Ethena Founder: Crypto-Native Capital may have run out of steam to pump meme coin valuations, tokens backed by TradFi endorsement will undergo a complete divergence from regular meme coins

By: theblockbeats.news|2025/07/25 18:12:10

BlockBeats News, July 25th, Ethena Labs founder Guy Young posted on social media: "One of my major concerns is that the native capital of crypto may have been exhausted, unable to propel meme coins past the previous cycle's peak. Observing the total nominal market capitalization peak of meme coins in Q4 2021 and Q4 2024, both stopped at around $1.2 trillion (a value that is almost identical after adjusting for inflation). Perhaps this is the global retail capital's valuation ceiling for 99% of meme projects?"

However, for tokens with real business operations, tangible products, and generating revenue for real users, there exists a massive blue ocean to expand channels to stock market institutional investors. Compared to the global stock market capitalization, the entire meme coin market is just a drop in the bucket. The current NAV premium arbitrage is clearly a flash in the pan, with Saylor being the only exception, ultimately due to its unique leverage advantage in its capital structure (quasi non-redeemable + quasi).

But why did Ethena still support StablecoinX's ENA treasury strategy? The core goal is to build a gateway for stock market funds to enter—these funds have a significant excess demand for stablecoins and digital dollar field's hyper-growth enterprises. This is unrelated to short-term NAV arbitrage; the key is to open the gate to an untapped capital pool. Ethena faces the well-known dilemma of VC unlocking pressure, and I have personally made countless mistakes in fundraising and still reflect on them. There is a severe capital misalignment in the crypto world: private VC capital far exceeds the liquid capital required to support token valuations, creating a mirrored opposition to the Web2 world (where private capital is only a fraction of the stock market).

Of course, this does not apply to all junk coins. Zero-revenue meme projects, even if dressed in an equity shell, remain air. But I firmly believe that for the few tokens that can obtain traditional financial endorsement and align with long-term growth trends, this will be a significant positive. Apart from mainstream coins, such tokens globally do not exceed 10, and they will ultimately differentiate completely from coins that have never attracted TradFi."

-- Price

A Polymarket user supported nearly half of Trade.xyz's "active addresses" with 34,000 wallets, yet contributed less than 1% of the trading volume. The real support for the market comes from market-making institutions like Jump, Selini, and Wintermute, as well as a group of directional traders crossi...

Binance quietly placed a bet on a leading large model company

In the past year, YZi Labs has significantly accelerated its investments in the AI field, from educational agents to physical robots, and then to large models, with crypto capital and AI technology rapidly integrating.

Best Crypto Discord Server 2026: Why Jacob’s Crypto Clan Is Gaining Massive Attention

Jacob’s Crypto Clan has grown into one of the most active crypto Discord communities, with over 45K members and continuing to expand. This rapid growth reflects strong demand for structured trading insights and real-time collaboration.

Tom Lee Buying ETH: Why Wall Street’s Loudest Ethereum Bull Keeps Doubling Down

Tom Lee keeps buying ETH through every dip, every drawdown, and every moment of market doubt. Inside the strategy that's turning Ethereum into a treasury asset — and what it signals for the rest of the market.

Stripe Sessions 2026: AI Agent, Global Payments, and Invisible Crypto Infrastructure

Stablecoins have finally begun to enter the real business world, but this time, the main character may not be exchanges, wallets, or public chains, but Stripe. It encapsulates KYC, wallets, gas, compliance, and settlement, allowing businesses to access on-chain assets just like using regular payment...

Where will South Korea's cryptocurrency taxation head?

There is little time left before South Korea implements cryptocurrency taxation, but the current tax laws only cover simple spot and currency-to-currency transactions. Driven by the international tax information exchange standard (CARF), South Korea is comprehensively building an intelligence analys...

Legendary investor Naval: Apple is dead, SaaS will follow suit, and entrepreneurs have 18 months to reshape their moats

"You can continue to hold Apple stock. Just don't expect that what you hold is stock in a growth company."

Morning Report | Visa includes Polygon in its global stablecoin settlement program; MoonPay invests $100 million to acquire security company Sodot; Digital wallet platform Belo completes $14 million Series A financing

Overview of Important Market Events on April 29

Full text of the Federal Reserve's decision: Holding steady for the third consecutive time but increasing divisions

The Federal Reserve has kept interest rates unchanged for the third consecutive time, but there were internal voting disagreements, with one official advocating for a rate cut while three others opposed signaling easing. The situation in the Middle East and fluctuations in energy prices further ampl...

Dan Bin takes action, building a position in Circle

If Web3 only stays at the level of price and narrative, traditional capital will find it difficult to truly enter; but once a group of companies that can be clearly explained and included in balance sheets begins to emerge, the way the industry participates will change.

The Impossible Triangle of DeFi Lending

Borrowers want fixed interest rates, while lenders seek immediate liquidity; this is the dilemma of on-chain lending, where both cannot be achieved simultaneously.

Bitcoin ETF News: Why Bitcoin Is Falling Even After $2.43B ETF Inflows in April

Bitcoin ETF news today shows $2.43B in April inflows as institutions absorbed thousands of BTC, yet the price dropped from $79K to $76K. Traders are now watching whether the $80K resistance breaks or triggers another pullback.