Rapper-turned-music mogul Kanye West, also legally known now as Ye, has entered the crypto realm. He has dropped YZY, a meme-style token built on the Solana blockchain. Kanye unveiled the token and the payments platform Yeezy Money in a self-filmed announcement posted to his X account on August 21, 2025.
This launch is part of a broader venture called YZY Money, envisioned as an autonomous financial ecosystem. At its core is the YZY token, complemented by a payment processor called Ye Pay and a YZY Card is designed to enable spending digital assets globally.
Centralization concerns
The token’s economics reveal a high concentration of control, where 20 percent of the supply is open to public allocation, 10 percent is reserved for liquidity, and a commanding 70 percent is vested in Yeezy Investments LLC. The Rapper also invested in an advanced anti-sniping mechanism by deploying 25 contract addresses with only one activated as the “official” YZY token. These addresses were employed to guard against early exploitation.
The tokens’ debut was a volatile one, as within moments, YZY’s market capitalization soared to approximately $3 billion. The euphoria was short-lived, as the token plunged back down to under $1 billion within hours to settle-in at $1.15. While the token saw its initial hype for its celebrity-backed and payment-oriented ambition, it is heavily centralized and echoes caution.
Dabbling in the cryptosphere
Ye is no stranger to the world of crypto. In the past, he’s been associated with projects like Coinye West, which was a scrypt-based cryptocurrency launched in 2014, and was shut down after a trademark infringement lawsuit from Kanye West himself.
Many celebrities have ventured into personal or themed tokens. Celebrity tokens like JENNER (Caitlyn Jenner), IGGY (Iggy Azalea), RICH (Rich the Kid) and TRUMP (President Donald Trump) have found many takers when they were launched on Solana or similar networks. These tokens often have limited utility and steep risk.
Shortly after the launch YZY token on Solana, BitMex’s Arthur Hayes took to X to say that he had also invested in the token. “Pls don’t rug me, Kanye West !!! $YZY for the win … cause bull market,” Hayes wrote in a tweet showing excitement on the token’s rapid launch and spike.
However, hours later, he regretted his decision and called the token a ‘shitcoin’ for its highly speculative trade.