Crypto Crash: 1.8M Tokens Fail as Market Shrinks

Key Takeaways
- In the first quarter of 2025, 1.8 million cryptocurrencies failed – a new negative record.
- Since 2021, a total of 3.7 million crypto projects have been discontinued.
- The platform pump.fun contributed to the flood of projects by simplifying token creation.
- Bitcoin is gaining dominance while altcoins are losing market share.
- The crypto landscape is changing – quality is taking precedence over quantity.
Massive Token Collapse in 2025
According to data from CoinGecko, approximately 1.8 million cryptocurrency projects failed in the first quarter of 2025. This accounts for nearly half of all failed projects since 2021. In total, around 3.7 million token projects have been discontinued since then. The figures show a drastic development: until 2024, the annual number of failed projects remained in the six-digit range.
What’s Behind the Collapse?
A key driver of this development is the platform pump.fun. It allowed users to create their own tokens with just a few clicks – no technical knowledge or extensive planning needed. This led to an explosive increase in meme coins and short-term projects. Many of these were unsustainable and quickly disappeared from the market.
In 2024 alone, over 3 million new cryptocurrencies were launched. At the same time, 1.4 million projects failed – accounting for 37.7% of all token closures over the past five years. This trend continued in 2025, reaching a new peak with 1.8 million failed projects in the first quarter.
Market Development: Bitcoin Dominates, Altcoins Decline
While many smaller projects are disappearing, Bitcoin (BTC) remains stable. With a price of around 96,000 USD, BTC is approaching the 100,000 USD mark. The total market capitalization of the crypto market currently stands at approximately 3 trillion USD.
Since January 2025, Bitcoin has increased its market dominance by 13%. As a result, the total value of altcoins has dropped by about 300 billion USD. This development indicates a market shift: away from speculative projects and toward established and resilient cryptocurrencies.
What Does This Mean for You?
If you’re interested in cryptocurrencies or already investing, it’s important to closely monitor current developments. The ease with which new tokens can be created brings risks. Many projects are not designed for long-term success. Instead of hoping for quick gains, it’s worth focusing on quality and substance.
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The growing dominance of Bitcoin and the decline of altcoins show that the market is consolidating. Investors are increasingly favouring stable projects with clear structures and real-world utility.
Our Assessment
The numbers speak for themselves: the crypto market is undergoing a cleansing phase. Platforms like pump.fun have enabled innovation but also opened the door to countless short-lived projects. The result is a massive token collapse, primarily affecting speculative investors.
For you as a user or investor, this means: do your research thoroughly before investing in new projects. Pay attention to transparency, the team, technology, and the use case. The era of quick meme coins seems to be coming to an end – quality and sustainability are becoming more important.
Sources
- CoinGecko
- GeckoTerminal