YZY token crypto

Key Points

  • Research suggests the YZY token, planned by Kanye West (Ye), has not launched as of April 17, 2025.
  • It seems likely the token faced delays from its February 2025 target, with no recent updates.
  • The evidence leans toward Ye not being active on social media since February, limiting announcements.
  • Controversy exists around token distribution, with 70% allocated to Ye, raising centralization concerns.

Background

The YZY token is a cryptocurrency project announced by Kanye West, now known as Ye, intended to serve as the official currency for his Yeezy brand. The goal was to create a censorship-resistant financial ecosystem, allowing Ye to bypass platforms like Shopify that had severed ties with him due to controversies. The planned launch was set for February 2025, but delays and uncertainties have left its status unclear as of April 17, 2025.

Current Status

As of now, there is no public confirmation that the official YZY token has been launched. Web searches and checks of Ye’s official website (yeezy.com) show no information about the token’s availability or launch date. Research suggests the token may still be in development, with no recent announcements from Ye or his team.

Social Media and Public Statements

Ye’s last public statements about the YZY token were in February 2025, where he announced plans to launch his own cryptocurrency and denied any connection to existing YZY tokens, calling them “fake.” However, his X account was deactivated in February 2025 following a controversial X post spree, and there are no reports of him returning to the platform since then, limiting potential updates.

Distribution and Controversy

The planned token distribution allocated 70% to Ye, 10% for liquidity, and 20% for investors, which has sparked debate about centralization and potential price manipulation. This structure mirrors other celebrity-driven tokens like Donald Trump’s TRUMP coin, raising concerns among critics about the project’s long-term viability.

Survey Note: Detailed Analysis of YZY Token Crypto

This section provides a comprehensive examination of the YZY token, a cryptocurrency project announced by Kanye West, now known as Ye, focusing on its planned launch, current status, and surrounding controversies as of April 17, 2025. The analysis draws from various sources to ensure a thorough understanding, covering public statements, tokenomics, and recent developments.

Background and Planned Launch

Kanye West, now known as Ye, announced plans to launch the YZY token in early 2025, aiming to create a censorship-resistant financial ecosystem for his Yeezy brand. The token was intended to serve as the official currency for Yeezy products, allowing Ye to bypass traditional platforms like Shopify, which had severed ties with him due to controversial statements, including antisemitic and hateful X posts in February 2025 (Variety – Kanye West Twitter/X Account Deactivated). Reports from February 2025 indicated that the token would integrate with the Yeezy website, functioning as the primary medium of exchange for purchases (TheCryptoBasic – Kanye West Moves to Launch YZY Token Amid Controversy).

The initial launch was planned for February 20, 2025, with a distribution model allocating 70% of the tokens to Ye, 10% for liquidity, and 20% for investors. This structure was revealed through an email from Hussein Lalani, identified as Yeezy’s CFO, to CoinDesk (CryptoBriefing – Kanye West plans to drop YZY token). However, the launch faced delays, with reports suggesting postponements to later in February, possibly due to technical issues or strategic adjustments (Coinpedia – Kanye West Set to Launch YZY Crypto Token).

Current Status as of April 17, 2025

As of the current date, April 17, 2025, there is no public confirmation that the official YZY token has been launched. Web searches for “YZY token launch date April 2025” and “YZY token current price” did not yield recent updates beyond February 2025, suggesting that the token may still be in development or has not gained significant traction. Browsing Ye’s official website (yeezy.com) showed a page stating “YEEZY STORES COMING SOON” with a date from August 2024, indicating no integration of the token into the site as of now.

Additionally, checks on major cryptocurrency exchanges like CEX.IO revealed that YZY is not listed, with articles from February 2025 noting that it would be available for purchase once launched (CEX.IO – How to Buy YZY (Kanye West’s YZY Coin) Memecoin). The absence of recent news articles or official announcements suggests that the launch has not occurred, or if it has, it has not been widely publicized.

Unrelated Tokens and Market Confusion

There are tokens named YZY or similar listed on various platforms, such as Phantom, CoinGecko, and Raydium, but these are not associated with Ye’s official project. For instance:

  • Yeezy Coin (YZY) on Phantom has a market cap of $3.17K and a circulating supply of 999.56M as of April 12, 2025, but it is described as unverified and small in scale (Phantom – Yeezy Coin (YZY) Price Chart).
  • Swasticoin (YZY) on CoinGecko has a larger market cap and trading volume, but it is a separate project, possibly linked to Ye’s controversial “Swasticoin” mention, which alarmed investors (CoinGecko – Swasticoin (YZY) Price).

Ye explicitly denied any connection to these existing tokens in February 2025, stating in an X post that “all current ones are fake” and that he would launch his own official cryptocurrency (CryptoBriefing – Kanye West says he drops coin next week). This has led to market confusion, with speculative tokens emerging on decentralized exchanges like Pump.fun, but none confirmed as the official YZY token.

Social Media and Public Statements

Ye’s last public statements regarding the YZY token were in February 2025, where he announced plans to launch his own cryptocurrency and criticized existing ones as “fake.” However, his X activity ceased in February 2025 following a controversial spree, including antisemitic remarks and praise for Adolf Hitler, leading to his account deactivation (Rolling Stone – Kanye West’s X Account Deactivated). Searches for “Kanye West recent tweets April 2025” showed no activity since February, indicating that Ye has not returned to the platform to provide updates on the YZY token.

This lack of social media activity has limited potential announcements, contributing to the uncertainty surrounding the token’s launch. Reports from February 2025 also mentioned collaborations with Binance and discussions with Changpeng Zhao, but these did not result in a confirmed launch (AtomicWallet – Will Kanye West Launch His Memecoin?).

Tokenomics and Controversy

The planned tokenomics of YZY have been a point of contention. The distribution model, with 70% allocated to Ye, has raised concerns about centralization and potential price manipulation. This structure is similar to other celebrity-driven tokens, such as Donald Trump’s TRUMP coin, which faced criticism for high insider ownership (TokenPost – Kanye West’s YZY Token: A Controversial Crypto Move). Critics argue that such a high allocation to Ye could lead to market instability and reduce investor confidence, especially given his history of controversies.

Additionally, Ye’s initial request for an 80% stake, later negotiated to 70%, has fueled debates about the project’s long-term viability. Reports from February 2025 highlighted concerns about the token’s centralized ownership, with some viewing it as a potential celebrity-backed scam (Brave New Coin – Kanye West Hints at Crypto Meme Coin Launch).

Summary Table: Key Events and Status

DateEvent/StatusRelevance to YZY Token
Feb 2025Planned launch of YZY token, 70% allocation to Ye, delays reportedInitial announcement, faced postponements
Feb 2025Ye denies connection to existing YZY tokens, calls them “fake”Clarified official project, no launch
Feb 2025Ye’s X account deactivated after controversial postsLimited updates, no social media activity
Apr 17, 2025No public confirmation of launch, not listed on major exchangesLikely not launched, ongoing uncertainty

Conclusion

Based on the available information, the official YZY token by Kanye West (Ye) has not been launched as of April 17, 2025. While there were plans for a February 2025 release, the project faced delays, and there have been no subsequent announcements or updates confirming its launch. The lack of social media activity from Ye since February 2025, combined with the absence of the token on major exchanges and official websites, suggests that it remains in development or has not been publicly released. The controversy surrounding its tokenomics and Ye’s past statements adds to the uncertainty, with market confusion from unrelated tokens further complicating the landscape.

Key Citations