Kanye West Launches YZY Token and Payment Ecosystem on Solana

U.S. rapper and entrepreneur Kanye West, now known as Ye, has launched a cryptocurrency token called YZY on the Solana blockchain. The announcement came late Wednesday via a self-filmed video posted on his official X account.

YZY Token and Market Reaction

• The YZY token briefly reached a $3 billion market capitalization, according to GeckoTerminal data, though GMGN.Ai reported a lower figure closer to $2 billion.
• Trading is available through Solana-based DEX Meteora, with the official liquidity pool address published.
• The project used an anti-sniping mechanism by deploying 25 different contract addresses, of which only one was the real token, in an effort to deter bots and early exploitation.

Tokenomics and Vesting

• Supply breakdown: 20% public allocation, 10% liquidity, and 70% reserved for Yeezy Investments LLC.
• Vesting is handled by Jupiter Lock, an open-source audited protocol, with multiple tranches subject to cliff periods and a 24-month vesting schedule.

YZY Money Ecosystem

Ye also revealed plans for a broader financial system under the banner YZY Money, which includes:

• Ye Pay – a crypto payments processor aimed at reducing merchant fees by supporting credit card and crypto payments.
• YZY Card – a payment card allowing users to spend YZY and USDC globally.

According to the project website, YZY is presented as “a concept for a new financial system, built on crypto rails,” but also carries a disclosure stating it is primarily “an expression of support and engagement” with Ye’s ideals, not a formal investment vehicle.

Skepticism and Legitimacy Questions

The launch has raised questions among observers. Some X users speculated Ye’s account may have been compromised. However, YZY also appears on West’s official website and online store as a payment option, suggesting legitimacy.

This marks a shift in Ye’s stance: earlier in 2025, he had criticized meme coins, saying they “prey on the fans with hype,” and claimed he had rejected a $2 million offer to promote a fake Ye token.

Celebrity Token Launches In The Past

Token	Celebrity	Launch Date	Performance Summary
$JENNER	Caitlyn Jenner	May 26, 2024	Peaked >$40M; dropped ~68% from ATH; market cap now under $7M
$MOTHER	Iggy Azalea	Late May 2024	ATH ~$0.2306; down ~87%; market cap around $28.7M
$DAVIDO	Davido	May 29, 2024	Peaked over $14M; dropped to just above $1M
$TRUMP	Donald Trump	Jan 17, 2025	Skyrocketed to $27B diluted; made $350M+ in fees; current holdings estimated from $93M to several billion
$MELANIA	Melania Trump	Jan 19, 2025	5000% initial surge; insiders made ~$100M; lost 90% value in days
$HAWK	Hailey Welch	2024	Collapsed from ~$500M to <$60M; alleged pump-and-dump; investor losses up to $70K