1. Checking and Evaluating the Project Team
This is the most important and necessary factor. A strong team usually means the project is well-funded and has solid backing. If the team members are well-known, you’ll likely recognize some familiar names. However, if most names are unfamiliar, focus on their experience and previous workplaces.To properly evaluate whether a team is reliable, you’ll need some information-searching skills. A decent project should have more than ten core members, though smaller teams may be fine for modest projects.
The simplest method: Search for each member on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google to see whether they’re genuinely connected to the project.
The careful method: Once you find their profiles, cross-check the information for consistency. Prioritize verified (blue tick) Twitter accounts, as scam projects can easily impersonate famous people. If you have the skill, look into their employment history through the official company pages they claim to have worked for.
2. Determining the Actual Reward Amount
Usually, projects list rewards in terms of token amounts, USD, or ETH. Regardless of format, you should always convert to USD for a realistic estimate, preferably using the “Pre-ICO price minus bonuses” method — it gives the most accurate valuation. If you prefer, you can also base calculations on Private or Public ICO prices.Example:
Project ABC runs a bounty offering 1% of total tokens = 1,000,000 ABC, valued at $1,000,000.
At ICO price, 1 ABC = $1.
During the Pre-ICO phase, 1 ABC = $0.5 with a 100% bonus.
So, the real price per ABC is about $0.25, making the total bounty reward roughly $250,000.
A simple ranking system I use:
- Over $500K – Excellent
- $250K–$500K – Good
- $100K–$250K – Average
- Under $100K – Not worth it
3. Identifying Which Categories to Joi
Every project specifies reward allocations for different categories. Usually, you can participate in social media campaigns like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, or Instagram. Higher-tier categories may include Blogging, Articles, or Videos. Choose based on what you’re good at and check how much percentage each category receives — if it’s high, prioritize it; if low, skip it.Also, pay close attention to the number of participants. A good project doesn’t necessarily mean a good bounty. Some big-name projects can attract over 3,000 participants, meaning even if you’re active, your share will be tiny. Typically, 30–50% of total participants join within the first two weeks. You can roughly estimate your reward share by dividing total participants at that stage and multiplying by three (×3) if you achieve the maximum stake for your follower/friend count.
Example:
Project ABC offers 1,000,000 ABC tokens. Facebook share = 15% = 150,000 ABC.
After two weeks, 500 people join. If you complete all required tasks, you’ll get about 300–500 ABC tokens.
If the bounty manager updates stakes weekly, after three weeks you can estimate results easily. For instance:
Week 1: 1,000 stakes
Week 2: 1,200 stakes
Week 3: 1,400 stakes
Weeks 4–6: about 1,300 stakes
If you earn 3 stakes/week, you’ll get roughly 700+ ABC tokens at the end.
It might sound complicated, but once you’re used to it, you can estimate results within 30 seconds — no calculator needed.
Another real example: Darcmatter’s Facebook bounty.
- Week 1: 20,000 stakes
- Week 2: 25,000 stakes
→ Average: 22,000 stakes
You earn 50 stakes/week = 0.2% of 150,000 tokens = 340 tokens.
At distribution, I received 342.61 tokens, almost exact.
4. Task Difficulty Level
Easier tasks attract more participants and cloned accounts, so “easy” doesn’t always mean “profitable.” Harder ones take more time, but competition is lower. Here’s a rough benchmark based on recent bounty data (from reputable managers and decent projects):- EASY: Just Like/Share 3–5 posts per week → ~2,000 participants in first 2 weeks
- MEDIUM: Like/Share + 1–2 own posts → under 1,500 participants
- HARD: More shares/posts per day, higher follow/friend limits → under 1,000 participants in 2 week
5. Bounty Duration
This one’s simple — the shorter, the better. If the duration isn’t clearly stated, check the ICO end date through external sources.- Under 4 weeks: Excellent. Usually means the project already has a strong community and runs bounties just for compliance or marketing reasons. However, be cautious — short campaigns can sometimes indicate potential scams.
- Under 10 weeks: Ideal range (often 8 weeks). Time-efficient.
- 10–15 weeks: Around 3 months — only worth it for very strong projects or if you’re highly dedicated.
- Over 15 weeks: Usually not worth the effort. Such long campaigns are often split into multiple rounds, meaning rewards get divided too.
6. Other Important Factors
Project reputation:Only join projects rated above average (Good or better). Don’t chase every random opportunity. Reputable, well-known projects are often listed on major ICO review sites — while not perfectly accurate, it’s still a useful reference.
Feasibility:
Make sure the project has a clear, practical use case. Avoid vague ones claiming “blockchain for this or that” without showing real application potential. If you can’t figure out what the project actually does, chances are it will flop when listed.
Also, check softcap vs. hardcap — if the hardcap is unrealistically high, that’s a red flag. Think of it like a straight-A student with zero life skills — great on paper, useless in practice.
Softcap reached:
This one’s tricky since most bounties start before the ICO sale. You may only find out later if they reach the softcap. It depends largely on the marketing team’s effectiveness — just like a smart student without connections or resources, they’ll struggle without strong marketing.
Partnerships:
Projects with strong, reputable partners are preferable. For example, ABT originated from CMT — while its real-world application seemed weak, its ICO performance was strong thanks to CMT’s solid reputation during the market peak. Today, prioritize projects partnered with well-known, established companies — those not running ICOs themselves. That usually means a safer path to listing.
Bounty manager:
Favor bounty managers who are fast, transparent, and reliable. Many now work in teams or directly manage campaigns for projects internally. If you’ve joined many bounties, you’ll recognize trustworthy names. If not, check the manager’s rank or whether their name seems familiar.
Bonus factors:
- Well-written Whitepaper
- Attractive Website
- Decent Team size
- Clear Company address
- Has MVP, Demo, Alpha, or App available
- Active Telegram and social media communities
- Hosts meetups, livestreams, or AMA sessions
