Initial Exchange Offering (IEO)

An Initial Exchange Offering (IEO) pertains to a fundraising event in the context of the cryptocuurrency industry. In an IEO, a cryptocurrency exchange raises money on its own platform, in contrast to an ICO that has a team conduct the fundraising instead.

One notable example of this fundraising event was when Bitfinex, a known cryptocurrency exchange firm, issued an IEO in an effort to shore up its reserve for Tether tokens.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is known to be looking into IEOs. This, the SEC does with a view to act against securities laws violations.