{"id":884321,"date":"2026-01-12T06:12:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T12:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/12\/meme-coins-bear-the-brunt-as-11-6m-crypto-projects-fail-in-2025\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T06:12:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T12:12:14","slug":"meme-coins-bear-the-brunt-as-11-6m-crypto-projects-fail-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/12\/meme-coins-bear-the-brunt-as-11-6m-crypto-projects-fail-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Meme Coins Bear the Brunt as 11.6M Crypto Projects Fail in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cimg.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/23090551\/ayan-150x150.jpg\" alt>\n                    <\/p>\n<p>Crypto Journalist<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Amin Ayan<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cimg.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/23090551\/ayan-150x150.jpg\" alt>\n                <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>Crypto Journalist<\/p>\n<p><span>Amin Ayan<\/span><span class><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptonews.com\/wp-content\/themes\/cryptonews\/images\/verification.svg\" alt=\"Verified\"><\/span>\n                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Part of the Team Since<\/p>\n<p>Apr 2025<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>About Author<\/p>\n<p>Amin Ayan is a crypto journalist with over four years of experience in the industry. He has contributed to leading publications such as Cryptonews, Investing.com, 99Bitcoins, and 24\/7 Wall St. He has&#8230;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Last updated:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-01-12T07:56:57+00:00\">January 12, 2026<\/time>\n        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"673\" src=\"https:\/\/cimg.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/12075122\/1768204282-50fcb9ea-f87a-406e-bd06-15dbd707fae4_optimized.jpg\" alt=\"Meme Coins Bear the Brunt as 11.6M Crypto Projects Fail in 2025\" decoding=\"async\"  ><\/p>\n<p>Crypto market volatility took a heavy toll on digital asset projects last year, with meme coins absorbing the bulk of the damage.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><strong>Key Takeaways:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>More than 11.6 million crypto projects failed in 2025, with meme coins hit hardest.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>An October market crash accelerated failures, wiping out 7.7 million tokens in Q4.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Low-barrier launchpads flooded the market, magnifying losses as sentiment turned.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>More than 11.6 million crypto projects failed in 2025, marking the highest annual total on record and underscoring the fragility of speculative tokens during periods of market stress.<\/p>\n<p>The sharpest losses came in the final quarter of the year.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"h-7-7m-tokens-went-dark-in-q4-after-october-market-crash\">7.7M Tokens Went Dark in Q4 After October Market Crash<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coingecko.com\/research\/publications\/how-many-cryptocurrencies-failed\" target=\"_blank\">a report released Friday by CoinGecko<\/a> research analyst Shaun Paul Lee, roughly 7.7 million tokens listed on GeckoTerminal stopped trading between October and December.<\/p>\n<p>Lee pointed to <a href=\"https:\/\/cryptonews.com\/exclusives\/crypto-crash-makes-history-opportunities-ahead-or-will-things-get-worse\/\">the Oct. 10 market crash<\/a>, when more than $19 billion in leveraged positions were liquidated in a single day, as a decisive trigger that accelerated project failures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis sharp decline in token survivability may be linked to the broader market turbulence throughout the year, which particularly affected the meme coin sector,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n<p>CoinGecko defines a failed cryptocurrency as a token that was once actively traded on GeckoTerminal but has since ceased activity.<\/p>\n<p>The scale of the collapse represents a dramatic jump from previous years. Around 1.3 million projects failed in 2024, while just 2,584 failures were recorded in 2021, highlighting how quickly risk appetite expanded over the past cycle.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div>\n<blockquote data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>Top 10 Crypto Narratives in 2025<\/p>\n<p>1. Meme Coins<br \/>2. Artificial Intelligence<br \/>3. AI Agents<br \/>4. Real World Assets<br \/>5. Made in USA<br \/>6. Solana Meme Coins<br \/>7. Solana Ecosystem<br \/>8. Layer 1<br \/>9. DeFi<br \/>10. DeFAI<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 CoinGecko (@coingecko) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/coingecko\/status\/1998452640712143326?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\">December 9, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Meme coins, often driven by social momentum rather than fundamentals, tend to amplify those swings.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond market stress, sheer volume played a central role. GeckoTerminal data shows the number of listed tokens climbed from about 3 million at the end of 2024 to nearly 20 million by the close of 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Lee attributed much of that growth to the rise of low-friction token launch tools, particularly on Solana.<\/p>\n<p>The launch of pump.fun in early 2024 made it easier than ever to deploy new tokens, fueling an influx of projects with minimal development or staying power.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe ease of launching tokens on launchpads has led to a surge in low-effort meme coins entering the market,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n<p>Before 2024, annual crypto failures were typically in the low six figures, with projects launched between 2021 and 2023 accounting for just 3.4% of all failures over the past five years.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"h-meme-coins-rebound-in-early-2026-as-market-cap-and-volumes-jump\">Meme coins Rebound in Early 2026 as Market Cap and Volumes Jump<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Despite last year\u2019s washout, meme coins <a href=\"https:\/\/cryptonews.com\/news\/memecoins-are-rising-from-the-dead-after-hitting-historic-lows-says-cryptoquant\/\">entered 2026 with renewed momentum<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Data from CoinMarketCap shows the sector\u2019s market capitalization rose from $38 billion in late December to $47.7 billion in early January, before easing to around $43.7 billion.<\/p>\n<p>Transaction volumes surged as well, briefly jumping more than 300% before settling back, suggesting speculative interest has returned.<\/p>\n<p>Tokens such as PEPE, BONK, and FLOKI led the rebound with strong double-digit gains, reigniting debate over whether the move reflects short-term speculation or an early signal of broader altcoin rotation.<\/p>\n<p>\n                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKQgKIiNDQklTRkFnTWFoQUtEbU55ZVhCMGIyNWxkM011WTI5dEtBQVAB?ceid=US:en&#038;oc=3\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>                            <svg width=\"20\" height=\"16\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 16\" fill=\"none\">\n                            <path d=\"M19.6 5.36C19.6 5.48 19.6 5.66 19.54 5.78L17.2 12.8V5.6C17.2 4.94 16.66 4.4 16 4.4H12.82L12.52 3.8L11.86 2.36L15.34 3.32L18.58 4.16C19.18 4.28 19.6 4.82 19.6 5.36Z\" fill=\"#FF4131\" \/>\n                            <path d=\"M15.4 0.799997V3.26L11.92 2.3L11.74 1.88C11.44 1.28 10.72 0.979997 10.12 1.22L4.59998 3.38V0.799997C4.59998 0.499997 4.89998 0.199997 5.19998 0.199997H14.8C15.1 0.199997 15.4 0.499997 15.4 0.799997Z\" fill=\"#03A846\" \/>\n                            <path d=\"M12.82 4.4H4.00002C3.34002 4.4 2.80002 4.94 2.80002 5.6V11.42L0.520024 6.5C0.460024 6.26 0.400024 6.08 0.400024 5.9V5.84C0.400024 5.3 0.700024 4.82 1.24002 4.64L4.60002 3.32L10.06 1.22C10.72 0.979997 11.44 1.28 11.68 1.88L11.86 2.3L12.52 3.74L12.82 4.4Z\" fill=\"#FDBD04\" \/>\n                            <path d=\"M17.2 5.59999V14.6C17.2 15.26 16.66 15.8 16 15.8H4.00005C3.34005 15.8 2.80005 15.26 2.80005 14.6V5.59999C2.80005 4.93999 3.34005 4.39999 4.00005 4.39999H16C16.66 4.39999 17.2 4.93999 17.2 5.59999ZM9.40005 9.79999H7.00005V11H7.90005C7.60005 11.36 7.18005 11.6 6.70005 11.6C5.86005 11.6 5.20005 10.94 5.20005 10.1C5.20005 9.25999 5.86005 8.59999 6.70005 8.59999C7.12005 8.59999 7.48005 8.77999 7.78005 9.01999L8.62005 8.17999C8.14005 7.69999 7.48005 7.39999 6.70005 7.39999C5.20005 7.39999 4.00005 8.59999 4.00005 10.1C4.00005 11.6 5.20005 12.8 6.70005 12.8C7.90005 12.8 8.86005 12.08 9.22005 11C9.34005 10.7 9.40005 10.4 9.40005 10.1C9.40005 9.97999 9.40005 9.91999 9.40005 9.79999ZM14.8 7.39999H10.6V8.59999H14.8V7.39999ZM16 9.79999H10.6V11H16V9.79999ZM14.8 12.2H10.6V13.4H14.8V12.2Z\" fill=\"#0284FE\" \/>\n                            <\/svg><br \/>\n                                                                    Follow us on Google News                                    <\/a>\n                                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cryptonews.com\/news\/meme-coins-bear-the-brunt-as-11-6m-crypto-projects-fail-in-2025\/\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Rubi Mongold<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Crypto Journalist Amin Ayan Crypto Journalist Amin Ayan Part of the Team Since Apr 2025 About Author Amin Ayan is a crypto journalist with over four years of experience in the industry. He has contributed to leading publications such as Cryptonews, Investing.com, 99Bitcoins, and 24\/7 Wall St. He has&#8230; Last updated:\u00a0 January 12, 2026 Crypto<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":884322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44911,32482],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-884321","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brunt","8":"category-coins"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=884321"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884321\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/884322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=884321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=884321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=884321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}