TGE (token generation event)
A TGE (token generation event) is the moment a crypto project's token is created on-chain, distributed to investors, team and community, and becomes tradable. It is the technical event of minting and releasing the token — distinct from the fundraising method, such as an ICO or IDO, used to sell it.
How it works
At the TGE the token contract is deployed, supply is minted per the tokenomics, allocations move to investors, team escrows, airdrop claim contracts and liquidity pools, transfers are enabled, and vesting clocks on locked allocations begin. A listing — an exchange opening trading — usually happens the same day but is a separate event.
Why it matters to a trader
The TGE fixes the variables that drive a token's early price: the initial float (how much supply circulates on day one), the launch FDV, and the unlock schedule that dictates future sell pressure. Low float paired with a high FDV means price is set by scarcity, with dilution scheduled to follow.
How to read a launch
Check the initial float percentage, compare the launch FDV against comparable projects, and map the vesting calendar for the first eighteen months. The unlock schedule, not the roadmap, usually writes the early chart.
Read the full note
This is the short definition. For the mechanics, the 2025–26 launch data and the desk's evaluation checklist, read the full explainer: What is a TGE — and why 84% of them end up underwater?