I’ve always wondered, honestly, how much you can actually make from cryptocurrency presale investments. Whether a 1000x return really happens, or if around 20x is more realistic—when I looked into it for real, the answer turned out to be pretty complicated.

People who bought during the 2020 presale stage of Shiba Inu reportedly got nearly 1000x returns at the 2021 peak. But this is a genuinely rare case—more like a unicorn. In more realistic scenarios, you should think of it as a range where 2x to 10x returns are possible. Tamadoge rose 19x from the presale in 2022, and Lucky Block also exceeded 60x, but returns at these levels are becoming less common as the market matures.

Whether you succeed with presale investing depends most importantly on the quality of the project. Projects with strong teams, clear use cases, and active communities tend to perform better after launch. Projects like Ethereum Name Service (ENS)—with solid whitepapers and robust smart-contract-based blockchain technology behind them—tend to have higher chances of success.

I realized that paper profits and realized gains are different things. Right after tokens get listed on DEXs, big price jumps are more likely, but in many cases there’s a vesting period, so you can’t sell all the tokens right away. On top of that, because the market is extremely volatile, it’s possible that $1 today could drop to $0.5 tomorrow. A key way to ride out market swings is to monitor the performance of major altcoins like Bitcoin.

An exit strategy is also important. There are a few approaches, such as quick flips right after the presale, the HODL strategy for the long term, gradually taking profits, or waiting until the vesting period ends. If overall market sentiment is bullish, it can be worth holding longer, but in a bearish phase, it’s wiser to pull out early. Spreading your investments to reduce risk and keeping a close eye on project developments and regulatory changes are the keys to success.

However, there’s one thing you shouldn’t forget: not every presale leads to profits. There are many risks, such as scam projects, market volatility, and insufficient liquidity. There are success stories like Tamadoge and other projects, but there are also countless investors who ended up taking losses. In the end, whether cryptocurrency presale investing is worth it depends on your own risk tolerance, your ability to do thorough research, and your understanding of the market.

Whether you’re looking for the next 100x crypto or aiming for guaranteed profits, doing advance preparation and gathering information is essential. By carefully analyzing project whitepapers, tokenomics, and market conditions, you can reduce risk and improve your chances of success. Crypto presales can be rewarding investments—but only with careful judgment and a clear understanding of risks.