A study reveals U.S. founders are linked to 43.4% of scam crypto projects in 2024, far exceeding other nations. The U.S. also leads in dead crypto projects (33.36%), while Russia ranks highest for scam projects relative to total launches.
New Studies in Crypto Project Scams
In 2024, 43.4% of all identified fraudulent crypto projects were founded by U.S. founders, according to a study that examined more than 1,500 crypto projects. The country’s share of total scam crypto initiatives identified between January and October is significantly greater than the combined share of the next four countries (19.76%).
The 5money study report concludes that the high number of innovative projects initiated by American founders is the reason for the U.S.’s disproportionate share of crypto frauds. China, which discontinued cryptocurrency activities several years ago, ranks second with 7.55%, while the United Kingdom (U.K.) follows with 6.51%. The top five is completed by Singapore and Australia, with 3.1% and 2.6%, respectively.
The United States remains the leader in the realm of deceased crypto ventures, with a 33.36% market share. At 7.63%, China is a distant second, slightly clear of the United Kingdom’s 7.22%. South Korea occupies the fourth position with a 6.74% share.
In terms of the proportion of fraudulent crypto projects to the total number of projects launched, Russia was ranked first (23.81%) in the study, which was conducted jointly by 5money and Storible. Switzerland follows with 22%, and China with 20%. Japan and Israel complete the top five with 19.05% and 15.79%, respectively.
The report observes that the success or failure of a project can be substantially influenced by regulatory gaps and market enthusiasm. It highlights the necessity of standardized regulations, as fraudulent crypto projects are present in both developed countries such as the U.S. and emerging markets like Vietnam.
“As crypto adoption expands, understanding these trends will be key to fostering a more stable and reliable ecosystem,” the report added.
In the interim, the investigation determined that Vietnam, despite its status as a blockchain innovation center, encounters substantial obstacles with respect to the legitimacy and longevity of its projects, with 12% of its crypto projects being fraudulent.
The country was ranked among the global top ten in both categories, as approximately 42% of the population is classified as deceased.