What are exit liquidity traps — and how to detect them before it is too late

Key takeaways

• Exit liquidity traps occur when new investors unknowingly provide liquidity for insiders to cash out, leaving them with devalued assets.​

• FOMO drives impulsive trades, often leading to costly mistakes and becoming exit liquidity for early movers.

• Beware of projects with exaggerated claims, low liquidity, anonymous teams or sudden price surges.

• Investing in high-market-cap coins, avoiding hype-driven projects and using reputable exchanges reduce the risk.

Are you concerned about having bought a cryptocurrency only to later realize that your investment facilitated someone else’s profitable exit? This scenario is called an exit liquidity trap, a deceptive market dynamic where unsuspecting traders provide liquidity for insiders or seasoned investors to offload their holdings at inflated prices.

By the time you recognize you have been trapped, the price crashes, leaving you with devalued tokens. But how do you spot these traps before it is too late? 

This guide breaks down exit liquidity traps, their warning signs and strategies to protect your crypto investments.

What is exit liquidity?

In traditional finance, the term refers to buyers who acquire shares from early investors or founders during liquidity events such as acquisitions, mergers or initial public offerings (IPOs). However, in the cryptocurrency market, it has taken on a more negative connotation.

In the cryptocurrency market, exit liquidity refers to unsuspecting investors who purchase tokens with little or no real value, thereby providing liquidity to sellers aiming to offload their holdings.

This situation often arises when traders buy digital assets that later become difficult to resell due to low demand or loss of value. Understanding exit liquidity is crucial for crypto traders to avoid being caught in schemes where their investments primarily benefit those looking to exit the market.

The sheer number of tokens launched every month suggests the scale of exit liquidity traps crypto traders face. In early 2024, over 540,000 new crypto tokens were created, averaging approximately 5,300 new tokens launched daily.

Did you know? In 2024, over 2 million tokens were launched. Of these, roughly 870,000 tokens, representing 42.35%, were available for trading on decentralized exchanges (DEXs).

How can you end up becoming an exit liquidity for others’ profit?

Unforeseen circumstances can sometimes turn your investments against you, making you an exit liquidity victim. Here are some common scenarios where this might happen:

Pump-and-dump schemes

Pump-and-dump schemes happen when a group of individuals artificially inflates the price of a cryptocurrency by aggressively creating a buzz around it. New investors are drawn in as the price surges, believing they are riding a profitable opportunity. However, the manipulators dump their holdings, causing a sharp crash in cryptocurrency, primarily memecoins. Those who bought late end up with significant losses and illiquid assets. 

Project failures and scandals

A major security breach, financial mismanagement or controversy involving a crypto project can lead to a rapid decline in its token value. When panic selling begins, investors who exit early minimize their losses, while those who hold on too long become exit liquidity victims as the price crashes. 

Regulatory crackdowns

Government actions against specific cryptocurrencies can suddenly shift market dynamics. If a cryptocurrency is declared illegal or subjected to strict regulations, its trading volume and liquidity can collapse, leaving investors struggling to sell.

Exchange delistings

When a cryptocurrency is removed from major exchanges, its liquidity can dry up quickly. Finding buyers for the token becomes increasingly difficult without access to a large trading platform. Novice investors may become an exit liquidity medium for those offloading their holdings ahead of the delisting. 

Market manipulation

Certain deceptive trading practices, such as wash trading or spoofing, can mislead investors into believing there is a strong demand for cryptocurrency. Manipulators create an illusion of price growth, encouraging new investors to buy in. Once the price reaches their target, they sell their holdings, leaving others with depreciating assets.

ICOs and token sale frauds

Some initial coin offerings (ICOs) and token sales are designed to deceive investors. Project founders may sell large amounts of tokens under the promise of delivering a groundbreaking project but later abandon it or fail to fulfill commitments, leading to a steep decline in token value.

Did you know? As per Chainalysis, the number of tokens launched in 2024 was 2,063,519. Among these, the number of suspected pump-and-dump tokens was 74,037.

FOMO — The core reason for exit liquidity traps

FOMO, or fear of missing out, is a key factor behind crypto traders becoming exit liquidity victims. It is an emotional reaction where traders rush into perceived market opportunities, fearing they will miss potential gains. This leads to trades executed without thorough analysis, increasing the risk of losses.

• Trend-chasing: FOMO-driven traders enter positions based on hype rather than fundamentals, making them vulnerable to market downturns.

• Neglect of risk management: These traders frequently neglect risk management strategies like diversification or stop-loss orders. This leaves them exposed to sudden price drops.

• Focus on short-term gains: FOMO-driven traders prioritize short-term gains over sustainable investment strategies, leading to frequent, costly trades that erode overall returns. 

• Impulsive decision-making: The traders’ heavy reliance on social media, news and peer influence further drives poor decision-making, as they react to market hype instead of conducting independent research.

Factors behind FOMO

Several factors trigger FOMO in crypto trading: 

• Market rallies: Sharp price surges create a sense of urgency. Traders rush to buy assets without analyzing fundamentals, fearing they will miss out on quick profits. 

• Social media hype: Social media influencers and online communities often create hype, leading traders into making risky, emotionally driven decisions. 

• Peer pressure: Peer pressure is another factor, as seeing friends or colleagues profit from trades can push individuals to follow suit. 

• Chasing trends: The tendency to chase trends pushes traders to neglect personal financial strategies. The fear of missed profits drives impulsive trades, which drives the trend. 

• Regret: Watching asset prices rise creates regret in traders if they don’t hold the cryptocurrency themselves, prompting traders to act without proper analysis.

• News-induced anxiety: Overexposure to market news produces anxiety. Constant updates and financial reports create a sense of urgency, prompting traders to react hastily rather than sticking to a well-thought-out plan. 

Did you know? According to Glosten et al.’s (1993) GJR-GARCH model, neither Baur and Dimpfl (2018) nor Cheikh et al. (2020) found the FOMO effect for Bitcoin or Ether during 2013–2018. But Wang et al. (2021) discovered a FOMO effect in the Bitcoin market between 2014 and 2019.

How to detect exit liquidity traps in crypto

Detecting exit liquidity traps requires diligent analysis on your part. Consider the project’s development activity, the team behind it and community engagement. Here are the red flags to spot potential exit liquidity traps:

Coins without solid fundamentals and exaggerated claims

Steer clear of projects that artificially inflate the price of a coin, luring in unsuspecting investors before insiders dump their holdings for profit. Known as pump-and-dump scams, these often involve exaggerated claims, assured returns and aggressive marketing. Examine if the project has a lopsided token distribution — a high concentration of tokens among a few wallets signals manipulation.

Bundled buys and developer activity

Bundled transactions can be used to manipulate token distributions, making a project seem more legitimate than it is. Developers may execute multiple transactions immediately after liquidity is added, securing tokens at the lowest price and later selling at a premium. 

For example, to identify bundled buys on Solana, use GeckoTerminal. When you search for your desired token, the right sidebar displays its GT Score. The Soul Scanner section enables you to view the “Bundled Buy %,” which reveals the number of tokens acquired through bundled buys tactics. This metric provides insight into the bulk buying activity of a specific token.

Over-hyped coins

Aggressively promoted coins with weak fundamentals and a low number of use cases are likely to crash eventually. Such coins often experience short-term price surges driven by influencers. Developers who actively create the buzz around these coins, allocate tokens to themselves and dump their holdings after prices shoot up. 

Launched in 2016, Bitconnect was marketed as a high-yield investment platform, promising substantial returns through a proprietary trading algorithm. Its multilevel marketing structure and unrealistic returns led to suspicions of it being a Ponzi scheme. In January 2018, Bitconnect abruptly shut down its lending and exchange services, causing the token’s price to plummet from an all-time high of nearly $525 to below $1, resulting in significant investor losses.

Invisible team

Cryptocurrency projects lacking identifiable team members present significant risks. The inability to verify developer identities prevents accountability. This anonymity enables developers to disappear with invested capital. The absence of transparency creates problems in evaluating a project’s legitimacy and progress. Moreover, the lack of visible leadership undermines trust, which is essential for any successful enterprise. 

Regulatory issues

If a project faces regulatory issues regarding compliance or money laundering, consider it a red flag. Additionally, legal frameworks vary across jurisdictions, adding complexity and potential risks. Noncompliance could lead to hefty penalties or even the project’s shutdown.

How to avoid exit liquidity traps in crypto

If you are a crypto investor, you must understand how to avoid exit liquidity traps. Thankfully, there are strategies to help you avoid this situation and protect your investments. Here is a breakdown of such methods: 

• Invest in coins with high market capitalization: Coins with high market capitalization are typically more stable and liquid. These assets attract a large number of buyers and sellers, making it easier to enter and exit positions without major price fluctuations. Low-cap coins, on the other hand, can be highly volatile and often lack sufficient liquidity, increasing the risk of being stuck with unsellable assets. Always check a coin’s market cap and trading volume before investing. 

• Choose coins with active trading communities: A strong, engaged trading community is a key indicator of a coin’s liquidity. Coins with active investors and consistent trading activity tend to have stabler demand, reducing the risk of getting trapped in an illiquid market. Look for projects with active discussions on social media, consistent developer updates and healthy buy-sell activity on exchanges. 

• Avoid pump-and-dump scams: Be cautious of coins that gain sudden attention without any solid fundamentals. Conduct thorough research and avoid assets that appear too good to be true. You should consider vesting periods. Sudden developer sell-offs can crash prices and leave investors with worthless assets. 

• Use reputable exchanges: Trading on well-established exchanges like Binance and Coinbase ensures better liquidity and smoother transactions. Trustworthy platforms do their due diligence before listing projects so you can feel safer with the coins on offer. While regulatory hurdles — such as the removal of Tether’s USDt (USDT) in the European Union — or unforeseen events like the Terra ecosystem collapse in May 2022 can lead to delistings, reputable exchanges typically do not remove coins without significant reasons.

• Focus on the coin’s long-term viability: If you feel a coin is overly promoted, especially in the memecoin space, take it as a warning sign. Instead of following social media trends, focus on a coin’s fundamentals and community strength. Your goal should be the long-term viability of the coin and not a short-term gain.

• Stay informed about changing regulations: Staying informed about evolving cryptocurrency regulations is crucial for investors. Legal frameworks significantly impact market dynamics, asset valuation and investment strategies. Changes can introduce new compliance requirements, tax implications or even outright bans, affecting the stability of your portfolio.

Fundamental analysis of cryptocurrencies: A robust tool to deal with exit liquidity traps 

Fundamental analysis is a crucial tool for investors looking to avoid exit liquidity traps. Unlike traditional assets such as stocks, cryptocurrencies lack standard valuation metrics like price-to-book ratios. But assessing a crypto asset’s actual value beyond its price movements can help identify solid investments and reduce liquidity risks. 

When evaluating a cryptocurrency, one of the key questions is: Will businesses adopt it? While individual and institutional investors may drive demand by holding assets, long-term value is best determined by utility rather than scarcity alone. A cryptocurrency with real-world applications and industry adoption is more likely to sustain liquidity over time. 

For instance, Ethereum introduced smart contract functionality, enabling decentralized applications (DApps). Despite its technological significance, issues like network congestion and high fees limited its public adoption. This highlights the importance of evaluating both innovation and practical usability when conducting fundamental analysis. 

Other factors to consider include developer activity, transaction volume and network security. A strong development team, consistent upgrades and a growing user base signal a cryptocurrency’s potential for long-term viability. By focusing on these elements, investors can make informed decisions, reducing the chances of being trapped in illiquid assets.

Leveraging behavioral finance to avoid exit liquidity traps

“The investor’s chief problem — and even his worst enemy — is likely to be himself.” — Benjamin Graham

As Graham insightfully points out, investors often become their own worst enemy, making decisions driven by emotion rather than logic. To avoid exit liquidity traps, you need as much knowledge of behavioral finance as you do about crypto trading fundamentals. Understanding how human behavior influences financial decisions can help you recognize and mitigate irrational choices. 

Humans are not always rational in our decision-making — emotions such as greed, fear and hope, along with cognitive biases, often drive trading behavior. Recognizing these psychological tendencies is crucial to making informed, objective investment decisions.

While honing hard skills like financial analysis and conducting due diligence on project teams is essential, it is equally important to develop behavioral skills. Practicing patience, managing FOMO and making balanced decisions can help you avoid impulsive trades and minimize risks in volatile markets.