Bundles, Snipers and Insider Wallets: How Launches Get Rigged

"Fair launch" is one of the most overused phrases in crypto. On many memecoins, a big slice of supply is gone before the public even sees the token — bought in the same block it was created, by wallets that look independent but all lead back to the same person.

//The three terms you need

Bundle. Several wallets buying in the same block (often the creation block) or within seconds of launch, usually by submitting the buys together. On Solana, launch bundles are commonly executed through transaction bundles so the creator's wallets get in before anyone else can.

Snipers. Bots that buy the instant liquidity appears. Some are independent traders; many are the creator's own wallets. Either way, they hold cheap supply they're ready to sell into the first wave of buyers.

Insider cluster. A group of wallets that are connected — funded from the same source, sending tokens to each other, or behaving in lockstep. On-chain analysts treat a cluster as one entity no matter how many wallets it uses.

//Real examples

Bubblemaps, which visualises wallet connections, has published several cases:

• MYSTERY: around 90 newly funded wallets — all funded from one address — bought roughly 90% of supply at launch, executing almost simultaneously. Bubblemaps said the pattern strongly indicated automated sniping by one operator.
• HAWK: Bubblemaps reported that 285 wallets controlled about 96% of supply, with connected insiders selling around $3.3 million as the price collapsed.
• PEPE: Bubblemaps alleged that about 30% of genesis supply sat with one entity, which sold around $2 million on day two.

These are Bubblemaps' own on-chain analyses — strong evidence of coordination, not court findings — but the pattern repeats across thousands of smaller launches.

//Why insiders bundle

Spreading supply over many fresh wallets does three things for an insider:

1. 01Hides concentration. Each wallet holds a small share, so the top holders list looks healthy. See how to read top holders.
2. 02Fakes distribution. More holders and more "independent" buyers look like organic demand.
3. 03Makes the exit quieter. Selling from fifty wallets looks like normal profit-taking, not one whale dumping.

//How to spot a bundled launch

• Same-block buys: a large share of supply bought in the very first block or seconds.
• Common funding: many holder wallets received SOL or ETH from the same address shortly before buying.
• Fresh wallets: holders with no history other than this token.
• Identical sizes: dozens of wallets holding nearly the same amount.
• Coordinated sells: several wallets selling within minutes of each other.

A bubblemap is the fastest way to see most of these at once: connected wallets appear as linked clusters instead of separate bubbles.

//Does a bundle mean the token will dump?

Not necessarily — some teams bundle to protect against snipers and hold for the long term. But a bundled supply is a loaded spring. Ask: what share do the bundled wallets still hold, and have they started selling? A cluster still holding 30% of supply is a risk to everyone else no matter what the team says.

//How TrenchScore shows insiders

On Solana, TrenchScore maps wallet networks from holder data and shows them in the bubblemap, along with the number of wallets linked into insider networks and the share each cluster holds. Insider concentration feeds the holder health pillar of the TrenchScore. On EVM chains, we show labelled top holders and creator/owner wallets; full wallet clustering is on our roadmap.