BubbleMaps warns of ‘ugly’ LAB collapse ahead of early investors’ token unlock
The latest warning adds a sequel to an ongoing series of BubbleMaps pre-emptively exposing inorganic token pumps, which is often soon followed by dumps, rounding out the classic “pump and dump” cycle that often extracts value from crypto markets.
LAB is the token of a project that describes itself as “a multi-chain trading infrastructure for spot, limits, and perps with an AI research engine, delivering high-performance execution and actionable strategies across surfaces.”
Why is BubbbleMaps warning LAB token investors?
When BubbleMaps wrote on June 4 that “This will be ugly,” the firm was referring to the irregular patterns it found in the on-chain data visualizations of the LAB token. At the time, investors had more than $1 billion in unrealized gains that they cannot touch until their full token allocations unlock next year.
Roughly one month later, investors’ paper profits are down to around half a billion dollars after a stretch that saw the token lose approximately 60% in a matter of days.
Per BubbleMaps, it is only a matter of time (about two weeks when early investors’ locked tokens become tradable) before the cycle is completed, and prices come crashing down.
LAB traded at $7.2 as of this July 3 report, with a market capitalization of $2.34 billion and a fully diluted valuation of $7.51 billion. The token has fallen 72% from its all-time high of $27.22, set on June 2.
Is LAB a high-risk token?
LAB’s ownership structure and price have endured months of controversy. BubbleMaps already has an “insider price manipulation” investigation open, with community submissions alleging coordinated wallet activity going as far back as February 2025.
The token also landed on ZachXBT’s radar in May 2026, when the blockchain investigator claimed that LAB insiders controlled more than 95% of the token supply.
For a token that has only 312 million of its 1 billion maximum supply in circulation (roughly 31%), the potential to cause pain cannot be overemphasized, assuming Zach’s projections are accurate.
The investigator also exposed opaque private loans and promotional deals offering 80% discounts and token unlocks to key opinion leaders in exchange for promotional content.
Blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain also reported that ten fresh wallets withdrew 100 million LAB tokens (then worth $480 million and representing 32% of circulating supply) from Bitget in a 12-hour window around the same period.
What happens to tokens accused of manipulation?
LAB is not the first token BubbleMaps has flagged for insider concentration risks. The firm previously warned about the PIPPIN memecoin in December 2025 after its price surged over 1,000% with no material news.
BubbleMaps identified roughly 50 connected wallets that had purchased $19 million worth of PIPPIN, funded through HTX in tight time windows with no prior on-chain history.
ZachXBT also linked LAB’s market-making infrastructure to other manipulation suspects such as RAVE, RIVER, SIREN, MYX, and SKYAI. Per the on-chain sleuth, everything goes back to an unknown market maker operating through Chinese exchanges with a consistent manipulation playbook.
The RAVE token collapsed more than 95% after rallying from $0.25 to nearly $28, erasing a $6 billion market cap on just $52 million in 24-hour liquidations. ZachXBT called that ratio evidence of a “manufactured and structurally unsustainable valuation.”
The LAB team and founder Vova Sadkov have not issued a public response to either BubbleMaps’ warning or ZachXBT’s earlier investigation.
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
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