In the fast and dizzying world of cryptocurrencies, survival between projects is not distributed equally to everyone.
According to a recent analysis, more than 50% of the more than 24,000 cryptocurrencies listed on CoinGecko since 2014 have perished, with a total of 14,039 projects no longer with us.
A notable fact is that the majority of failed cryptocurrencies, 53.6%, come from projects launched during the market boom in 2020-2021.
In that period, 7,530 cryptocurrencies lost their pulse, evidencing an interesting phenomenon: the ease of deploying tokens and the emergence of the very popular “memecoins.”
However, many of the latter are launched without a real product, resulting in their abandonment after a short period.
The year 2021 stands as the darkest in the history of cryptocurrencies
Since 2021, there have been 5,724 dead projects until January 2024.
More than 70% of the coins listed on CoinGecko during 2021 have met their end, marking a grim record for project launches.
The year 2022 follows closely, with 3,520 cryptocurrencies dying to date, representing a mortality rate of approximately 60%.
The year 2023, on the other hand, showed a surprising decrease in the failure rate, with only 289 of the more than 4,000 listed cryptos meeting their end.
This could suggest greater maturity in the projects launched that year or greater scrutiny by investors.
Breaking down failures by release year shows a significant increase starting in 2017, peaking in 2021.
The years 2014-2016 featured comparatively low failure rates, signaling a change in market dynamics over time.
The study also reveals the methodology used, based on data from CoinGecko and considering various circumstances for the deactivation of cryptocurrencies, such as a lack of commercial activity in the last 30 days, scams, or the team’s decision to deactivate the project.
The analysis highlights the fragility of the cryptocurrency ecosystem, with a high rate of projects failing to survive.
The proliferation of projects without real support and the ease of launching tokens could have contributed to this high failure rate.
However, some stabilization is on the horizon in 2024, which could indicate greater discernment on the part of the community and a more cautious approach towards new investments in the cryptocurrency space.
