Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana, has stirred intense debate inside the crypto neighborhood after branding NFTs and meme cash as “digital slop with no intrinsic worth.”
In a publish on X, Yakovenko in contrast the booming NFT and memecoin sectors to cell recreation loot bins, implying that client spending doesn’t equate to precise value.
The comment was particularly controversial on condition that Solana has develop into one of many main networks for NFT exercise and meme coin launches. The blockchain processed over $431 billion in transactions and boasts a meme coin market exceeding $15 billion as of July 2025.
On the time of writing, the value of Solana stands at $186 as the cryptocurrency faces a small pullback on low timeframes. Nonetheless, the uptrend appears poised to proceed whereas the Bitcoin dominance traits decrease, giving altcoins some room for additional earnings.
Solana's worth traits to the upside albeit with a small pullback on the every day chart. Supply: SOLUSD on Tradingview
Solana’s Ecosystem Thrives, Mockingly By What Yakovenko Criticizes
Crypto influencers had been fast to react. Adam Hollander, CMO at OpenSea, known as Yakovenko’s take “disappointing and flat-out incorrect,” emphasizing the worth of digital possession.
Others defended NFTs as a part of the multi-trillion-dollar leisure trade, citing emotional and cultural relevance even within the absence of utility.
Despite the pushback, Yakovenko doubled down, stressing that his foremost concern is market integrity: “What’s vital to me is that the shitheads that obfuscate or mislead about market circumstances or market construction are nuked from orbit.”
The irony of Yakovenko’s assertion lies in Solana’s success, which is essentially fueled by the very sectors he criticized. Meme cash like BONK, DOGWIFHAT, and Fartcoin collectively account for billions in market capitalization. BONK alone noticed a 50.4% weekly acquire and was lately added to Grayscale’s Q3 watchlist.
Solana’s NFT Sector On The Rise
The NFT house on Solana has additionally surged, with buying and selling quantity leaping 94% to $6.6 billion in July. Collections like DeGods and Solana Monkey Business proceed to dominate, principally traded by way of Magic Eden, which holds a 90% share of Solana’s NFT market.
Whereas Yakovenko’s blunt critique goals to impress a dialog round transparency and long-term worth, it has clearly clashed with Solana’s present identification, one constructed on velocity, affordability, and sure, meme coin mania.
Cowl picture from ChatGPT, SOLUSD chart from Tradingview
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