RALPH meme coin tanks after ‘de-risking’ token sale by dev wallet
RALPH, an AI-themed meme coin tied to the “Ralph Wiggum” prompting trend, crashed after a wallet linked to developer Geoffrey Huntley sold a large tranche of tokens in under an hour, reigniting concerns over meme coin liquidity, developer incentives, and trader protection.
- On-chain data from Bubblemaps showed a Huntley-linked wallet selling a substantial RALPH stack across three transactions, sparking a steep intraday crash and heavy forced turnover.
- Huntley called the move “de-risking,” saying he sold before a vesting window and still holds RALPH, but critics argued the timing burned alignment and undermined trust.
- RALPH now trades far below peak with market cap slashed, in a move deemed idiosyncratic yet echoing CZ’s recent warnings that joke-driven meme coins often leave buyers with losses.
An AI-themed meme coin associated with the “Ralph Wiggum” prompting trend declined sharply after on-chain data indicated a wallet connected to developer Geoffrey Huntley sold a substantial amount of tokens within one hour, according to visual analytics platform Bubblemaps.
RALPH memecoin faces risk of rug pull
The selloff triggered a significant price decline and sparked debate over token ownership, developer incentives, and trust in meme coin projects. The incident has contributed to ongoing discussions surrounding meme coins built on viral concepts, where limited liquidity and uncertain alignment can amplify market volatility.
Bubblemaps reported the wallet linked to Huntley sold tokens across three transactions, resulting in a steep price drop at the peak of the movement. The on-chain investigations firm stated the wallet belongs to a small cluster holding a modest share of the supply, with another linked address still holding a separate portion. A newly funded whale sold a significant amount shortly after, which Bubblemaps said it was monitoring.
Huntley acknowledged the sale in public statements, characterizing it as “de-risking” and stating he continues to hold RALPH tokens. He claimed he sold before the next vesting window to avoid private over-the-counter deals that, in his assessment, would have required steep discounts and still affected the market.
Other traders disputed the approach, with several responses suggesting he add tokens to liquidity pools to earn fees while exiting more gradually. Critics stated the timing undermined trust, while supporters argued that profit-taking was expected in a fast-moving meme market.
One user accused the sale of “burning” alignment, while another responded that backers should anticipate developers cashing out when a token exists to support a project. Huntley also stated he did not launch or control the coin and did not consent to its creation, a claim that drew opposition from holders who viewed the token as implicitly connected to his work.
At the time of reporting, RALPH was trading substantially lower than recent highs, with a large intraday decline. The meme coin’s market capitalization has fallen dramatically from a prior peak, with 24-hour trading volume exceeding the market cap, indicating forced turnover. The token remains above its early-January low.
The movement appeared idiosyncratic rather than driven by broader market conditions. The situation follows recent warnings about speculative meme launches, including one from Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao, who cautioned traders against purchasing tokens created from jokes, stating they often result in losses.
