What Happens After a Token Presale Ends?

Congratulations, you just joined your first token presale. That’s a big step. Hopefully, you’ve done your research on the project, checked the value it brings, set up your wallet, and even noted key dates, such as vesting schedules and listing announcements.

But if you haven’t, don’t worry. That’s exactly what this blog is for. We’re going to walk you through what happens after a presale ends so you don’t feel lost or miss anything important.

Why It’s Important to Understand What Comes After a Presale

When you buy a token in Web3, it’s not just a one-time event. It’s the beginning of a relationship with the project as long as you hold that token. After the presale, you’ll need to decide whether to hold, stake, sell, or buy more, and to make those decisions, you need to understand what’s happening.

This is why it’s crucial to understand what comes after a presale. Without that knowledge, it’s easy to panic, miss deadlines, or lose track of key announcements.

What Is a Token Presale and Its Purpose?

A token presale is when a project raises funds at an early stage in Web3. Think of it like a startup raising capital before it officially launches. The project is still building, and the presale gives them the resources to keep developing, marketing, and preparing for their public launch.

The purpose is simple: the project raises funds, and in return, early investors get access to tokens before they are listed on an exchange. Once the token is listed on a centralized or decentralized exchange, it becomes available for anyone in the world to trade, stake, or hold.

So a presale isn’t just about raising money, it’s also about giving early supporters a chance to get in first, often at a better price, and start building a relationship with the project before the wider market joins.

How Do Presales Differ from Public Sales?

A presale happens before the token is listed on a centralized or decentralized exchange. Public sales happen later, when anyone in the world can buy the token directly on the open market.

Keep in mind, there are also different kinds of presales:

• Private, seed, or VC rounds reserved for select investors.
• Public presales open to retail investors; the type we’re talking about here.

Public presales can happen through an ICO, IEO, or IDO on a launchpad like CoinTerminal. We have several blogs that explain these models in more detail, so please check them out if you’re unsure of the differences.

What Happens After a Token Presale Ends?

This is the part most beginners wonder about: what actually happens once the presale closes? Here are the main steps.

Token Distribution

The first thing is the Token Generation Event (TGE). This is when the tokens are minted and distributed to the wallets of presale participants. Distribution usually follows a vesting schedule, so don’t expect 100% of your tokens upfront. It’s common to get 10–20% at TGE and then gradual unlocks over time.

Listing Timelines

After tokens are generated, the project will move to list them on an exchange. This could be a centralized exchange (CEX) or a decentralized exchange (DEX), depending on their plan. The project team will announce the details through their official channels, so it’s important to stay connected to their updates.

Early Market Activity

The first days of trading are usually the most volatile. Prices can go up quickly, drop sharply, or move back and forth as the market reacts. This is why it’s important to check the vesting schedule, evaluate how the project fits into current market narratives, and most importantly, not panic.

What Happens to Unsold Tokens After Presale?

What happens to unsold tokens depends on the project’s tokenomics. Some common strategies are:

• Burning them to reduce total supply and protect scarcity.
• Reserving them for future fundraising rounds.
• Moving them into the project treasury for ecosystem development.

Each project handles this differently, so always check their whitepaper or official communications.

Final Thoughts

Congratulations again on joining your first presale. Remember, the presale is just the beginning. What happens after is what really matters: distribution, listings, early market activity, and how the team handles unsold tokens.

Don’t be afraid of this process. Instead, use it to your advantage. Mark your calendar, read the vesting schedules carefully, and always have your own strategy,  including an exit plan.

At CoinTerminal, we make this process clear and accessible. All sales are open-access, non-token-gated, non-staking, and refundable. Plus, any contribution of 250 USDT or more automatically enters you into our crypto lottery, even if you request a refund.

‍Check our active sales today and see which opportunities are live right now.