Over two weeks in 2026, more than 620 thousand new cryptocurrencies were created

As of January 12, 2026, the analytical resource CoinMarketCap recorded a record 29.91 million cryptocurrencies. At the beginning of the year, the number was 29.29 million, so about 620 thousand new assets were created in the first few days alone. Over the past 30 days, more than 1.57 million tokens have been issued, including more than 357 thousand within a week. In just one day, the market saw about 66 thousand new cryptocurrencies.

This surge demonstrates how easy it has become to create digital assets. Modern blockchain ecosystems allow tokens to be launched without deep technical knowledge, thanks to standardized templates on Ethereum-compatible networks and other smart contract platforms. The use of no-code tools and the low cost of deployment mean that a new cryptocurrency can be launched in a few minutes with only a wallet and a small transaction fee.

The growth in the number of tokens is fueled by speculative activity, meme culture, and experiments in DeFi, gaming, and community projects. Many assets are created for testing ideas or short-term attention, rather than for long-term infrastructure.

However, the rapid increase in the number of cryptocurrencies does not mean that their success is growing as rapidly. Most new tokens quickly lose liquidity, value, or community interest. Often, they only imitate established networks like Bitcoin or Ethereum, repeating familiar mechanics without innovation.

As a result, the market becomes oversaturated: only a small share of cryptocurrencies develop, while most disappear from view shortly after launch.