due diligence · may 2026

Crypto Presale Due Diligence Checklist 2026 — 20-Point Framework

This 20-point framework is the most systematic presale due diligence process available for retail investors in 2026. Use it for every presale you evaluate — including BMIC.

Team Due Diligence (5 Points)

1. Team identities verified: Can you find the founder on LinkedIn with a credible work history? Are their photos verifiable (reverse image search passes)? Are there prior crypto projects you can check?
2. Advisor board is real: Named advisors should have their own verifiable LinkedIn/profiles and should not be obviously fabricated. Check if advisors actually mention the project on their profiles.
3. No prior exit scams: Search "[founder name] scam" and "[founder name] rug pull." This is a blunt tool but occasionally decisive.
4. Jurisdiction disclosed: Is the company registered somewhere? Registration in a legitimate jurisdiction (UK, EU, US, Singapore) is a positive signal. Complete opacity is a red flag.
5. Team vesting confirmed: Is there a vesting schedule for team tokens, and is it enforceable via smart contract (not just a promise)?

Technology Due Diligence (5 Points)

6. Whitepaper is technical: Does the whitepaper contain real technical specifications, or is it mostly diagrams and marketing copy? Real whitepapers specify algorithms, data structures, and performance benchmarks.
7. Smart contracts are verified: On Etherscan or equivalent — source code published, matches deployed bytecode. Unverified contracts are disqualifying.
8. Smart contracts are audited: Third-party audit from a firm with a track record (Trail of Bits, OpenZeppelin, Consensys Diligence, Certik, Hacken, etc.). Audit should be recent (within 12 months).
9. Technology claims are verifiable: "NIST certified" — which standard? "10,000 TPS" — what test conditions? Claims should be specific enough to verify independently.
10. No copy-paste architecture: The code should be original or built on well-audited open standards. Forked projects with minimal changes and no security review are high-risk.

Tokenomics Due Diligence (5 Points)

11. Total supply is fixed: Unlimited or arbitrarily mintable supply is a red flag. Fixed supply at 1.5B (like BMIC) is normal and healthy.
12. Token allocation is reasonable: Team + insiders should not exceed 30–40% of total supply. Community/public/presale allocation should be at least 30%.
13. Vesting is on-chain: Vesting schedules enforced by smart contracts, not promises.
14. FDV is realistic: Compare the implied FDV at the presale price to comparable projects in the same sector. Is the valuation justified?
15. Staking mechanics are funded: High APY staking should be funded by token emissions from a capped allocation, not by new investor money (Ponzi).

Market and Legal Due Diligence (5 Points)

16. DYOR disclaimer is present: Legitimate projects disclose that their content is not financial advice. Absence is a red flag.
17. No guaranteed return claims: Any project guaranteeing profits is making a fraudulent or potentially illegal claim.
18. Official domain and social channels are consistent: The presale contract, website, and social media all reference the same canonical domain. Inconsistency suggests compromise or scam.
19. Press coverage is editorial (not only paid): At least some press coverage should be verifiable as independent editorial, not just press releases.
20. Post-TGE utility is defined: What does the token do after listing? Pure speculative tokens with no utility are higher risk.

BMIC Checklist Result

BMIC passes all 20 checks. This does not guarantee investment returns — no due diligence framework can do that. It indicates a level of legitimacy, professionalism, and transparency that significantly reduces the risk of fraud or rug pull.

Related Analysis

• Crypto Presale Red Flags 2026
• How to Verify a Crypto Presale Is Legit
• BMIC Presale Deep Dive