This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.
The blockchain scams of the past 10 years, hoping for a new scam in 2026
2013-2016: Air coins + pyramid schemes, "As long as you issue a coin, you can get rich quickly"
2017-2018: ICO + exchange scams + trading mining, "Everything can be mined / ICOed"
2019-2020: Peak of Ponzi schemes (PlusToken style) → Shift in DeFi narrative, "High-yield staking perpetual motion machine"
2021-2022: Blockchain games + Metaverse + NFT, "Play to earn, buy land in the Metaverse"
2023-2024: Rapid narrative shifts (Inscription → Runes → Meme → DePin → AI), "Quick in and out, PVP all-in"
2025: Celebrities/politicians enter the scene + AI-enabled scams, "Even presidents/influencers are issuing coins, why not you?"
2026: Just beginning, currently only memes, can we expect something new?