, while Buildpad returned 1.22x despite an ATH ROI of almost 10x for six projects.
Platforms like LEGION, Cake Pad, and Bybit all reported current ROI of less than 1x, meaning many tokens are now trading below their initial launch prices.
In total, eight of the twelve major launch pads tracked achieved an average current ROI of less than 2x, while five were already below 1x.
Launchpads thrived on activity, without power
Analysts tracking these numbers say the difference reflects timing rather than the quality of the platform.
According to DeFi Oasis, participants who exited their positions shortly after launch generally realized profits, while those who continued to hold tokens saw their profits evaporate as liquidity decreased and selling pressure increased post-launch.
The data suggests that control over liquidity, rather than long-term fundamentals, has been the determining factor in launch pad performance.
Broader market data helps explain The pattern, as the total value of DeFi was frozen, declined steadily from February through April, falling by about 32% as capital left risky assets.
Much of that capital later disappeared, but by the end of the year the market settled at a higher level, signaling a partial retention rather than a complete reversal.
On October 1, launch pad activity peaked, with volume reaching more than $530 million. In December, total escrow value was approximately $342 million, while seven-day fees reached $7.51 million and revenue totaled $6.77 million.
Activity on meme-focused and experimental platforms such as pump.fun, four.meme and Binance Alpha reflected strong short-term participation rather than persistent holding behavior.
The current landscape shows a market that remains active and profitable for disciplined participants, while longer-term holders are exposed to declining returns once early momentum fades.
As compatible launch pads like 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 results.
The post Binance Reaches 78x ROI on Launchpad, But HODLers Are Broken – Here’s Why appeared first on Cryptonews.
