Are Pump-and-Dump Schemes Just Accepted Now?

[SUNSHINE]

This is spot-on and timely. We're seeing coordinated manipulation hit even mid-cap tokens now, not just microcaps. DEXes lacking oversight amplify the issue, but it’s the hype-driven culture that fuels unsustainable inflows. Until the narrative shifts from quick flips to long-term value, exit liquidity games will keep repeating.

 

[Snowy]

This raises a tough question. On one hand, DEXes enable freedom and access—but without safeguards, they’re ripe for abuse. On the other, maybe it’s the community culture chasing hype and quick wins that’s the real issue. Hard to say what’s worse: flawed infrastructure or flawed incentives driving the chaos.

 

[Ruksh]

Funny how everyone loves to point fingers at platforms or “whales” but conveniently ignores the culture that fuels this. It’s not just DEXes being unregulated — it’s the retail crowd obsessing over moonshots and flexing 10x gains without a second thought about who’s left holding the bag. Until this community stops glorifying exits over actual sustainable projects, the cycle won’t change. The problem isn’t just the tools, it’s the people using them.

 

[Daruk]

Yeah, honestly it’s both. The platforms let it happen because volume = fees, and the culture hypes the wins without ever showing the wreckage left behind. Everyone’s cool being someone else’s exit liquidity until it’s their turn. Whole space needs a reality check.

 

[Munashak]

Absolutely nailed it! It’s wild how the narrative always hypes up the 10x, 50x moonshots, but no one talks about who’s left holding the bag. And you’re right — it’s not just the micro-cap meme stuff anymore. Mid-tier and even "reputable" projects are getting played the same way. The combo of hype culture + zero oversight DEXes is a perfect storm. Love seeing more people call this out — awareness is step one.

 

[SUNSHINE]

From an economist's perspective, this reflects a classic case of asymmetric information and moral hazard amplified by unregulated, opaque markets. When price discovery mechanisms are weak and social incentives disproportionately reward speculative narratives over fundamentals, capital inevitably gravitates toward orchestrated volatility. The issue isn't solely the platforms or the culture it’s the structural absence of credible signaling and accountability, which allows rational actors to externalize risk onto uninformed participants. In such environments, value extraction supersedes value creation, undermining long-term market integrity.

Brilliant breakdown—this nails the deeper systemic flaw beyond just “bad actors.” Without reliable signaling and accountability, even rational participants are incentivized to play the game rather than build sustainably.

 

[peterjohn]

It’s a bit of both—platforms enable free markets, but the culture around quick gains and viral 10x wins fuels reckless behavior. Until there's more emphasis on transparency, education, and long-term value over hype, pump-and-dump cycles will keep thriving—regardless of platform safeguards.

Exactly—without stronger transparency and user education, the cycle of hype-driven trading will persist, undermining long-term ecosystem trust. Sustainable growth requires shifting focus from quick wins to real utility and value creation.

 

[James Henry]

Both play a role—DEXes enable open access, but the real issue is the hype-driven culture that celebrates quick gains without accountability. Without better risk awareness and smarter community behavior, even solid tokens can fall into pump-and-dump traps.

Exactly—tech like DEXes isn’t the problem, it’s the reflexive hype cycles. Smarter community standards and on-chain transparency are key to breaking the pump-and-dump loop.