Virtual Cofounder
Guides
Run a Crowdfund

Run a Crowdfund

Raise funds from contributors and distribute tokens in return.

What You'll Build

A crowdfund contract lets you raise funds for a project while automatically distributing tokens to contributors. Contributors send tokens (or native currency) and receive your project tokens in return based on the contribution amount.

Common uses:

  • Project fundraising
  • Token launches
  • Community funding rounds
  • Pre-sales

Prerequisites

  • A wallet option ready — Keplr for mainnet, or use the test wallet to try it out
  • A token to distribute to contributors (or create one as part of the crowdfund)
  • On testnet for practice, or mainnet for production

Step 1: Plan Your Crowdfund

Decide on:

  • Funding goal — How much you want to raise
  • Token price — How many of your tokens per contribution unit
  • Duration — How long the crowdfund runs
  • Min/Max contribution — Limits per contributor (optional)

Step 2: Deploy the Crowdfund Contract

Ask Virtual Cofounder to create your crowdfund:

Deploy a crowdfund contract with a goal of 10000 tokens

With more parameters:

Deploy a crowdfund with a goal of 10000 tokens, running for 30 days, distributing RWD tokens at a rate of 100 RWD per token contributed

Step 3: Fund the Reward Pool

Before contributors can participate, deposit the tokens you'll distribute:

Deposit 1000000 RWD tokens into the crowdfund

This ensures contributors will receive their tokens when the crowdfund ends.

Step 4: Accept Contributions

Contributors participate by sending funds:

Contribute 100 tokens to the crowdfund

The contract tracks each contribution and calculates the reward.

Step 5: Monitor Progress

Check crowdfund status:

Show me the status of my crowdfund

This shows:

  • Amount raised vs. goal
  • Number of contributors
  • Time remaining
  • Your pending rewards (if you contributed)

Step 6: End the Crowdfund

When the duration expires or the goal is met:

End the crowdfund

If successful:

  • Contributors receive their reward tokens
  • You receive the raised funds

If the goal wasn't met (depending on configuration):

  • Contributors may be refunded
  • Or partial distribution occurs

Tips for Success

Set Realistic Goals

A goal that's too high may discourage contributors. Consider starting smaller and running multiple rounds.

Be Transparent

Let contributors know:

  • What the funds will be used for
  • How many tokens they'll receive
  • The timeline for the project

Test on Testnet

Run a complete crowdfund cycle on testnet:

  1. Deploy crowdfund
  2. Deploy or use a test token
  3. Fund the reward pool
  4. Make test contributions
  5. End the crowdfund

Plan Token Distribution

Decide in advance:

  • Total tokens for the crowdfund
  • Rate of distribution
  • What happens to unsold tokens

Next Steps

Crowdfunding works well with:

Run AuctionsSplit Revenue