Gifto faced a wave of criticism after making the move to create and release the GFT Token movement into the market. On November 26, Binance announced that it will remove the GFT/USDT trading pair on December 10, 2024.
The removal, part of a broader decision by Binance to eliminate eight spot altcoin trading pairs, has caused strong shocks in the market.
Gifto’s Controversial GFT Token Release
The immediate fallout from Binance’s delisting announcement on Tuesday was swift and severe. In a shock that could be attributed to a decline in investor confidence, the GFT Token price dropped by about 25%. As usual, delisting from major exchanges like Binance often causes investors to panic sell when liquidity and access to assets decrease.
Adding fuel to the fire, Thursday, Web3 data analytics tool, Lookonchain, accused Gifto of a significant token dump. According to the blockchain analytics firm, the Gifto team created 1.2 billion GFT Tokens, worth approximately $8.6 million, within eight hours. These tokens were then deposited onto exchanges, coinciding with a 40% drop in GFT’s market price.
“On November 26, Binance announced that it will delist GFT on December 10, 2024. Gifto team created 1.2 billion GFT (8.6 million USD) in the last 8 hours and sent it to exchanges pandemic. It is possible that Gifto dumped these Tokens on the market, and the price of GFT dropped about 40%,” Lookonchain disclose.
The timing of this generation and discharge activity has aroused suspicion. Many in the Cryptocurrency community believe this is an opportunistic exit strategy, further weakening trust in this Token. A user on X (formerly known as Twitter) criticized Gifto’s actions.
“Delisted and released Tokens to Holder… classic web2 style move. This is why we need decentralized projects that cannot do this type of retreat. Stick to real DeFi,” user comment.
Wider Implications of Binance’s Delisting
Binance’s decision to delist GFT and seven other altcoins reflects a growing trend in the Cryptocurrency space. Exchanges continuously evaluate and remove underperforming or problematic Tokens. Assets delisted along with Gifto include IRISnet (IRIS), SelfKey (KEY), OAX (OAX), and Ren (REN).
Delistings often have profound consequences for the affected Tokens. In addition to immediate price declines, they also face reduced liquidity, reduced market confidence, and obstacles in attracting potential investors. In some cases, the Token’s long-term viability is questioned as it loses the presence and trading volume that major exchanges like Binance provide.
For Gifto, the combination of its delisting and controversial token dump created the perfect storm. This threw its community into chaos. Retail investors, often the slowest to react, lose out when prices plummet and large token holders sell off their positions.
Gifto’s ongoing saga highlights serious weaknesses in the Cryptocurrency ecosystem. Centralized control of Token generation and allocation can lead to events like this. When trust is damaged, retail investors suffer the consequences of bad decisions.
This episode is also a warning about the risks of holding tokens that rely too much on centralized exchanges. With the rise of DeFi (DeFi) and decentralized exchanges (DEXs), there is an emerging trend towards more transparent and sustainable solutions. In the interim, GFT holders face an uncertain future, with December 10 approaching as a pivotal date.