Too Many Tokens, Too Little Trust: How Meme Coin Launchpads Are Testing Investors
As the meme coin ecosystem grows with more launchpads and projects, the risks of scams like pump-and-dump schemes also rise. Both launchpads and investors must take action to ensure legitimacy.
The meme coin ecosystem is expanding rapidly, with new launch platforms like Raydium’s LaunchLab and Bonk’s LetsBonk rivaling Pump.fun’s established position. As the number of launchpads rises, so does the volume of meme coins entering the market.
With an industry already saturated with many different projects, drawing the line is becoming increasingly difficult. The surge in meme coin projects also elevates the probability of scams. Representatives from CoinGecko, Space ID, and Neiro told BeInCrypto that this increased flurry of meme coins carries risks like pump-and-dump schemes and rug pulls, which are closely associated with the market’s speculative nature.
The Rise of New Meme Coin Launchpads
If one meme coin launchpad didn’t seem enough, now there’s a handful to choose from. Pump.fun was the first in the meme coin industry to revolutionize token launches by democratizing access.
But now, it faces competition. Raydium released LaunchLab, Bonk’s LetsBonk has already given Pump.fun a reason to sweat over, while Believe and CMC Launch are also making waves. Since then, the meme coin native has lost its stronghold in the industry.
More alarming than Pump.fun’s dwindling performance is the never-ending wave of meme coin launches. This trend has significant implications for an already unregulated industry, costing most retail investors extensive losses.
Does Accessibility Equate to Sustainability?
When Pump.fun was first launched, it introduced a new concept never seen before in the crypto industry. The idea was simple: if you want to launch your own meme coin, you can do so practically for free and in seconds.
“The accessibility of meme coin launchpads drives both innovation and speculation, with each reinforcing the other. Speculation fuels market activity, drawing capital and participants who create a competitive environment. This pressure compels creators to innovate, developing compelling narratives, community-driven models, or unique token structures that resonate culturally or socially,” S, Neiro’s pseudonymous Community Lead, told BeInCrypto.
But when a sea of meme coins turns into a tsunami, finding projects with actual utility becomes an increasingly larger feat.
“While it is generally accepted that meme coins don’t need any sort of utility as they are seen as projects that people can identify with or “vibe” with, the sheer number of them being launched does draw liquidity away from projects with products or use cases,” Shaun Lee, Research Analyst at CoinGecko, said.
This has already begun to affect meme coins that have leveraged their strong community backing to survive past market downturns.
“Unfortunately, the flood of thousands of new meme coins into the market has affected established meme coins such as DOGE and SHIB. These coins have faced brand dilution and, with liquidity spread thin, have been unable to break their all-time highs from the 2021 bull cycle,” Lee added.
To make matters worse, this added layer of speculation in an already volatile industry significantly increases the risk of scams.
The Alarming Scale of Fraud and Project Failures
A recent Solidus Labs report revealed a significant scale of fraudulent activities on Solana. According to the findings, approximately 98.7% of tokens on Pump.fun and 93% of liquidity pools on Raydium have exhibited characteristics of pump-and-dump schemes or rug pulls.
Approximately 98.7% of tokens on Pump.fun are pump-and-dump schemes. Source:
Solidus Labs
Knowing this, many token launches are done exclusively to take advantage of the market’s casino-like nature.
“It’s certainly very concerning. Meme coin launchpads capitalize on human greed and FOMO, which makes them the perfect place to launch pump-and-dump schemes, even if that’s not their original intention,” Alice Shikova, Marketing Lead at Space ID, told BeInCrypto.
Since thousands of coins are launched daily, many of which become scams, most of these projects typically end up defunct. The data on this phenomenon are staggering.
A recent CoinGecko report indicates that of approximately 7 million cryptocurrencies listed on GeckoTerminal since 2021, 3.7 million –or 53%– have become inactive.
The majority of these collapses occurred in 2024 and 2025. Notably, over 1.82 million tokens stopped trading in 2025 alone, significantly exceeding the approximately 1.38 million failures recorded throughout 2024.
“The meme coin sector has historically prioritized quantity over quality, reflecting modern market dynamics where attention is transient. Many coins capitalize on short-lived trends, sacrificing depth for immediacy. Launchpads amplify this tendency by streamlining token creation, resulting in many projects, most of which lack staying power,” S explained.
With no federal regulation in sight, only two options remain. The launchpads either take action, or traders decide to get smart about their investment decisions.
The Regulatory Void: Who is Responsible?
Currently, no comprehensive, specific regulatory framework exists for the meme coin industry, which creates an environment where pump-and-dump schemes and rug pulls remain prevalent.
In February, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a statement indicating that typical meme coin transactions are not considered securities. This classification means that investors in these specific assets are generally not afforded the protections of federal securities laws.
According to Shikova, launchpads must take on the responsibility in light of these nonexistent regulations.
“Right now, it’s not even clear which agency is responsible for memecoins, let alone what the rules should be. And realistically, it will take a long time for government agencies to catch up and understand this space properly. So launchpads need to self-regulate if they want memecoins to become a legitimate investment sector. Otherwise, regulators will come in and outright ban them,” she warned.
Fortunately, existing methods can help mitigate the growing risk of scams.
The Path Forward: Audits, Lock-ups, and Due Diligence
In a sector that prioritizes quantity over quality, launchpads have the opportunity to implement safeguards that prevent projects from immediate collapse.
“The only way to solve this is through transparent audits and also enforcing lock-ups for anyone launching a new token, so they can’t just close the project and take off with the money as soon as it pumps. And it’s the launchpads that are responsible for putting these rules in place– otherwise, the regulators will do it, and then the rules will certainly be much stricter,” Shikova told BeInCrypto.
However, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Even with established regulations and protections, traders still bear the ultimate responsibility for vetting projects before investing.
“They can check out the team’s background (beyond whatever they say on LinkedIn), the project’s tokenomics and roadmap (if it even has these), and also, importantly, its community. You can typically tell if the community is just there for the short-term hype or genuinely believes in the project, and this often determines its longevity, especially when it comes to speculative assets like memecoins,” Shikova added.
While democratizing access and fueling innovation, the proliferation of meme coin launchpads has undeniably intensified the challenges within this highly speculative market.
As these platforms continue to take off, the onus remains on both the launchpads to implement stricter safeguards and on individual investors to exercise rigorous due diligence to navigate the escalating risks.
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
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Delta Airlines lowers its annual profit forecast due to an expected increase in fuel costs to $6 billion. The CEO stated that ticket prices have risen by about 20% this year, with limited passenger resistance. Analysts warn that maintaining high ticket prices in 2027 is critical for improving profitability. The article includes comments from the earnings call and analyst remarks. Rajesh Kumar Singh/Shivansh Tiwary, Reuters Chicago, October 9 - Delta Airlines (DAL.N) said on Friday that, despite strong travel demand and rising ticket prices, soaring fuel costs have forced it to cut its 2026 profit expectations by nearly a quarter. So, the airline industry may need to further limit flight growth next year to protect profitability. This warning highlights the increasingly tough challenges faced by U.S. airlines. While strong demand and restricted seat growth have allowed airlines to significantly raise ticket prices and offset higher fuel costs, aggressively increasing flights to capture more demand may intensify competition, making it harder to maintain high fares and protect profits. Based in Atlanta, Delta now expects its annual fuel expenditure to increase by about $6 billion compared to last year—about $2 billion higher than its July forecast—due to the Iran war (link) causing global jet fuel prices to spike. Airlines worldwide are preparing for a prolonged fuel shock. Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair Group RYA.I, said Thursday that high jet fuel prices could persist for another 12-18 months (link), adding more pressure on airlines to raise fares and control costs. https://www.reuters.com/graphics/AUTOMATED-20261008/A4A-JET-FUEL-DAILY-1Y/xmpjwjnmbvr/chart.png “In a high-cost environment, you can’t simply grow your way out,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said on the earnings call. He noted that the industry has already taken steps to restrict capacity, but more measures will be needed next year to improve profitability. Bastian said Delta raised ticket prices about 20% this year, and passenger resistance has been limited. He is confident that even if fuel costs eventually drop, the high fares can still be maintained. Delta lowered its adjusted annual earnings per share forecast from the July prediction of $6.50-$7.50 to $5.10-$5.60. According to LSEG data, the midpoint of the new range is below analysts’ average expectation of $5.46. Third-quarter adjusted earnings per share were $1.72, four cents below analysts’ average forecast. In midday trading, shares of Delta dropped 1.7%, United Airlines UAL.O fell 1.4%, and both American Airlines AAL.O and Southwest Airlines LUV.N were down about 1%. Delta partly shields itself from rising fuel costs by owning a refinery outside Philadelphia (link), which is expected to generate over $700 million in profits this year. Even with this buffer, the airline expects its fourth-quarter fuel price to rise from $3.61 per gallon in Q3 to $4.25 per gallon. Delta forecasts adjusted fourth-quarter earnings per share to be between $1.15-$1.65, with the $1.40 midpoint roughly matching analysts’ average expectation of $1.39. Fare increases Government data shows that in the first eight months of 2026, U.S. airlines spent $42.9 billion on fuel, an increase of $13.2 billion compared to the same period last year despite slightly reduced consumption. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, strong demand and limited seat growth pushed average U.S. airline ticket prices up by about 25% year-on-year between April and August. https://www.reuters.com/graphics/USA-AIRLINES/FUEL/lbpgdnbzwvq/chart.png Analysts at Melius Research said that despite surging fuel costs, Delta’s ability to raise fares helps keep second-half profits roughly stable. Still, they warn that the company’s profit margin has struggled to improve over the years. “It is critical for margin improvement to maintain or raise fares in 2027,” they wrote in their research report. With industry capacity growth expected to accelerate in Q4, this challenge will likely become even tougher. Deutsche Bank analysts expect the proportion of fuel costs recouped through revenue measures to fall in Q4 and predict full recovery won’t happen until early 2027. Bastian noted that low industry returns are another reason for limiting capacity growth. He said Delta will be cautious with its 2027 capacity plan until the fuel price outlook becomes clearer. He added that international routes may account for a larger share of Delta’s capacity expansion compared to domestic routes. Currently, Delta says its premium cabins and corporate travel business remain strong, and its economy cabin business is gradually improving. With Q4 ticket bookings already exceeding 60%, Delta expects revenue to increase about 20% year-on-year, despite limited capacity growth. Executives said early booking trends for Q1 2027 are also encouraging. (For the convenience of non-native English speakers, Reuters automatically translates its reports into several
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