YZY Money is a cryptocurrency project and payment ecosystem launched by the artist Kanye West, also known as Ye. The project, which includes the YZY token, Ye Pay, and the YZY Card, was introduced on the Solana blockchain on August 21, 2025, with the stated goal of merging cryptocurrency with everyday financial transactions. ^{[1] [6]}

Overview

YZY Money was announced by Kanye West through a post on the social media platform X, where he stated, "Yeezy Money is here … A new economy, built on chain." The project is described on its official website as a "concept to put you in control, free from centralized authority." The ecosystem consists of three primary components: the YZY token, a payment processor named Ye Pay, and a non-custodial debit card called the YZY Card. The project aims to provide tools for transacting and spending digital assets with a focus on reducing fees for merchants. ^{[2] [3] [7]}

The launch generated significant immediate interest in the cryptocurrency market. The YZY token was minted on the Solana blockchain, a platform known for its high transaction speeds and low costs, which has become a popular choice for new token launches, particularly memecoins. Following the announcement, the token's market capitalization briefly reached a peak of over $3 billion before experiencing a sharp decline. The project's documentation outlines specific technical features, such as an anti-sniping mechanism to promote fair distribution and a transparent vesting schedule for tokens allocated to its parent entity. ^{[9] [1] [8]}

Despite the high-profile launch, the project was immediately met with controversy and concerns over its structure and trading activity. ^[10] On-chain data revealed strong evidence of insider trading, with several wallets acquiring large amounts of the token before the public announcement. ^[9] For instance, one wallet reportedly used approximately $450,000 to buy 1.29 million YZY tokens and later sold a portion for a profit of over $1.5 million. ^[10] This activity contradicted the stated purpose of the project's anti-sniping measures. Further analysis showed a high concentration of ownership, with the top four wallets controlling nearly 80% of the total supply, and insiders allegedly holding 94% of the supply before distribution. ^{[11] [12]} Additional risks were highlighted by observers. The token's liquidity pool was created with only YZY tokens, rather than being paired with a stablecoin like USDC. This single-sided setup allows developers to add or remove liquidity in a way that can manipulate the price and poses a significant risk to retail investors. ^[10] An analysis from the platform Rugcheck.xyz, cited by CoinGecko, also indicated that the token's smart contract allows the creator to make significant changes, such as altering contract metadata, disabling sales, modifying fees, or minting an unlimited number of new tokens. ^[4] Initial reports mentioned speculation that West's X account may have been compromised or that a promotional video was a deepfake, though these suspicions were countered by the appearance of YZY as a payment option on West's official website. ^{[11] [1] [7]}

Disclaimer

The official YZY Money website includes a disclosure stating that the YZY token is intended to function as an "expression of support for and engagement with" the ideals represented by the brand. It clarifies that the token is not intended to be an investment opportunity. ^[7]

History

The YZY Money project was officially launched on August 21, 2025. Kanye West made the announcement via his official account on X (formerly Twitter), where he shared a video and an image showing the token's contract address and a link to its website. ^{[1] [5] [7]} The launch marked a notable shift from West's previous public stance on cryptocurrency. In February 2025, he had stated he would not launch a token, claiming they "prey on the fans with hype." ^[10] Around the same time, in since-deleted social media posts, he also claimed to have turned down a $2 million offer to promote a fraudulent token, stating it was an attempt to "scam the public out of tens of millions of dollars." ^[11] The token became available for trading on decentralized exchanges on the Solana network, primarily through liquidity pools on platforms like Meteora. ^{[2] [7]}

The market's reaction was immediate and volatile. Within just 40 minutes of its launch, the token's market capitalization skyrocketed to a peak of over $3 billion. ^{[9] [12]} This initial surge, which saw the price jump by nearly 6,800% to a high of $3.16, was followed by a sharp decline. ^[10] The token's value crashed by nearly 70% from its peak as insider sales and structural concerns emerged, with its market cap falling to around $1.05 billion. ^{[11] [9]} Despite the volatility, its 24-hour trading volume exceeded $290 million, indicating a high level of initial trading activity. ^{[4] [8]}

Technology

Blockchain

The YZY token and its associated ecosystem are built on the Solana blockchain. All YZY tokens are minted on Solana, leveraging its network for transactions. The official contract address for the YZY token is DrZ26cKJDksVRWib3DVVsjo9eeXccc7hKhDJviiYEEZY. ^[2]

Anti-Sniping Mechanism

To counteract automated trading bots, known as "snipers," that often dominate new token launches, the project implemented an anti-sniping system. According to the project's documentation, 25 different contract addresses for the YZY token were deployed simultaneously. Only one of these was randomly selected as the official contract for the token launch. This method was designed to reduce the effectiveness of bots attempting to purchase tokens ahead of the general public by creating a 1-in-25 chance of targeting the correct contract. ^{[1] [2]} However, despite this measure, on-chain analysis from platforms like Lookonchain suggested that several insider wallets had prior knowledge of the correct contract address. This evidence of insider trading, which allowed select wallets to profit significantly, directly contradicted the stated goal of the anti-sniping mechanism to promote a fair launch. ^{[10] [8]}

Vesting Protocol

For tokens allocated to Yeezy Investments LLC, the project utilizes Jupiter Lock, an open-source and audited protocol on the Solana network. This protocol facilitates the on-chain locking and distribution of tokens according to a pre-defined schedule. The vesting schedule is transparent and can be verified publicly on the blockchain. The tokens are released over a 24-month period following initial cliff periods of 3, 6, and 12 months for different tranches. ^[2]

Tokenomics

The YZY token has a maximum supply of 1 billion tokens. The distribution, referred to as "YZYNOMICS" in official materials, is allocated across public availability, liquidity provision, and vested portions for the project's managing entity. ^[4]

The allocation is structured as follows:

• Public Supply: 20%
• Liquidity: 10%
• Yeezy Investments LLC: 70%
  • 30% is subject to a 3-month cliff followed by a 24-month vesting period.
  • 20% is subject to a 6-month cliff followed by a 24-month vesting period.
  • 20% is subject to a 12-month cliff followed by a 24-month vesting period.

This distribution model ensures that a majority of the tokens held by the parent entity are released gradually over time, a common practice intended to align long-term interests and prevent sudden market impacts. ^[2]

Ecosystem

The YZY Money project encompasses more than just the token, outlining a broader financial ecosystem. ^[3]

YZY Token

The YZY token is the native currency that powers transactions within the YZY Money ecosystem. It is tradable on Solana-based decentralized exchanges, with the official liquidity pool established on Meteora under the address DQ9weJhfiU4iL5LUoeshDrm5KxDHCMiSbnnKJz7buMcf. ^[2]

Ye Pay

Ye Pay is a payment processor designed for merchants. It allows businesses to accept payments in both cryptocurrency and traditional credit cards. The stated goal of Ye Pay is to offer transaction fees lower than the standard 3.5% typically charged by conventional payment platforms. The service is intended for seamless integration into merchant websites and applications to provide a streamlined checkout process for consumers. ^{[3] [6]}

YZY Card

The YZY Card is a non-custodial debit card that enables users to spend YZY and stablecoins like USDC and USDT at millions of merchants worldwide. As a non-custodial tool, it allows users to spend their digital assets directly from their own wallets without needing to convert them to fiat currency through an intermediary. This gives users greater control over their holdings. The card can be loaded with assets from any non-custodial wallet, offering flexibility in how it is funded. ^{[3] [2] [6]}