CZ Zhao holds off on launching a meme coin, predicts other country leaders tapping the meme market

Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao is not launching a meme coin of his personal brand. However, the founder and former CEO of Binance predicts other leaders tapping the meme market. 

Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao does not plan to launch a personal meme token, modeled after Official Trump (TRUMP). However, he predicted other national leaders may launch their own official meme tokens. 

No, I currently have no plan to make a meme coin. But I am guessing a few other country leaders might be thinking about it. $71 billion FDV! 😆 https://t.co/WtN3n979N0 pic.twitter.com/8AIXN2CUin

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) January 19, 2025

The celebrity and official token trend has displaced Binance’s previous approach of seeking out utility projects. Binance’s markets have already onboarded the new meme assets, as official tokens are much easier to verify. 

The launch of official tokens may be a new iteration of the fan token trend, where celebrities capitalized on their fame. Prime candidates for crypto tokens may include El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele, and Argentina’s leader, Javier Milei. For now, Bukele has mostly focused on being a Bitcoin maximalist, while Milei seems unaware of the Solana meme space. 

Trump’s decision also sparked discussion of Grade-A celebrities finally launching a token. Social media posts pointed to Taylor Swift or Mr. Beast as having the cultural clout for a successful, mass-adoption token. No official tokens have been confirmed, but traders may be on the lookout for new launches. 

Politician or top celebrity tokens are seen as a new class of asset with potential utility. Governance, fan token burns or a rating based on price have been proposed as potential use cases for a new wave of official celebrity tokens. However, the crypto space remains illiquid and even official assets may be increasingly volatile or easily manipulated by early whales. 

Politician or celebrity tokens, however, may not work in all regions, due to available funds and liquidity. US-based celebrities and politicians may have a wider reach and a much larger pool of potential buyers. TRUMP is a unique case, which tapped the political energy of a highly contested election.

Celebrity meme tokens gain listings faster

The cultural clout and connections of celebrity tokens meant they gained listings more easily. TRUMP and MELANIA were among the new additions to Hyperliquid soon after the token launches. 

TRUMP was also added to the Coinbase roadmap, with a potential listing coming soon. However, the news did not translate into price action, as the token started showing weakness after a few hours. 

Assets added to the roadmap today: Official Trump (TRUMP)https://t.co/rRB9d3hSr2

— Coinbase Assets 🛡️ (@CoinbaseAssets) January 19, 2025

Just a day later, MELANIA also gained a listing on Binance Futures, though with no guarantee of gaining a spot market. 

The listing on Coinbase reflects demand from US-based traders, who want to gain easier access to the token. The listing of TRUMP follows a trend of ‘Made in USA’ crypto tokens, especially those using the Solana ecosystem.

Fan tokens get a boost from Trump Official

Before Trump’s official token launch, several waves of fan tokens competed for the attention of traders. Some, like CardiB’s WAP token, launched with controversy and insider selling. Others, like Andrew Tate’s DADDY, go through regular pumps, often traced back to Tate himself. Some, like Hailey Welch’s token, behaved like risky memes, performing a rug pull soon after launch.

Overall, celebrity-themed tokens are a small subset, valued at a total of $76M. The recent launch of TRUMP caused rallies for most of the tokens. The mindshare of meme tokens, which has been lagging for weeks, tripled in just a day. TRUMP, MELANIA and BARRON were among the mindshare leaders, but gave a boost to other related tokens. 

Fan tokens also gained popularity after the launch of Kekius Maximus (KEKIUS), after Elon Musk briefly swapped his used name on X. 

Football fan tokens are also a small category that may give some hints on how TRUMP and MELANIA may play out. Club-related fan tokens are seen as more stable, with less probability of a rug pull. Occasionally, some of the assets rally, if a token gains more mainstream attention. 

Along with the official tokens, Pump.fun replied with a new wave of launches. Some were spoofing the Official Trump asset, while others played on themes of patriotism or financial independence. Trump’s launch was also crossed over with AI tokens, with new AI agent personalities also created around his brand.

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