We hear news of new tokens and alt coins pretty much every day. ICOs (Initial Coin Offering) have become one of the most successful ways to raise capital in 2017.

Actually, according to the ICO rating website, ICOdata, there has been $6 billion in ICO funding in 2017 from 886 companies. And yes, that is BILLION. You’ll be able to get a better idea of the trend if you compare it to the year 2016 when only $90 million were raised from 29 ICOs. That is a 6,600% increase in only 12 months.

While the amount of funds raised through ICOs continues to grow, so does the skepticism. Investors have started looking at these projects with a pinch of salt, trying to determine which ones are legitimate, and which ones are pure scams. This, however, made the entire industry take things more seriously and they began adding big players and well-respected individuals to their advisory board.

Some companies, like Restart Energy (more details about the company at the end of this article), manage to take this a step even further by adding members of the European Parliament to their team of well-respected advisors. This adds an extra layer of trust to the TGE (Token Generation Event) and gives them more chances of being successful in the long run. The advisor I am talking about is Catalin Sorin Ivan.

Who is Catalin Sorin Ivan?

First and foremost, he is one of the youngest members to ever grace the walls of Brussels and he is a blockchain enthusiast.

Catalin has been active in the local and national politics in Romania since 2003 and a member of the European Parliament since 2009. He also has a Masters degree in International Business which gives him a solid background for deregulation & blockchain advocacy.

Read more: How to Launch a Successful ICO/STO Campaign

In 2014, he joined the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament. He held the vice-chair of the delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community until 2014 and is now the vice-chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control. He has been a member of the Special Committee on the policy challenges and budgetary resources for a sustainable European Union after 2013, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, the Committee on Budgetary Control, and 10 other delegations and committees during his years in Brussels.

“[…] I am by trade an economist that believes in social responsibility, in the need for personal and national audits, in taking risks; innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, willingness to work, but also care towards the environment and the active fight against poverty and social gaps are key in reaching these goals.”

What is Restart Energy?

Restart Energy, the fastest growing energy provider in the European Union with over 30,000 existing customers, is building an efficient and transparent ecosystem — Restart Energy Democracy (RED) — to bridge the global divide between energy producers, prosumers and consumers using blockchain technology.

The MWAT token gives access to the RED-Platform — a revolutionary software designed to merge blockchain smart contracts and smart meter technology in order to cut out the middleman between energy producers, prosumers and consumers via a P2P framework where costs are reduced dramatically (by approximately 30%) for all involved parties.

What is even more interesting about the MWAT token, is that it acts like a virtual battery to store energy. This energy comes from the Community Fund (which is 5% of the total energy provided) and can be used or sold on the RED-Platform or through the RED-Franchise.

They also have one of the best videos in the history of TGEs (Token Generation Event), mostly because they managed to explain the whole process in a way that is easy to understand even if you haven’t graduated computer science and don’t know anything about how the blockchain works. Even your grandma would understand that this company is going places and plans to expand to over 45 countries by 2023. Take a look and decide for yourself.

Marketing and PR is an essential part of a blockchain startup and they’re definitely doing it right through their franchising model of global expansion.

In conclusion, when you’re looking to contribute to TGEs do a lot of research and decide for yourself if it aligns with your risk profile or values. Restart Energy with their token MWAT is one of the many high quality, upcoming Token Generation Events that you can contribute to during the first quarter of 2018. What makes a great TGE? An experienced team, having an MVP product, a great white paper, A-list advisors & the community that surrounds it. Also, an existing company with a growth record like Restart Energy (400+% in 2016 and 2017) will always have a bonus point in the eyes of contributors.

The pre-sale period for the MWAT token by Restart Energy is between 15th January – 12th February, and the public sale will be between 14th February – 14th of March.

You can reserve your spot here – the KYC is now open. If you like this company, you can also follow them on Telegram, Twitter & Facebook.

Disclaimer: this is NOT investment advice. This is purely my opinion, based on facts found on their website. Please do your own research and decide if it qualifies with your risk profile.

This article is part of Restart Energy’s Bounty Campaign.