On August 21, Kanye West officially announced the launch of YZY MONEY on social media and revealed the contract address for the token YZY (deployed on the Solana blockchain). As a significant event of a well-known artist entering the cryptocurrency space, the news quickly ignited market enthusiasm.
Shortly after YZY was launched, its market value surged to a high of 3 billion dollars within half an hour, but then quickly fell back to around 1.7 billion dollars. The sharp fluctuations indicate that the market is filled with both anticipation for the project and significant divergence.
According to the official statement, the YZY allocation mechanism has set a longer lock-up and linear release period:
This model guarantees funding for development and the ecosystem, but the market questions the “insufficient retail investor shares,” and the lack of liquidity may lead to the risk of price manipulation.
Ye Pay provides low-fee payment processing, supporting credit cards and cryptocurrencies. In the future, yeezy.com will allow users to pay directly with YZY.
The YZY Card is positioned as a global consumption tool, supporting the direct use of YZY and USDC. Its non-custodial design reduces reliance on banks or payment companies, aligning with the principles of decentralization.
Market tracking data shows that multiple “insider wallets” had already obtained contract information before Kanye’s announcement.
For example, wallet 6MNWV8 purchased YZY at a low price of 450,000 USDC and made a profit of 1.5 million dollars in a short period. Such actions have raised community concerns about insider trading.
Coinbase executives pointed out that currently over 87% of YZY is concentrated in a single multi-signature wallet. Although the official distribution has since spread to multiple addresses, the overall holdings remain highly concentrated.
In the case of limited liquidity, this concentration may allow large holders to easily manipulate prices, and the risks are evident.
The launch of YZY MONEY allows the cryptocurrency market to once again experience the power of celebrity effect. However, there is often a huge gap between hype and reality. For ordinary investors, blindly chasing after price increases may lead to significant losses.
It is recommended to pay attention to the actual progress of project payment applications, rather than simply relying on celebrity popularity.