Memecoins Will Return in New Form as Tokenized Attention, Says MoonPay President
Keith A. Grossman, president of payments infrastructure firm MoonPay, says memecoins are not dead but will re-emerge in a different form driven by tokenizing attention via blockchain. Grossman argues that memecoins’ core innovation was enabling low-cost tokenization of attention and redistributing value that previously accrued to centralized platforms. He compared current negative sentiment to early-2000s doubts about social media before a new generation of platforms succeeded. The memecoin sector fell sharply in Q1 2025 after several high-profile collapses, including the Official Trump memecoin (down >90% from its peak) and Argentina-linked LIBRA (which saw an 86% loss for many holders and prompted investigations and lawsuits). Grossman’s view frames memecoins as an infrastructure for social and attention economies rather than mere jokes, implying future iterations may focus on utility, governance, and fairer distribution of value. Primary keywords: memecoins, tokenization, attention economy, MoonPay. Secondary keywords: social token, rug pull, market crash, Trump memecoin, LIBRA.
Neutral
This news is neutral for markets. It signals a long-term thesis that memecoins/ social tokens have a valid technological use case—tokenizing attention—but offers no immediate catalyst for price appreciation. The article highlights structural problems (high-profile collapses, rug pulls, regulatory scrutiny) that caused the Q1 2025 sell-off and which weigh on short-term sentiment and liquidity. Grossman’s framing is forward-looking: if developers and projects prioritize utility, governance, and fair distribution, a reconstituted memecoin sector could regain investor interest over months to years. Short-term impact: likely bearish to neutral for memecoin-speculative tokens because of lingering trust issues and legal probes (e.g., LIBRA), so traders may avoid risky social tokens and favor safer crypto assets. Medium-to-long-term impact: cautiously bullish for projects that deliver genuine utility and transparent tokenomics; the commentary could attract builders and institutional infrastructure (like MoonPay) to support new token models. Historical parallels: early social media skepticism before platforms matured, and earlier crypto cycles where narratives collapsed after rug pulls but later returned with stronger infrastructure (e.g., DeFi evolution after early exploit-driven crashes). For traders: reduce position sizes in speculative memecoins, focus on on-chain signals, vet tokenomics and distribution, and watch regulatory developments and major project audits as potential re-rating catalysts.