Web3 Ecosystem Faces $6 Billion Loss from Rug Pulls in 2025

According to PANews, a recent report from blockchain analytics platform DappRadar reveals a significant decline in the frequency of 'Rug Pull' incidents, with only seven occurrences in 2025 compared to 21 in early 2024. Despite the decrease in frequency, the Web3 ecosystem has suffered substantial financial losses, amounting to nearly $6 billion since the beginning of 2025. A staggering 92% of these losses are attributed to the collapse of Mantra's OM token, although its founder denies it being a 'Rug Pull'. In contrast, the total losses from such incidents in the same period of 2024 were $90 million. DappRadar analyst Sara Gherghelas highlights that while the frequency of these events has decreased, their destructive impact has intensified, with scams becoming increasingly sophisticated and often orchestrated by professional teams. The nature of these incidents is evolving; in the first quarter of 2024, they primarily originated from DeFi protocols, NFT projects, and meme coins, whereas in 2025, they are predominantly occurring in the meme coin sector. Gherghelas also warns of potential indicators of 'Rug Pulls', such as a sudden surge in the number of active wallets, high transaction volumes with low user activity, unverified smart contracts, limited GitHub activity, anonymous developer teams, or projects experiencing abrupt growth. These signs could serve as red flags for investors and participants in the Web3 ecosystem.