The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially begun reviewing a unique ETF application that combines the PENGU cryptocurrency token with the Pudgy Penguins NFT collection. This move could pave the way for a new class of financial products merging community-driven culture with institutional investing.
❄️ An ETF Bridging Tokens and Toys
The proposal comes from investment firm Canary Capital, which aims to allocate 80–95% of the fund’s assets into the PENGU token and the remaining 5–15% into Pudgy Penguins NFTs. Originally launched in 2021 as a simple NFT collection, the project underwent a major transformation in 2022 after being acquired by entrepreneur Luca Netz.
Under his leadership, Pudgy Penguins evolved from a speculative NFT drop into a robust intellectual property (IP) brand. Rather than relying solely on royalties from NFT trading, Netz focused on bringing the characters into the real world—resulting in retail toy launches through giants like Walmart and Amazon. By the end of 2024, these efforts generated more than $13 million in revenue.
🐧 A Meme Icon That Surpassed Hello Kitty
The brand went viral, with its GIPHY account amassing over 53.7 billion views—surpassing even classic icons like Hello Kitty. A key innovation was the OverpassIP platform, which enables NFT holders to earn royalties when their penguin characters are licensed for merchandise. This created a direct link between NFT ownership and the commercial success of the brand.
💬 PENGU as a “Social Currency” for the Digital Era
The PENGU token, launched on Solana in December 2024, was positioned by CEO Luca Netz as a "social currency" within the growing Pudgy Penguins ecosystem. It's used for tipping creators, shopping, and engaging with the fan community. According to Animoca Brands Research, the token had over 860,000 holders across Solana and Abstract Chain by July 2025.
📈 ETF Signals Institutional Interest in Meme Culture
If approved, the PENGU ETF would be one of the first regulated products to combine a liquid token with NFT assets—highlighting increasing institutional interest in community- and culture-driven Web3 projects. Other meme-token ETFs, such as one for Dogecoin, remain under SEC review.
The emergence of the PENGU ETF underscores Pudgy Penguins’ transformation from a meme project to a consumer brand with real-world revenue and investment appeal. It could mark the beginning of a new era where community tokens become part of mainstream finance.
#pengu , #PudgyPenguins , #memecoins , #nft , #Web3
Stay one step ahead – follow our profile and stay informed about everything important in the world of cryptocurrencies!
Notice:
,,The information and views presented in this article are intended solely for educational purposes and should not be taken as investment advice in any situation. The content of these pages should not be regarded as financial, investment, or any other form of advice. We caution that investing in cryptocurrencies can be risky and may lead to financial losses.“