The first half of 2025 was a rollercoaster for the crypto market, marked by volatility, huge price swings, new regulations, and a big wipeout of low-value assets. While major coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum showed relative resilience, a staggering number of smaller tokens disappeared, marking the worst cleanup since the 2022 crash.
According to data presented by CryptoPresales.com, more than 1,000 cryptocurrencies have been delisted since January, the biggest decline in three years.
Crypto’s Worst Six-Month Drop Ever
The 2025 cryptocurrency wipeout comes as a massive shock after the 2024 rally, which triggered a wave of new launches. Last year alone saw nearly 1,500 new coins and tokens on the market, pushing the total to a record 10,700 in January 2025. But shortly after reaching an all-time high, this figure plunged like never before.
Regulatory challenges, global macroeconomic concerns, and Donald Trump’s trade policies have shaken up the crypto space, causing a huge crash of low-value coins, like never seen before. According to Investing.com data, the number of cryptocurrencies slipped to 10,531 by the end of March, showing a 200 drop in just two months. But that is nothing compared to what followed after. By the end of April, the total number of coins and tokens in the crypto space dropped to 9,948, revealing a substantial 583 drop in four months. Since then, another 284 tokens were delisted from the market, with the year-to-date loss rising to 1,064.
Even more shockingly, this represents the worst half-year decline the crypto market has ever seen, far outpacing the drop seen during the 2022 crash. Between February and August of that year, the number of cryptos plunged by roughly 400, while the full-year decline reached over 1,100.
Over 98% of All Cryptocurrencies are Worth Less than a Dollar
Despite the sharp correction, the number of cryptocurrencies in circulation remains surprisingly high. While many investors still chase the dream of discovering or launching the next Bitcoin or Ethereum, most of these coins hold little to no real value but continue to make up a massive part of the crypto ecosystem.
The CryptoPresales analysis showed that 98% of all coins circulating in the crypto space are worth less than a dollar. Only 49 are valued at over $100, and just 19 more than $1,000. This small group of high-value coins continues to dominate the market in both value and usage. According to CoinMarketCap, the top ten highest-valued digital coins accounted for 91% of the total crypto market value last week, 5% more than just six months ago.
