Kanye West, now known as Ye, has launched a new memecoin called YZY on the Solana blockchain, marking his entry into the cryptocurrency market. The project, announced on August 21, 2025, through a post on X, is described as the foundation of a “new economy built on chain.” YZY is positioned as the core of a broader financial ecosystem called Yeezy Money, which includes Ye Pay—a crypto-focused payments processor—and the YZY Card, a spending tool that enables users to transact in both YZY and USDC. The token’s launch was met with significant market enthusiasm, briefly reaching a $3.2 billion market cap before retracting to around $1.3 billion [1].
YZY’s distribution includes public allocations, liquidity reserves, and vesting tranches managed through Jupiter (JUP) Lock, an audited protocol on Solana. To ensure fairness, the project used an anti-sniping mechanism involving 25 contract addresses, only one of which was randomly selected as the official YZY contract. This was intended to prevent automated bots from front-running the token’s launch [1].
Despite these measures, some blockchain analysts flagged unusual activity. According to Lookonchain, several insider wallets appeared to have prior knowledge of the correct contract address and purchased tokens before the general public. One wallet attempted to buy YZY a day before the official launch, raising concerns about the fairness of the initial trading environment [1].
YZY can be traded on Solana’s Meteora platform, with liquidity provided through the project’s published pool. The token experienced sharp price swings on its first day, reflecting the speculative nature of celebrity-backed crypto projects and the broader volatility of the memecoin space [1].
The YZY token’s rapid price appreciation—reportedly surging by 6807.56% shortly after launch—demonstrates the immediate interest generated by the token. Some investors have shared anecdotal success, such as a Reddit user who claimed to turn a $570 investment into $250,000 within a week [3]. These reports highlight the speculative frenzy accompanying the launch, especially given the current downturn in the broader crypto market [4].
Kanye West personally promoted the token on social media, emphasizing its role in building a “whole new economic system.” The project’s transparency is further underscored by the public release of its contract address [1]. Gate Alpha also introduced incentives such as a $20,000 prize pool and Alpha points to drive engagement, particularly among first-time investors [3].
YZY’s launch is part of a larger trend of celebrity-driven memecoins on Solana, where platforms like Gate Alpha leverage high-profile names to attract new users and generate buzz. While the token’s short-term performance has been impressive, its long-term success will depend on the development and adoption of the Yeezy Money ecosystem [5].
Sources:
[1] title: Gate Alpha will launch the 14th phase of the points airdrop
url: https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/28560676216889
[2] title: Gate Alpha Launches a Newbie Easy Earning Strategy
url: https://www.panewslab.com/en/articles/b16cbd96-ca7f-4e0e-8fdc-ac1baaecc343
[3] title: Latest Crypto News and Cryptocurrency Prices | Gate.com
url: https://www.gatebase.media/news
[4] title: Best New Solana Meme Coins To Buy – SNORT, WEPE …
url: https://t.co/5MCCLg4P68
[5] title: Gate_Alpha will launch a BR airdrop on Aug 19, 18:00 …
url: https://www.instagram.com/coinrank_official/p/DNh2sHYPU4A/-breaking-gate_alpha-will-launch-a-br-airdrop-on-aug-19-1800-utc8-users-holding-
