Ghibli-Inspired Hype Hits Crypto: BNB Chain at the Center of the Storm
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Undeniably, one of the hottest topics on social media lately is Ghibli. Across major platforms, a wave of meme-style images mimicking the signature look of Studio Ghibli films has gone viral—injecting new life and relevance into the beloved aesthetic pioneered by Hayao Miyazaki. This resurgence has not only reignited appreciation for Ghibli's timeless animation style but has also created a ripple effect in the crypto market.
1. What Is Ghibli?
The Ghibli style refers to the distinct visual and emotional signature of Japan’s renowned animation studio, Studio Ghibli. Known for masterpieces like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, Ghibli has earned worldwide acclaim for its heartfelt storytelling and artistic beauty. These works remain irreplaceable classics in the hearts of fans across generations.
2. GPT-4o's New Feature: The Catalyst Behind the Ghibli Trend
It all started with a new feature from GPT-4o. With the model’s image-to-image capabilities now accessible in the chat interface, users can upload any photo and generate a Ghibli-style version with a simple prompt—e.g., “Turn this into a Ghibli cartoon.” This powerful tool gave the Ghibli style a fresh boost in visibility.
At first, the update flew under the radar. But soon after, social media influencers began posting their Ghibli-inspired portraits, causing the trend to gain traction. When none other than Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined in, sharing his own Ghibli-style image, the trend skyrocketed.
3. The Rise of the Ghibli Token: A Viral Meme Coin Phenomenon
Fueled by social media hype, the Ghibli trend quickly spilled into crypto with the emergence of Ghibli-themed meme coins. Among them, the standout is *URLS-GHIBLI_USDT*, a token launched on the Solana blockchain. Backed by KOL hype and viral momentum, the token skyrocketed—climbing over 100x in less than a day and drawing in a flood of investor attention.
Alongside the Solana version, a Ghibli token also appeared on the BNB Chain. Despite being on different blockchains, both tokens benefited from the viral Ghibli aesthetic and media exposure. As the Ghibli craze intensified, trading volume on BNB Chain spiked, helping the trend spread even further.
The success of Ghibli also inspired the creation of at least 20 other Ghibli-themed meme coins, including Ghibli-CZ, Ghibli Elon, and Ghiblification. Though their valuations and performance vary, they all rode the wave of Ghibli hype to gain notable traction.
4. The Meme Boom on BNB Chain: From Raw Beginnings to a Mature Ecosystem
BNB Chain’s meme coin scene has seen explosive growth. According to Artemis data, since January 25, trading volume on BNB Chain has closely mirrored that of Solana, with the two chains frequently switching leads.
From CZ (Binance founder Changpeng Zhao) initially supporting small, isolated meme trends like “Happy Trading,” to now leveraging multiple tools to orchestrate market sentiment across DEXs, BNB Chain has visibly matured in the meme coin landscape.
In February, the BNB Chain team released a promotional video for Four.meme featuring test tokens, which CZ shared with a “Happy Trading” remark. While CZ downplayed the post, FOMO took over. DEX volume on BNB Chain tripled briefly, although only 10 tokens were launched that week on Four.meme.
CZ then tweeted curiosity about meme coins centered on pets. After revealing his pet dog “Broccoli,” the community rushed to create thousands of “Broccoli” tokens. But with no official project from CZ, the flood of similarly named tokens scattered investor interest and diluted traction—no single “leader” emerged.
The “Broccoli” episode made one thing clear: meme coins need more than just hype—they need structure and strategic direction. In response, BNB Chain began offering liquidity support to top meme projects and launched a second liquidity round. In March, it also began testing the Pascal hard fork to address malicious MEV extraction and other systemic issues.
More importantly, meme trends are no longer solely driven by CZ. BNB Chain meme tokens are gaining autonomy, with new styles like the hand-drawn *URLS-BUBB_USDT* on the rise. This marks a new chapter: a more mature, diversified, and self-sustaining meme coin ecosystem on BNB Chain.
5. MEXC Exchange: The Go-To Platform for Investors
MEXC recently launched DEX+, the market’s first hybrid product combining CEX and DEX features. It enables seamless on-chain and off-chain trading from a single platform and currently supports both Solana and BNB Chain—with more ecosystems on the way.
DEX+ gives investors an edge in emerging projects while reducing both transaction and time costs. MEXC’s fast listing mechanism ensures early access to trending tokens, and its optimized system offers low fees and high liquidity, creating a more stable and affordable trading experience.
In short, MEXC stands out with its innovation and investor-first approach. Whether you're looking to invest in Ghibli-style meme tokens or other up-and-coming crypto projects, MEXC provides a reliable, efficient, and user-friendly platform.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this material does not constitute advice on investment, taxation, legal, financial, accounting, or any other related services, nor does it serve as a recommendation to purchase, sell, or hold any assets. MEXC Learn offers this information for reference purposes only and does not provide investment advice. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved and exercise caution when investing. MEXC is not responsible for users' investment decisions.