Astonishing Collapse: Over Half of Altcoins Vanished Since 2021
The cryptocurrency market has witnessed a dramatic culling of altcoins since 2021, with 52.7% of the 7 million listed projects ceasing trading. This represents more than half of all altcoin ventures failing during this period.
GeckoTerminal data reveals 2024-2025 as the peak years for these failures. In Q1 2025 alone, 1,821,549 altcoin projects shut down - nearly matching the total failures of the previous four years combined. This staggering 49.7% quarterly failure rate underscores severe market instability.
The collapse correlates with the explosive growth of meme coins and speculative assets, many launched through platforms like Pump.fun. While major cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH remain stable, the altcoin graveyard continues expanding as investors grow increasingly selective.
