What is $YZY – The Meme Coin Launched by Kanye West?
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On August 21, 2025, American rapper Kanye West (aka Ye) launched a Solana-based token called $YZY, which quickly grabbed the spotlight. At one point, its market cap hit an ATH of over $3B, sparking a wave of FOMO, skepticism, and criticism across the crypto community.
1.What Is the $YZY Meme Coin?
$YZY is a memecoin launched on the Solana blockchain by Kanye West, inspired by his Yeezy brand. Unlike most celebrity memecoins that are pure speculation, $YZY is being positioned as the official currency of Yeezy’s ecosystem, enabling users to purchase products directly on the Yeezy website using the token.
Core components of the YZY Money ecosystem include:
- $YZY: the native crypto token.
- YE Pay: an e-commerce payment processor.
- YE Card: a crypto debit card in development, supporting both $YZY and USDC.
*BTN-Trade YZY&BTNURL=https://www.mexc.com/exchange/YZY_USDT *
2.Key Features of $YZY
Utility: Beyond memes and hype, $YZY is marketed as a practical payment token for Yeezy products. This move also helps Kanye bypass platforms like Shopify, which cut ties with him due to past controversies.
Tokenomics:
- 70% held by Kanye West himself
- 20% allocated to investors
- 10% for liquidity This heavy concentration has raised red flags over potential price manipulation. To address transparency concerns, tokens are locked with a 24-month vesting schedule via Jupiter Lock on Solana.
Ecosystem Expansion: Part of the “YZY Money” economy, combining crypto + retail payments through YE Pay (credit card & crypto processor) and YZY Card (spending tool for $YZY/USDC). The pitch: lowering transaction fees for merchants.
Price Action: Within 40 minutes of launch, $YZY skyrocketed +6,800%, hitting a $3B market cap, before crashing back to the $0.8–1B range amid on-chain evidence of possible insider trading. Currently listed on DEXs like Meteora and CEXs like MEXC, with YZY/USDC pairs seeing heavy volume.
3. Risks & Controversies
Centralization – With 70% supply controlled by Kanye, $YZY faces accusations of being too centralized, leaving retail vulnerable.
Insider Trading – On-chain data flagged suspicious wallet activity before the crash.
Reputation Risks – Kanye’s history of antisemitic remarks and ties to extremist narratives casts a long shadow over the project’s sustainability.
Memecoin Risks – As with most memecoins, price is largely driven by hype. Past celebrity memecoins (e.g., Argentina’s $LIBRA) have collapsed after launch, leaving bagholders behind.
4. Comparisons with Other Political/Celebrity Memecoins
- TRUMP and LIBRA had similar concentrated allocations (~80% insider-owned) and saw explosive runs before sharp corrections.
- $LIBRA became the center of a major scandal in Argentina and is now under legal investigation.
- Unlike them, $YZY is being marketed with real-world payment utility via the Yeezy brand.
5. Key Takeaways for Investors
High Risk: $YZY is extremely volatile and prone to rug-pull or manipulation scenarios. DYOR and use on-chain safety tools.
Market Sentiment: Currently leaning bearish due to centralization concerns and parallels with failed memecoins.
Adoption Factor: Long-term survival depends on whether Yeezy fans actually use $YZY for payments, not just speculation.
Trading Status: Listed on MEXC, Hyperliquid, and several Solana DEXs, with derivatives (x3 leverage) already available.
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6.Conclusion
$YZY is an ambitious attempt at merging celebrity culture, payments, and crypto, but comes with serious risks: high centralization, Kanye’s controversial track record, and the pump-and-dump nature of memecoins. While the project tries to position itself beyond hype by tying into the Yeezy ecosystem, whether it can sustain momentum remains an open question.
Disclaimer: This article does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial, or accounting advice. MEXC Learn shares information for educational purposes only. Always understand the risks and invest responsibly.