Yakovenko Compares Meme Coins and NFTs to Loot Boxes

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Anatoly Yakovenko Compares Meme Coins and NFTs to Loot Boxes, Faces Backlash

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: July 28, 2025

Key Takeaways

Solana’s co-founder called meme coins and NFTs "digital slop", despite their role in the network’s success;
Jesse Pollak argued NFTs have artistic value, while Yakovenko said their worth comes only from market demand;
Some users criticized Yakovenko for promoting memecoins publicly while privately dismissing them as worthless.

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Anatoly Yakovenko Compares Meme Coins and NFTs to Loot Boxes, Faces Backlash

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Anatoly Yakovenko, one of the co-founders of Solana SOL $182.23 , described meme coins and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as "digital slop", even though Solana has seen growth from these assets.

His comment was made during a July 27 discussion on X with the creator of Base, Jesse Pollak, who argued that digital content, such as NFTs, can hold value in the same way as physical art.

Pollak compared NFTs to paintings in a museum. He said the artwork remains valuable regardless of whether people pay to see it.

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However, Yakovenko stated that meme coins and NFTs only gain value through market demand, rather than anything they offer on their own.

To make his point, he compared these tokens to loot boxes in mobile games. Loot boxes are common in free-to-play mobile games and often encourage users to spend repeatedly without knowing what they will receive.

Yakovenko admitted that without meme coins, Solana might not be as successful, but he added that Apple also relies on in-app purchases, such as loot boxes, for revenue.

One X user, who contributes to Flaunch, said Yakovenko was mocking his own user base. Another user stated that while he did not agree with how Ethereum’s ETH $3,750.77 Vitalik Buterin approached meme coins, he found Yakovenko’s behavior worse. He promoted the tokens publicly while calling them worthless.

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