Overview
Snipers and bundlers are traders who use automated tools to gain unfair advantages during token launches. They acquire large positions before regular users can participate, often leading to price manipulation and losses for retail traders.
Tokens with high sniper or bundler activity at launch often experience rapid price dumps. Check holder analysis before investing in newly launched tokens.
Snipers
What They Do
- Monitor mempool for new token deployments
- Execute buy transactions in the same block as liquidity addition
- Pay high gas fees to front-run other buyers
- Acquire tokens at the lowest possible price
How They Operate
- Detection: Bot monitors for
addLiquidity transactions
- Front-running: Submit buy with higher gas fee
- Acquisition: Get tokens before price moves up
- Exit: Sell into retail buying pressure
Impact
- Regular buyers pay higher prices
- Snipers dump on later entrants
- Creates immediate sell pressure
Bundlers
What They Do
- Bundle multiple transactions into a single block
- Often use private mempools (e.g., Flashbots)
- Coordinate token launch + immediate purchases
- Can control significant supply from block 0
How They Operate
- Preparation: Create multiple wallets
- Bundling: Package launch + buys together
- Execution: All transactions in one block
- Distribution: Spread holdings across wallets
Impact
- Supply concentration from first block
- Artificial holder count inflation
- Coordinated dump capability
Detection Indicators
| Tag | Severity | Description |
|---|
has_been_sniped | Medium | Token was sniped at launch |
bundled_token | High | Token launch was bundled |
| Tag | Description |
|---|
| Sniper percentage | % of supply held by identified snipers |
| Bundler percentage | % of supply from bundled transactions |
| Block 0 holders | Wallets that bought in the launch block |
API Example
# Get holder analysis for a token
curl -X GET "https://api.webacy.com/holder-analysis/So111...?chain=sol" \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
{
"totalHolders": 1250,
"analysis": {
"sniperPercentageHolding": 35.5,
"bundlerPercentageHolding": 22.3,
"top10HoldersPercentage": 68.2,
"block0Holders": 8,
"block0Percentage": 45.0
},
"flags": [
{
"tag": "has_been_sniped",
"severity": "medium"
},
{
"tag": "bundled_token",
"severity": "high"
}
]
}
Red Flags at Launch
| Indicator | Risk Level |
|---|
| >30% sniper holdings | High |
| >20% bundler holdings | High |
| >50% in block 0 | Critical |
| Fewer than 10 unique block 0 wallets | Suspicious |
| Rapid holder count increase then plateau | Manipulation |
Protection Strategies
- Wait before buying - Let initial volatility settle
- Check holder analysis - Use our Holder Analysis endpoint
- Monitor distribution changes - Healthy tokens show gradual distribution
- Verify team holdings - Transparent teams disclose their wallets
- Watch for coordinated sells - Snipers often dump together
Legitimate vs Malicious
Not all early buyers are malicious:
Legitimate Early Buyers:
- Team/investor allocations (disclosed)
- Presale participants
- Community members with advance notice
Malicious Actors:
- Undisclosed insider wallets
- MEV bots with no project relationship
- Coordinated dump groups
