Former Binance CEO Changpeng ‘Cz’ Zhao has criticized the growing trend of meme coins, suggesting that blockchain developers should focus on utility-driven projects.

In a Nov. 26 X post, Zhao wrote that meme coins are becoming “a little weird” and urged developers to focus on creating “real applications” that provide practical utility rather than prioritizing hype-driven projects.

CZ’s comments have reignited the debate around the meme coin hype, drawing attention to their lack of real-world value. 

Meme coins largely rely on viral marketing and social media frenzy to generate short-lived investor interest. While they can deliver quick profits for some, they typically lack utility or tangible applications, leaving most holders with significant losses once the initial excitement fades.

CZ’s statement comes amidst the controversy around Solana-based meme coin deployer Pump.fun, where a livestream feature intended to boost engagement was exploited in disturbing ways, including threats of self-harm and inappropriate content.

One particularly troubling incident involved a user threatening to hang themselves if their token failed to reach a predetermined market cap. The situation escalated further when the individual later shared a video allegedly showing them acting on the threat. 

Concerns over meme coins extend beyond their misuse on specific platforms. A CoinWire study reported that meme coins promoted through social media, particularly on X, tend to lose 90% or more of their value within three months.

Such trends undermine trust in the broader cryptocurrency industry, diverting attention from projects with genuine utility and innovation and fuelling skepticism among potential adopters and regulators about the sector’s long-term viability.

Other prominent figures in the industry have also criticized meme coins for their lack of utility and meaningful contribution to the crypto ecosystem.  Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has argued that tokens like Dogecoin fail to offer meaningful real-world applications. 

Similarly, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin criticized the trend of celebrity-endorsed meme coins earlier this year.

In a June X post, Buterin stressed that financialization is only justified if it brings value to society and cited sectors such as healthcare and open-source software as examples of areas where blockchain can provide societal benefits.

Utility-driven blockchain initiatives form the foundation of the industry’s long-term viability. 

Projects such as Axie Infinity, which enables players to earn income through gameplay, and AI-focused tokens like Fetch.ai, which powers autonomous machine-to-machine interactions, exemplify how blockchain technology can address real-world problems and revolutionize traditional industries.

According to CoinGecko data, the total market capitalization of meme coins has reached $120.27 billion, exceeding that of sectors like GameFi ($24.1 billion) and AI-focused tokens ($39 billion).

The vast majority of meme coins promoted by influencers in X end up “dead” — their value drops by 90% or more within three months.

The attention surrounding meme coins has led many famous X personalities to promote these tokens as a quick way to make money. However, the research by CoinWire shows the unpleasant reality: most meme coins have no value, and many investors face heavy losses.

“Our research reveals a sobering truth: most of these meme coins are, in fact, dead, and the majority of investors end up with significant losses.”

CoinWire report

To understand the meme coin situation, the experts analyzed data from over 1,500 tokens endorsed by 377 influential X users. They selected 377 of them with at least 10,000 followers who frequently promote meme coins. They then compiled a list of 1,567 meme coins that were promoted over the past three months.

Using Dune Analytics, experts collected information on the price when they were first promoted, the current price, and the price after one week, one month, and three months. A meme coin is considered dead if its current value has fallen by 90% or more compared to the initial promotion. 

“76% of Twitter influencers have promoted meme coins that are now dead. Two out of three meme coins they promote are worthless. This means that many influencer-driven promotions essentially set up investors for failure.”

CoinWire report

The real effectiveness of meme coin promotion

The actual situation with meme coins differs significantly from influencers’ positive picture.

Stats show that these projects rarely meet their expectations: after a week, 80% of meme coins promoted by influencers lose 70% of their value.

After a month, about 90% of these tokens lost about 80% in value, and after three months, 86% of them fell in price by 10 times. As analysts note, this trend indicates significant instability and volatility of meme coins backed by influential individuals. In addition, most investors end up facing serious losses, often just a few weeks after investing.

Achieving high returns is almost impossible

One main factor that makes meme coins attractive is their potential to generate significant returns.

However, in reality, this almost never happens. Only 1% of influencers successfully promoted meme coins. Furthermore, only 3% of meme coins promoted by influencers ever achieved such a significant increase.

Interestingly, the more followers an influencer has, the worse the performance of the meme coins they promote. Influencers with over 200,000 followers tend to perform the worst, with their meme coin promotions losing 39% of their investment within a week and 89% of their investment within three months.

In contrast to more prominent influencers, those with fewer than 50,000 followers perform better, with 25% of their revenue positive within a week and a 141% increase within three months. This may indicate that smaller influencers are more sincere in their promotional approaches, while larger ones often prioritize financial gain over the quality of the projects they support.

As for influencer earnings from meme coin promotions, analysts used TweetHunter’s X earnings calculator to estimate the potential profit from a sponsored tweet.

While investors often lose money, influencers benefit from promoting meme coins. They earn an average of $399 for each promotional tweet that attracts about 15,000 views. In this way, influencers promote even the most dubious tokens in the hopes of making a high profit.

Influencer promotion is mostly harmful

The data highlights a disturbing reality: meme coin promotion by influencers is mostly doing more harm than good for ordinary investors. 76% of influencers promote tokens without activity, and the probability of getting the desired 10x return is extremely low.

“Investors need to be cautious, questioning the true value behind these promotions and avoiding decisions driven by social media hype alone.”

CoinWire report

A CoinWire study shows that X meme coin hype is good for influencers but almost always disastrous for investors. Most of these tokens quickly lose their value. The chances of serious profits for investors who believe the buzz are minimal.

Robinhood has added Dogwifhat (WIF), a Solana-based meme coin, to its cryptocurrency trading options, generating considerable excitement among traders and investors. Known for its limited crypto offerings, Robinhood’s inclusion of WIF signals the growing acceptance of meme coins within mainstream trading platforms. Following the announcement, WIF price surged by over 13% within an hour, reaching a weekly high of $3.655 before consolidating.

Dogwifhat WIF Price Could Hit $5 as Robinhood Expands Crypto Offerings

Following a recent announcement, Dogwifhat (WIF) on Robinhood’s platform has sparked optimism regarding the meme coin’s future price trajectory. This marks a notable expansion in Robinhood’s crypto portfolio, which has historically included only a few carefully selected cryptocurrencies. WIF is the second meme coin added by Robinhood this month, following the listing of Pepe, another highly popular project.

The WIF price reached a peak of $3.655 after the announcement, reflecting increased trading activity and market interest. Experts suggest that if WIF breaks key resistance levels around $3.75, it could see further growth. If the bullish sentiment persists, market analysts project a potential rise to $5.

Data from CoinMarketCap indicates that Dogwifhat experienced a 50% rise in trading volume within 24 hours of the Robinhood announcement. This surge in activity reflects heightened interest among investors and traders. The coin’s open interest also climbed by 9%, signaling strong participation in futures and options markets.

Technical Indicators Support The Possibility of Further Growth 

The Stochastic RSI on the chart indicates that the asset recently experienced overbought conditions near 80 and has since dropped to the 11-12 range, signaling oversold levels. This suggests a potential for a bullish reversal with current momentum. 

The Bull and Bear Power (BBP) indicator also shows positive momentum at 0.2377, suggesting bulls maintain control despite recent corrections. The bullish histogram reflects strong buying interest.

Robinhood’s decision to list Dogwifhat highlights the evolving role of top meme coins in the cryptocurrency market. Meme tokens like WIF have historically attracted new investors during bullish market conditions. With growing cryptocurrency options, Robinhood’s endorsement of WIF indicates increasing confidence in the meme coin sector.

Dogwifhat’s market capitalization is now $3.3 billion, making it the fifth-largest meme coin by valuation. This follows a recent analysis that highlights WIF price potential to hit its all-time high (ATH) this week.

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Ronny Mugendi

Ronny Mugendi is a seasoned crypto journalist with four years of professional experience, having contributed significantly to various media outlets on cryptocurrency trends and technologies. With over 4000 published articles across various media outlets, he aims to inform, educate and introduce more people to the Blockchain and DeFi world. Outside of his journalism career, Ronny enjoys the thrill of bike riding, exploring new trails and landscapes.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.