Kanye West launches ‘YZY’ memecoin on Solana

Rapper Kanye West, now officially known as Ye, has entered the cryptocurrency market with the launch of YZY, a token built on the Solana blockchain.

The rapper and entrepreneur revealed the project on Aug. 21 in a post on X, where he described the project as the foundation of a “new economy, built on chain.” Kanye West’s memecoin debut was met with immediate market enthusiasm, briefly pushing its valuation to $3.2 billion before settling closer to $1.3 billion as of press time.

Building the YZY Money ecosystem

The token is positioned as the core of a new financial system branded YZY Money, which also includes Ye Pay, a crypto-focused payments processor, and YZY Card, a spending tool designed for global use in both YZY and USD Coin (USDC). 

The project aims to challenge centralized financial structures and lower costs for merchants who typically incur high fees when processing credit card transactions. Ye has presented YZY as the foundation of a larger ecosystem that will promote payments, commerce, and the adoption of digital currencies, positioning it as more than just a speculative asset.

Distribution of YZY is structured through public allocations, liquidity reserves, and long-term vesting tranches tied to Yeezy Investments LLC. To maintain transparency, the vesting procedure is carried out on-chain through Jupiter (JUP) Lock, an audited protocol on Solana (SOL).

The project implemented an anti-sniping mechanism by deploying 25 contract addresses, of which only one was randomly selected as the official YZY contract. This system, according to its documentation, was intended to deter automated bots and create a fairer trading environment for retail participants.

Early concerns and market reaction

Blockchain experts have already noted unusual activity in YZY, despite efforts to portray it as a fair launch. According to Lookonchain, several insider wallets seemed to have had prior knowledge of the correct contract address, which enabled them to purchase tokens before the general public.

One wallet even attempted to buy YZY a day before the official launch, raising questions about equal access for traders.

YZY can be traded on Solana’s Meteora platform, with the project’s published pool providing liquidity. Its sharp price fluctuations during the first day highlight the risks associated with celebrity-backed tokens as well as the speculative excitement surrounding Ye’s entry into the crypto space.