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AURA, a Solana-based memecoin, experienced a massive surge in market capitalization, skyrocketing from $1 million to $50 million within just four hours. However, a prominent crypto scam tracker has flagged the token as a potential rug pull, raising concerns among investors.

Unprecedented Price Surge

According to market data, AURA saw its price jump from $0.001 to a peak of $0.005 on June 11, reflecting a staggering 400% gain in just a few hours. Trading volume also spiked dramatically, increasing by over 115,000% compared to the previous day. As of now, AURA remains up by 4,130% over the past 24 hours, trading at approximately $0.042 with a market cap of $41.6 million.

What Caused the Rally?

Interestingly, there were no official updates or announcements from the project to justify this rapid price increase. Some traders speculate that the price surge may have been influenced by a large investorβ€”or “whale”β€”connected to SPX, another popular Solana-based token. Reports indicate this whale purchased $500,000 worth of AURA shortly before the rally, potentially sparking interest among other investors and fueling the buying frenzy.

Meanwhile, some early investors have already capitalized on the rally. Blockchain data reveals that one whale sold 2.87 million AURA tokens, earning a $104,000 profitβ€”a 433% return on their initial $24,000 investment made just five months ago.

Red Flags Emerge

Despite the impressive gains, concerns over the token’s legitimacy have begun to surface. A well-known crypto scam analyst, David, warned that the rally could be part of a coordinated rug pull. In a recent analysis, he described AURA as a “cleverly articulated scam” orchestrated by insiders.

David pointed out that AURA has been around since May 30, 2024, but has shown no tangible signs of development or added utility since its launch. This lack of progress raises questions about the token’s long-term viability.

Recurring Patterns and Insider Activity

This isn’t the first time AURA has experienced a significant pump. The token previously reached an all-time high market cap of $70 million before crashing to just $500,000 within two monthsβ€”an event believed to have been caused by the founder pulling liquidity.

On-chain data further supports these concerns. AURA’s token supply is tightly controlled, with a large percentage held by top wallets. Most of these tokens were not purchased on the open market but were instead transferred or split from other wallets, suggesting potential insider coordination. Additionally, many of these top holders are new and do not appear to be long-term supporters of the project, which raises further suspicions.

β€œIt’s not a utility token, so we can’t say insiders would know somethingβ€”like a partnership or anything like that,” David remarked, emphasizing the lack of a clear catalyst for the rally.

Investor Caution Advised

With no clear explanation for the price surge and increasing concerns over potential manipulation, investors are advised to exercise caution. AURA’s highly concentrated holder base makes it particularly vulnerable to sharp price drops if major wallets decide to sell their holdings.

As of now, AURA is trading 42.5% below its all-time high. However, the token’s speculative nature and lack of utility make it a high-risk investment, particularly for newcomers to the cryptocurrency space.

Disclosure: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Investors should conduct their own research before making any decisions.

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