On November 27, Binance announced the listing of MORPHO and CHILLGUY contract trading pairs. Among them, the CHILLGUY token is a meme character that became popular with Gen Z, released on the Solana chain on October 6. The CHILL GUY meme has been retweeted by President Bukele of El Salvador and Musk, indirectly increasing the token's price volatility. However, the original creator feels quite uncomfortable with his creation being used to issue meme coins.
TikTok's viral spread, Gen Z's laid-back trend boosts Chill Guy's topic.
It is understood that Chill Guy was created by American artist Phillip Banks and first appeared on October 4, 2023. The character's image is generally that of an anthropomorphized dog wearing a gray sweater, blue jeans, and red sneakers. The pose resembles the lyrics of Zhang Zhenyue's song: hands in pockets, and the face always carries a calm smile, as if completely indifferent to the people and things around him.
Chill Guy quickly became popular online, especially on TikTok and Instagram, which are primarily used by Gen Z, where it was widely shared. Young people love this character who always maintains a chill attitude. Just like this one: 'Biology (midterm) bombed, I don’t care, because I’m just a chill guy.' You can find more related creations by searching for the keyword Chill Guy in places where young people gather, like Threads.
Perhaps the popularity of this character is closely related to the sense of powerlessness that young people feel in society. Just like the Oxford Dictionary's representative word for 2022, Goblin Mode, which represents a laid-back mode; in Taiwan, goblins are also one of the keywords for young people. Many people metaphorically refer to themselves as goblins if they are short and poor and have an unremarkable appearance, where those below 170 cm are considered goblins, and those above 180 cm are trolls.
This sense of powerlessness is also closely related to the financial nihilism mentioned in previous Binance research reports, and various signs point to young people having given up on effort; just being alive is already a struggle.
(2022 Oxford Dictionary representative word: Goblin mode (laid-back mode) beats Metaverse to be selected)
(Meme coins have become a contemporary trend! Binance research analysis: Financial nihilism attracts young people, 97% of trading volume goes to zero)
Unauthorized tokens can still be listed on Binance, and Chill Guy opens a new path for meme coins.
The Bitcoin president we are familiar with, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, also retweeted a post about the Chill Guy meme, and both Elon Musk and Azuki founder Zagabond mentioned the Chill Guy meme on Twitter.
However, the original creator Phillip Banks stated on Twitter that he does not approve of his creation being used for anything related to cryptocurrency, especially worthless dog shit coins. He threatened to take legal action in response to the infringement.
But ultimately, Chill Guy was still listed on Binance's contract trading pairs, which was actually unexpected and has deeper meaning. Whether it's the CHIIKAWA meme coin or the Vatican's mascot LUCE, both have been criticized for being unauthorized. Major exchanges are hesitant to take risks with these coins. However, this listing of Chill Guy opens a new window for these unauthorized tokens. Perhaps we can continue to observe the collision between copyright and meme coins in relation to the interests of exchanges.
(Things you should know about meme coins: A three-step guide to buying the CHIIKAWA meme coin)
This article discusses who Chill Guy is on Binance? The GEN Z trending meme coin, yet its fate is uncertain. One characteristic may open the door for LUCE, first appearing in Chain News ABMedia.