Simply put
- Carlos Ramirez, who goes by Whynne Online, shared in his first interview in a decade that he’s frequently approached about providing supplies of meme coins linked to Trollface.
- The value of Troll Meme Coin has surged by over 1,050% in the last couple of weeks.
- At present, it ranks as the 32nd largest meme coin worldwide.
Renowned for creating the iconic Internet meme, Ramirez, known as Whynne Online, expressed to Decryption that he is “not interested” in getting involved with Solana’s meme coins, as he feels that the capitalistic aspects of the crypto world restrict artistic expression.
Interestingly, he has dismissed any potential legal actions concerning the token, even though he had promoted another troll token earlier in the year and again recently.
Carlos Ramirez mentioned he’s continually approached for meme coin supplies, describing it as a “cursed proposition” because any sale on his part might crash the value of the coins.
“If I can’t sell it, it feels pointless, but selling could crash the tokens. I really don’t want to be the cause of financial loss for anyone,” Ramirez explained.
It was noted that the deployer of the troll token had acquired over $64,000 in Solana tokens through a revenue-sharing feature, which led Ramirez to distance himself from further engagement within the community.
“I’m not interested in dealing with such individuals. I know their mindset—they’re not about creating something meaningful,” he stated. “It’s not personal; I just aim to create art. Crypto as a technology offers a chance for financial freedom, but the commercialization of crypto art undermines the artistic side.”
“I’ve made it clear that I want nothing to do with it, yet they keep ignoring me. I never asked anyone to mint all these troll tokens. People are simply aiming to profit off my name,” he added.
In the last two weeks, the Troll Meme Coin’s value has increased drastically, surpassing $184 million in market capitalization, making it the 32nd largest meme coin globally.
There’s been a surge of counterfeit products and associated tokens on various platforms, with some deployers sharing transaction fees with users from past platforms.
“If they wish to bypass royalties, there’s not much I can do about it. I might accept what comes my way, but anyone thinking that I owe them anything is mistaken,” Ramirez remarked.
Back in April, when the Memecoin appeared from nowhere, Ramirez attempted to ride the wave by promoting a rival Troll Token, which gained a significant market capitalization. However, his posts relating to it have since been deleted, leading to some ambiguity.
When asked if the token’s rise was due to a hack, he replied, “Does it really matter? People have their own narratives. Let them think what they want; I’m not too keen on clarifying things.”
“Honestly, I’m not interested in being involved at any level,” the artist noted.
Just a day later, he promoted another rival Troll Meme Coin on social media, which was created via a different launchpad. It’s possible he did this because the new token allowed him to share the fees with his account, unlike the main tokens that required him to be directly involved.
This post saw the token crash by 97% before experiencing a brief spike.
In a prior interview, Ramirez shared that he has a registered copyright for Trollface, estimating he made upwards of $100,000 in licensing fees and settlements between 2011 and 2015. However, he noted that the checks began to dwindle as the meme’s popularity faded.
As the creator of Trollface from a 2008 publication, Ramirez emphasized his legal rights to copy and enforce, despite the viral nature of his creation. His intellectual property lawyer mentioned that if other crypto projects use Trollface for unlicensed purposes, he could claim copyright infringement.
Despite his legal avenues, Ramirez has ruled out taking any action regarding this situation.
“I simply won’t act on it,” he remarked. “I don’t support or interfere; they’re free to do as they wish,” he added, even while promoting rival meme coins.
Another blockchain co-founder noted that Ramirez could change his mind and take legal steps if he sees fit.
The team behind the Troll Meme Coin has not responded to requests for comment.
Instead, he said he is focusing on developing original characters, recalling that Trollface was a spontaneous creation during his college days with MS Paint. However, he hesitated to share details about his new projects, concerned they would end up as meme coins.
“I have other original ideas that I want to bring to life, but I know that if I discuss them too early, they could be minted and lose value,” he explained. “So, I prefer secrecy until I’m ready to unveil them.”
He also mentioned he has been working on video games that would fall into a new genre, wanting to keep his name detached from it.
