CZ Expresses Concern over Memecoin Craze: “Starting to Feel Strange”
The recent hype around memecoins in 2024 has sparked criticism from Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao, the founder of Binance, who recently described the current state of memecoins as “peculiar.”
Encouraging a shift in focus, Zhao called on the blockchain community to prioritize developing practical applications rather than engaging with speculative tokens.
CZ shared his views on a platform, stating,
“While I appreciate memes, the current trend with memecoins is starting to feel a bit odd. Let’s focus on creating tangible blockchain applications.”
Interestingly, his comments triggered a chain reaction in the market, leading to increased selling pressure on popular meme cryptocurrencies such as Dogecoin [DOGE], Shiba Inu [SHIB], Pepe [PEPE], and Bonk [BONK], all experiencing declines.
Community Response to CZ’s Memecoin Critique
Notably, CZ’s remarks on meme cryptocurrencies came shortly after Binance introduced futures contracts for two new meme tokens, WHY and CHEEMS, on the BNB Chain.
However, the timing of this launch proved to be less than optimal, as both tokens encountered significant price drops shortly after their debut.
Commenting on this development, a user named Dan Crypto Larp on the platform X remarked,
Aligning with Changpeng Zhao’s concerns, prominent crypto investor Nagato also chimed in, calling for a “thorough clean-up” in the memecoin sector.
He highlighted the distinction between a few memecoins that provide genuine humor or entertainment and the vast majority lacking meaningful purpose or utility.
Nagato stated,
“I completely agree. Some of the top-tier memes are incredibly humorous and bring joy to people. However, the other 99% seem bizarre. I look forward to a thorough clean-up process.”
Emergence of Memecoins
The surge in memecoins, which originated with DOGE, has now extended to various blockchains, including Ethereum [ETH] and Solana [SOL].
Platforms like Solana’s Pump Fun and Tron’s Sun Pump have streamlined the creation of memecoins, contributing to a rise in Solana’s transaction volumes, occasionally surpassing Ethereum, underscoring the growing impact of memecoins within the crypto sphere.
Recent statistics from CoinWire shed light on the challenges posed by influencer-promoted memecoins, with 76% of these endorsements linked to tokens that have essentially become defunct.
Additionally, two-thirds of memecoins endorsed by influencers lack long-term viability, with 86% of them shedding 90% of their value within three months.
Mirroring this, only a mere 1% of promoted coins yield a tenfold return.
Despite these concerning figures, memecoins continue to captivate a significant portion of the crypto community, as expressed by memecoin enthusiast Ramonos,
“Society is fatigued from sifting through extensive documentation. We prefer to connect over an image and take speculative risks.”
Currently, the memecoin market capitalization stands impressively at $123 billion, marking a 1.8% change in the past 24 hours, according to CoinGecko.