Crypto token failures skyrocket to nearly 2 million in Q1 2025

The crypto market experienced a dramatic surge in failed tokens during the first quarter of 2025, with nearly 2 million digital assets collapsing.

According to a CoinGecko report, over 1.8 million crypto tokens were abandoned or failed in this year’s first three months. This number represents nearly half (49.7%) of all token failures recorded since 2021.

Dead Crypto Tokens Between 2021 and 2025 (Source: CoinGecko)

When the timeline is expanded to include data from 2021 to 2025, more than 3.6 million tokens have failed.

CoinGecko attributes much of this collapse to the explosive growth of memecoins and the increasing use of simplified token creation platforms like the Solana-based Pump.fun platform, which gained traction in 2024.

According to CoinGecko, Pump.fun was pivotal in making 2024 the second-worst year for crypto project failures. The firm noted that nearly 1.4 million tokens shut down last year, translating to about 37.7% of total shutdowns during the past five years.

Listed vs Failed Crypto Tokens on Gecko Terminal (Source: CoinGecko)

At the same time, 2024 also saw a massive spike in token creation, with more than 3 million new tokens entering the market.

However, this surge in volume did not bring sustainable growth. Many of these tokens lacked clear use cases, strong communities, or long-term viability. Instead, they were launched quickly, often as speculative assets, with little thought to their development or longevity.

Meanwhile, before platforms like Pump.fun gained momentum, token failure rates remained relatively low. Between 2021 and 2023, shutdowns accounted for only 12.6% of all token deaths logged over the five years.

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