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From TVL to TVU: Web3 needs a new narrative | Opinion

After 4chan was hacked on April 14 and vast troves of user and moderator data 
were leaked online, the controversial website quickly went down, and many 
believed it would never recover. However, less than two weeks later, the 
imageboard was back online, defiant as ever.
&#8220;4chan is back,&#8221; an official blog post proclaimed. &#8220;No other website can 
replace it, or this community. No matter how hard it is, we are not giving 
up.&#8221;
The imageboard has left its mark on the world in many consequential ways, 
birthing countless memes and conspiracy theories, serving as a platform for 
political movements ranging from the alt-right to Anonymous, and acting as a 
dumping ground for leaks and hacks of all sorts.
Crypto is no exception, with 4chan also a historically influential gathering 
place to share altcoin alpha, coordinate campaigns to pump tokens, share price 
prophesies and more.
With the imageboard back from the dead, here are just a few of the ways it has 
influenced the crypto space during its storied history.
## Finding alpha on 4chan&#8217;s /Biz/ imageboard
The primary hub of crypto activity on 4chan is its /Biz/, or &#8220;Business &amp; 
Finance,&#8221; imageboard, where traders, gamblers, investors and commentators 
gather to share info, shill tokens, and discuss the state of the crypto 
industry at large.
The imageboard has gathered a reputation for being a place where intrepid 
investors can go to learn about moonshot tokens the broader community has yet 
to discover, though X and Telegram have since given 4chan a run for its money. 
It has also been ground zero for countless shilling campaigns that have helped 
pump prices for various tokens.
_A Reddit user shares some tokens they discovered early on, thanks to /Biz/. 
Source:__Deleted Reddit account_
/Biz/ has also become known for the various prophecies, lore and legends that 
emerge from its anonymous users. People who claim to have inside knowledge on 
major market movements often leak alleged secret info on the imageboard or 
issue prophecies, and every once in a while, they actually turn out to be 
accurate.
In January 2019, a user correctly predicted that Bitcoin (BTC) would hit 
$5,300 by April and $9,200 by July, sparking huge interest online. 
Unfortunately, their remaining price predictions quickly fell short of 
reality, including that Bitcoin would hit $87,000 by October 2020.
Another user claimed in May 2021 to work at a Chinese firm that collaborated 
closely with the government and said they had insider information that Bitcoin 
would sell off due to major news out of China. A few hours later, reports 
emerged that China would ban payment companies and financial institutions from 
offering services related to crypto transactions, and Bitcoin sold off.
/Biz/ was also the source of a June 2017 rumor that Ethereum co-founder 
Vitalik Buterin had died in a car crash. The fake news led to Ether&#8217;s (ETH) 
market cap crashing by $4 billion before Buterin stepped in to share that he 
had, in fact, not died.
_The fake news that Vitalik Buterin had died in a car crash started on /Biz/. 
Source:__Warosu_
## Chainlink and the LINK Marines
Perhaps the most successful shilling campaign to come out of 4chan is that of 
Chainlink (LINK), which saw a massive rally that started in 2020 and continued 
into 2021. Many of the oracle project&#8217;s most diehard community members, known 
as the LINK Marines, first discovered Chainlink on /Biz/.
Much of the excitement among the early Chainlink community was galvanized by a 
mysterious figure known as &#8220;AssBlaster,&#8221; who claimed to have insider knowledge 
about the project and would share alpha on /Biz/.
_Source:__Warosu_
The LINK Marines relentlessly promoted Chainlink on 4chan and social media 
platforms, and by 2020, LINK had experienced its first major rally &#8212; from 
$1.80 at the start of the year to a high of $16.64 on Aug. 12.
Following the rally, Mechanism Capital co-founder Andrew Kang declared that 
&#8220;4chan has become the largest market driver&#8221; in crypto, &#8220;more powerful than 
even China or institutional crypto fund capital.&#8221;
_**Related:**__**Mechanism Capital founder doubles Bitcoin position with a 
$200M long**_
LINK went on in 2021 to hit an all-time high of $49.54, becoming one of the 
year&#8217;s most talked-about crypto success stories.
_LINK &#8216;s price exploded to nearly $50 in 2021. Source: __CoinMarketCap_
LINK Marine Albert Nazarov told Cointelegraph Magazine in March 2021 that 
&#8220;4chan is basically a crucible of raw thoughts; the best and balanced make it 
to the top. It&#8217;s almost anything goes there, and it trains the brain to 
decipher good info from bad stuff.&#8221;
Chainlink remains the third most mentioned stock or cryptocurrency on /Biz/ 
over the last 24 hours as of the time of writing, behind only Bitcoin and 
Ether.
## Pepe the Frog and memes galore
One of the most well-recognized memes associated with 4chan is Pepe the Frog, 
though its origins have nothing to do with the imageboard. Pepe was created by 
artist Matt Furie back in 2005 for a comic titled _Boy &#8216;s Club._
Over the next several years, Pepe was popularized by 4chan and eventually 
became a mainstream meme. But in 2015, posters from 4chan&#8217;s /R9k/ board 
decided to &#8220;reclaim&#8221; Pepe and began a campaign to intentionally associate it 
with the far right. Nevertheless, the frog remains a popular meme on 4chan and 
in crypto circles.
In the cryptosphere, Pepe became closely associated with Chainlink. Sanctum 
CEO Tyler Ward, who sparked a Pepe non-fungible token (NFT) craze in 2021, 
told Magazine, &#8220;When Chainlink started doing well, it just became this cultish 
prophecy of 4chan, and 4chan really likes Pepe the frog, so it was kind of 
this merger.&#8221;
&gt; &#8220;A lot of people that posted about Chainlink would post with Pepe the Frog, 
&gt; and they kind of became intertwined.&#8221;
Crypto&#8217;s obsession with Pepe the Frog has since grown significantly beyond its 
early association with Chainlink. In 2023, the memecoin Pepe (PEPE), named 
after the frog, was launched and quickly became popular among traders. The 
token truly took off in 2024 amid the memecoin mania, going from a 
$591-million market cap at the start of the year to $11 billion by December, 
flipping Uniswap&#8217;s UNI (UNI) token.
But Pepe is not the only 4chan meme to be tokenized and explode in price. Mog 
Coin (MOG), a memecoin based on the phrase &#8220;mogging&#8221; &#8212; dominating, 
outclassing or outshining others &#8212; gained 1,800% in early 2024. According to 
CoinGecko, 4chan-themed memecoins command a $37-billion market cap as of May 
8.
The popular phrase &#8220;we&#8217;re all gonna make it,&#8221; or WAGMI, was also popularized 
on 4chan. It was borrowed from Australian bodybuilder Aziz &#8220;Zyzz&#8221; Shavershian, 
who would frequently post on the Bodybuilding.com forum as well as 4chan&#8217;s 
fitness board and who passed away in 2011. It later made its way into crypto 
around 2017, seemingly as users who had been active in online fitness 
communities got into digital assets.
_Source:__Snoop Dogg_
Despite the growing attention platforms like Telegram and X command among the 
crypto community, 4chan remains a cultural powerhouse, and these are just a 
handful of the ways it has influenced crypto culture and markets.
And with 4chan back online and seemingly fully committed to continuing its 
operations, they won&#8217;t be its final influences &#8212; at least as long as 4chan 
can avoid being taken down for good. 
_**Magazine:**__**ChatGPT a &#8216;schizophrenia-seeking missile,&#8217; AI scientists 
prep for 50% deaths: AI Eye**_

4chan rises from the dead: How the imageboard moves crypto markets

Bitcoin traded within a narrow band on May 10, 2025, reflecting a momentary 
equilibrium between bullish momentum and short-term hesitation. With a market 
cap of $2.057 trillion and $26.69 billion in trading volume, bitcoin 
fluctuated between $102,526 and $103,938 before settling at $103,559, 
underscoring a technically significant range-bound day amid broader upward 
trends. Bitcoin From […]

Bitcoin Price Watch: Range-Bound Action Signals Pause Before Breakout

A Taiwanese politician urged the government Friday to include Bitcoin in its 
reserve composition. He made the appeal during the National Conference and 
amplified the message on X. His purpose is straightforward: incorporate 
Bitcoin along with gold and foreign currency to assist in protection against 
shock drops. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Grip Loosens: Market Expert Says 
Dominance Has Hit Its Ceiling Push For Bitcoin In Reserves In the opinion of 
Ju‑Chun, Bitcoin is capable of withstanding large fluctuations in the global 
economy. He informed the conference that introducing even a thin slice of 
Bitcoin to Taiwan&#8217;s asset stack might make the financial system more 
resilient. He also appealed to crypto enthusiasts on X, referring them to his 
speech and asking for feedback. His tone was assertive and straightforward. He 
explained that this action would not be a substitute for current reserves, but 
possibly reinforce them. Meeting With Bitcoin Advocate According to reports, 
Ju‑Chun last week had a meeting with Samson Mow, who is the CEO of Jan3, a 
firm that specializes in extensive Bitcoin adoption. Jan3 released a statement 
on Thursday emphasizing the imperative for countries to prepare against 
currency fluctuations through the holding of Bitcoin. Mow explained to Ju‑Chun 
that fiat currencies have turned more volatile. Their conversation addressed 
technical barriers, security requirements and how Taiwan could purchase and 
hold BTC without risks. Taiwan is exploring a potential #Bitcoin reserve 
strategy amid currency volatility, following talks between @Excellion and 
Legislator Ko Ju-Chun (@dAAAb). 🇹🇼 Read more via @BTCTimescom: 👇 
https://t.co/HfUfDWJXWH — JAN3 (@JAN3com) May 8, 2025 Current Reserve Holdings 
Taiwan currently possesses 423 metric tons of gold and some $577 billion in 
foreign exchange assets. Ju-Chun noted that the New Taiwan Dollar has 
fluctuated wildly at times. He attributed higher global prices and regional 
tensions in East Asia as the cause. He contended that for over 15 years, 
Bitcoin has demonstrated it can defy external pressure and remain accessible 
when other assets collapse. That, he added, is worth a place in the national 
locker. Taiwan 🇹🇼 could follow suit! We could allocate a maximum of 5% of our 
$USD 50 billion reserve to $BTC. https://t.co/HmOTkf9gqy — 科技立委葛如鈞 Ko Ju-Chun 
(@dAAAb) May 7, 2025 Proposal To Allocate 5% Ju-Chun proposed that Taiwan 
invest up to 5% of a $50 billion reserve in Bitcoin. That is approximately 
$2.5 billion. He mentioned that New Hampshire recently approved the same 
action, and referenced US President Donald Trump&#8217;s directive to create a US 
Bitcoin reserve. He also mentioned that some large economies, such as the UK 
and Japan, are still waiting on the sidelines. He indicated that Taiwan can 
lead Asia if it acts now. Related Reading: Tech Expert Predicts $1 Million 
Bitcoin — ‘Only One More 10x Left’ Some experts caution that Bitcoin can rise 
or fall 10 to 20 % in a week. Others are concerned about the legal steps 
required to hold a digital asset at the state level. Ju‑Chun said these issues 
can be contained. He called on lawmakers to examine how central banks could 
buy, hold and insure Bitcoin. He also requested clear rules to ensure any 
losses do not spill over into the broader economy. Featured image from Gemini 
Imagen, chart from TradingView

Taiwan Official Proposes Bitcoin As Part Of National Reserve Strategy

Solana rallied after bottoming at $94.50 in April as demand for its token and 
meme coins jumped. Solana (SOL) rose to $170 at last check on Saturday and is 
now hovering at its highest level since March 3 this year. …

SOL on a roll: Meme mania, ETF hopes power Solana toward $500

A group of Democratic senators has reportedly sent a letter to leadership at 
the US Department of Justice and the Treasury Department expressing concerns 
about US President Donald Trump&#8217;s ties to cryptocurrency exchange Binance and 
potential conflicts of interest in regulating the industry.
According to a May 9 Bloomberg report, Democratic senators asked Attorney 
General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to report on the steps 
Binance had taken as part of its November 2023 plea agreement with US 
authorities, amid reports that Trump and his family had deepened connections 
with the exchange.
That settlement saw Binance pay more than $4 billion as part of a deal with 
the Justice Department, Treasury, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 
and had then-CEO Changpeng &#8220;CZ&#8221; Zhao step down.
However, since Trump won the presidency in 2024, many lawmakers have accused 
the president of corruption from profiting off crypto while being in a 
position to influence laws and regulations over the industry.
Trump has launched his own memecoin &#8212; which earns the project millions of 
dollars in transaction fees &#8212; and offered the top tokenholders the 
opportunity to attend an exclusive dinner in Washington, DC.
His family-backed crypto venture World Liberty Financial also recently 
announced that an Abu Dhabi-based investment firm, MGX, would settle a $2 
billion investment in Binance using the platform&#8217;s USD1 stablecoin.
&#8220;Our concerns about Binance&#8217;s compliance obligations are even more pressing 
given recent reports that the company is using the Trump family&#8217;s stablecoin 
to partner with foreign investment companies,&#8221; the senators said in the 
letter, according to Bloomberg.
_**Related:**__**Trump tricked into pushing XRP for crypto reserve: Report**_
## Stablecoin bill fails to pass the US Senate
The letter came less than 24 hours after some of the same senators blocked a 
crucial vote on a bill to regulate stablecoins, named the GENIUS Act. Senator 
Elizabeth Warren, who reportedly signed the letter and opposed moving forward 
on the stablecoin bill, suggested the Senate should not be aligned with 
&#8220;facilitat[ing] this kind of corruption&#8221; from Trump.
Bessent said the Senate &#8220;missed an opportunity&#8221; by not passing the stablecoin 
bill, but did not directly address any of the concerns over Trump&#8217;s crypto 
interests. It&#8217;s unclear if or when the chamber could consider another vote on 
the bill.
In an April 23 report, the nonpartisan organization State Democracy Defenders 
Action said roughly 40% of Trump&#8217;s net worth was tied to crypto. The group 
noted that the GENIUS Act, in its current version, &#8220;would not prevent 
President Trump from using his executive powers to establish a regulatory 
environment and enforcement agenda that prioritizes his personal enrichment 
over the broader interests of US stakeholders.&#8221;
Amid the concerns with the stablecoin and proposed market structure bills, 
Zhao reportedly applied for a federal pardon from Trump. Though the former CEO 
already served four months in prison, a pardon for his felony charge could 
allow him to get more involved with the crypto industry through a management 
position.
_**Magazine:**__**Trump &#8216;s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider 
trading questions**_