Ghibli-themed meme coins are becoming a trend thanks to the combination of art, pop culture, and the cryptocurrency market. In particular, the feature of creating Ghibli-style images in ChatGPT-4o has boosted this wave on social media. However, this trend also carries risks, from copyright issues with Studio Ghibli to the high volatility of the meme coin market. Is this an investment opportunity or just a temporary craze?
1. Why has Ghibli-themed memes exploded?
Studio Ghibli is one of the most famous Japanese animation studios in the world, founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki. The studio has created many classic works such as Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, and Princess Mononoke, attracting a loyal fan base globally.
Many Ghibli-themed meme coins have emerged. A token on Solana has reached a market capitalization of over 23 million USD, with a 52.54% increase in just one hour, demonstrating the strong appeal of this trend. Here are the reasons why these memecoins are booming:
New feature of ChatGPT-4o: On March 25, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced on platform X: 'Today, we are launching a new feature – images in ChatGPT!'. This new feature allows users to convert images into Ghibli-style animations, instantly generating a strong wave of enthusiasm on social media platforms. The application of Ghibli's unique visual style into meme coins has quickly attracted the interest of the Web3 community.
The strong Ghibli fan community is entering Web3: Studio Ghibli has a massive loyal fanbase globally, who love the studio's unique art style. Integrating Ghibli into Web3 opens up opportunities for this community to engage with blockchain, NFTs, and meme coins in a more exciting and approachable way. Additionally, the participation of celebrities in the crypto community, such as a16z founder Evan Shaw, further boosts the popularity of this trend.
The spread on social media: Ghibli-style images are flooding social media as users rush to use the new feature of ChatGPT-4o to create images. Many people have updated their profile pictures with Ghibli images, creating a widespread trend in both the animation fan community and Web3. The combination of nostalgic feelings for Ghibli and the meme coin wave has created a powerful ripple effect, attracting both investors and newcomers to the cryptocurrency market.
2. Are there any hidden risks?
Although Ghibli-style meme coins are attracting significant attention, this trend also comes with hidden risks.
First of all, Studio Ghibli is known for its strong stance on protecting its copyrights and trademarks. They are uncompromising against any unauthorized use, especially in commercial fields. It is currently unclear how the company will respond to the wave of meme coins inspired by their images and styles, but if Ghibli decides to take legal action, these projects may face the risk of being taken down or losing significant value.
Moreover, meme coins are inherently a volatile market, easily influenced by short-term trends and crowd investment psychology. While Ghibli-themed meme coins are currently receiving strong interest, there is no guarantee that this trend will last. If community enthusiasm wanes, the value of these tokens could plummet quickly, putting investors at risk of significant losses. Market history also shows that many meme coins have peaked in a short time but then collapsed due to a lack of solid technological foundation or real utility value.
=> Therefore, although the combination of Ghibli and Web3 is creating a strong wave, investors need to carefully consider the risks of copyright as well as the sustainability of this trend, avoiding being caught up in FOMO without careful evaluation.
Source: Theblock101.com