The frequency of cryptocurrency rug pull events in 2025 drops, but the amount per incident rises.

According to data from blockchain analysis platforms, compared to 2024, this year's cryptocurrency rug pull( project exit) cases have decreased by 66% year-on-year, but recent studies show that the scale of each rug pull is continuously expanding.

Data shows that the frequency of rug pull incidents is decreasing year by year, with 21 independent incidents recorded in early 2024, while only 7 incidents have occurred from 2025 to the present.

!7363928

However, since the beginning of 2025, the Web3 ecosystem has lost nearly $6 billion due to fraudulent activities. Notably, the report attributes 92% of the drop to the collapse of the OM token, although its founder vehemently denies that this was a premeditated scam.

In comparison, the total loss caused by rug pulls in the same period in 2024 is approximately $90 million.

A certain data platform analyst pointed out: "This change indicates that the number of rug pulls has decreased, but once they occur, their destructive power has significantly increased."

"These scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, often orchestrated by teams with polished brand images and carefully crafted narratives."

Memecoins Become Main Targets of Rug Pull Events

The analyst stated that the nature of rug pulls is constantly evolving. In the first quarter of 2024, most rug pulls originated from DeFi protocols, NFT projects, and meme coins. By the same period in 2025, most rug pulls will primarily be concentrated in the meme coin sector.

The Libertad project's Solana ecosystem token Libra(LIBRA) is one of the most talked-about rug pull cases recently; on February 14 of this year, after Argentine President Javier Milei posted on social media, the project's market value soared to $4.56 billion.

However, after the president deleted the post, the token price dropped by more than 94%, raising questions about price manipulation.

Analysts say: "Fraud and exit scams remain a persistent threat, especially in ecosystems where projects can quickly gain attention through hype, yet might abscond with funds overnight."

"Despite the increasing awareness among users and the growing number of tools to detect suspicious behavior, rug pulls remain a periodic issue, especially in the DeFi ecosystem and with newly issued tokens."

How to Identify Potential Rug Pull Risks

Experts point out that the warning signs of a rug pull include a sudden surge in the number of active wallets for no apparent reason, or unusually high transaction volumes but low user activity.

In addition, unverified smart contracts, limited GitHub activity, anonymous development teams, or DApps projects with a sudden surge in users may also be warning signs.

"As the industry matures, the methods used by criminals are also constantly evolving. Fortunately, the protective tools available to users are becoming increasingly powerful," the analyst added.

"Although rug pull actions may never be completely eradicated, their harm can be significantly dropped when users possess sufficient information and vigilance."