WhiteWhale, a community-driven Solana memecoin launched on Pump.fun, crashed 60% after large holders sold about $1.3 million in tokens, wiping out market cap within minutes.
On-chain data shows trader Remus bought 1.5% of supply early, took profits into the rally but still holds a sizable stack, while the team frames the event as “liquidity distribution.”
CoinGecko reports over half of all cryptocurrencies have failed, with 11.6 million token deaths in 2025 alone and Q4 marking a historic wipeout led by memecoins.
WhiteWhale's Dramatic Price Drop
The token, launched three months ago on the Pump.fun platform, witnessed significant selling activity on Monday that caused its market capitalization to decline within minutes, according to blockchain data. The event resulted in substantial losses for token holders.
The viral memecoin $WHITEWHALE just rugged.
— Darky (@Darky1k) January 19, 2026
From 200M to 20M. -45% candle in the last few minutes. Thanks for playing pic.twitter.com/FfEFVOzAo2
Market analyst Darky flagged the price crash on social media, noting the rapid decline of the viral memecoin. Blockchain data indicates that a trader identified as Remus purchased 1.5% of the total token supply at a low price point. The position appreciated in value during a subsequent rally before Remus sold a portion of the holdings, contributing to the price decline.
Remus continues to hold a substantial amount of WhiteWhale tokens despite the decreased valuation, according to on-chain records. Members of the WhiteWhale community characterized the event as a planned liquidity distribution designed to broaden token ownership and mitigate concentration risks.
The token showed partial recovery by Tuesday, according to market data.
Broader Crypto Market Trends and Token Failures
A recent analysis by CoinGecko reported that more than 50% of cryptocurrencies have failed. The report stated that millions of tokens failed in 2025 alone, representing a majority of token failures. Memecoins experienced significant pressure from broader market volatility throughout the year, resulting in decreased token survivability rates.
The fourth quarter of 2025 recorded the collapse of millions of tokens, constituting a significant portion of all documented project failures, according to the CoinGecko report. The year 2024 saw nearly 1.4 million project failures, accounting for a notable share of all failures over the past five years, the report stated.