Launch Prep
ERC-20 Pre-Launch Checklist
30 items to confirm before you announce your ERC-20 token publicly. Grouped by category. The first ten matter the most.
How to use this page: work top to bottom. Each item is a yes/no question. If you cannot honestly answer "yes" or "decided" to an item, do not announce launch yet.
Total items: 30. Estimated time to complete: 1-4 weeks depending on prior preparation.
Token Configuration
Token name chosen and checked for Etherscan duplicates
Search etherscan.io for your proposed name. If a token with the same name already exists with significant trading volume, pick a different name. Confusion hurts both projects.
Symbol (ticker) chosen and confirmed not conflicting with major tokens
Avoid using ETH, USDT, USDC, BTC, or other top-30 tickers. 3-5 uppercase letters, ideally not already in the top 1000 on CoinGecko.
Total supply decided
See our tokenomics guide. Common: 1M, 1B, or 1T depending on token type.
Decimals decided (default 18)
18 for fungible utility tokens, 6 for stablecoin-like tokens, 0 for indivisible tokens. See parameters guide.
Ownership decision made: renounce or retain
Memecoins typically renounce. Utility tokens with admin functions retain. Decide before deploy. See renouncing guide.
Liquidity & Distribution
Initial liquidity amount confirmed (ETH side)
Common starting points: 0.5 to 5 ETH. Less is acceptable for very small launches but means severe slippage on early buys.
Allocation split documented
How many tokens to liquidity, treasury, community, team. Write it down before deploy; do not improvise.
LP lock service selected (Unicrypt or Team Finance)
Both work. Unicrypt is more common. Pick before launch so the lock transaction is ready immediately after pool creation.
Lock duration decided (6-12 months minimum)
Anything under 6 months reads as suspicious. 12 months is the minimum traders take seriously.
Vesting contracts set up for team / advisors (if any)
Use OpenZeppelin VestingWallet, Sablier, or similar. Verified on Etherscan, schedule public.
Branding & Identity
Logo created (PNG, transparent background, 512x512+)
Required for Token Metadata add-on, Etherscan token info, and every directory listing.
Brand colours documented
Hex codes for primary, secondary, accent. Used for socials, website, and any marketing material.
One-sentence description ready
Used on Twitter bio, Telegram description, CoinGecko, CMC. Should explain what the token is for in 15 words or fewer.
Longer description (200-300 words) ready
Used for CoinGecko/CMC applications, website "about" section, and KOL briefings.
Social Presence
Twitter / X handle reserved and populated
@yourtoken or close variant. Profile pic, banner, bio, pinned tweet ready.
Telegram group created with admin bots
Anti-spam (Rose, Combot), pinned message, rules, and at least one active mod.
Website live (any domain works for v1)
Even a single-page site with logo, description, tokenomics, and socials is enough.
Discord set up (optional)
Only if you can sustain it. A dead Discord is worse than no Discord.
Email address for project comms
Use a real domain (not Gmail). Used for CoinGecko/CMC, exchange listings, partnership outreach.
Security & Trust
Contract source code ready for Etherscan verification
See verification guide. Verify the contract within minutes of deployment.
Token passes security checklist
No hidden owner powers, no honeypot patterns, holder distribution plan in place.
Liquidity lock URL prepared in advance
Once you lock, you will share this URL on every channel. Have the template ready.
Multisig wallet for treasury (optional but recommended for serious projects)
Gnosis Safe takes ~10 minutes to set up. Worth it for any treasury over a few hundred ETH equivalent.
Audit considered
Optional but signals seriousness. Look at QuillAudits, Hacken, Certik (smaller projects often use Solidity Finance for cost).
Launch Day Comms
Launch announcement tweet drafted
Includes contract address, Etherscan link, Uniswap link, LP lock URL, Telegram link.
Pinned message ready for Telegram
Same info as the launch tweet plus rules and welcome message.
CoinGecko / CMC applications drafted (submit at +5 to +7 days)
Have the form filled in advance so you can submit the moment you hit the holder threshold.
Dexscreener enhanced info ready (optional, $300)
Trending boost for the first week if budget allows.
List of relevant Twitter accounts to mention / engage in launch week
Pre-build a list of 30-50 accounts in your niche so launch-week engagement is fast.
Holder milestones planned
Pre-write the "100 holders", "$10k liquidity", "Listed on CoinGecko" posts so they go out the moment each hits.
All items checked? You are ready to deploy.
ETHTokenLaunch deploys your contract in under 60 seconds. The marketing work above is what comes next.