Rug pulls are likely one of the worst things an investor can face. Rug pulls often lead to major losses and financial ruin. Sara Gherghelas of DappRadar addressed the issues of rug pulls. According to Sara, most rug pulls to date have been inherently tied to memecoins. This differs from 2024, when the primary culprits were DeFi and NFT projects.
According to a report shared by Sara, there has been a consistent decline in the frequency of reg pulls. The data suggests that these cases have reduced by 66%. However, the scale of these cases is huge. The size of these rug pulls is increasing at an alarming rate.
The Steep Jump
Last year, there were 21 different cases of rug pull. In 2025, there were just 7 cases. However, these seven cases were huge. According to data, the blockchain industry has already lost close to $6 billion. This shows the overall scale of these incidents.
The debate about rug pulls was sparked by recent incidents involving the MANTRA token. According to the report, the token lost nearly 92% of its intrinsic value in a rug pull. What is alarming is that last year, this time, the overall valuation of rug pulls was close to $90 million. This alarming rise sounds like something out of a cinematic experience.
Geghelas suggests that memecoins are primarily responsible for the phenomenon in question. They have a volatile nature that swings in any direction it pleases. It is as if these coins come with their minds.
According to Gerghelas, “Rug pulls and exit scams remain a persistent threat, especially in ecosystems where projects can rapidly gain traction through hype, only to disappear with user funds overnight.” Therefore, it brings into question the credibility of the said landscape.
