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Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko denounced meme coins and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as “digital slop.”

“Memecoins and NFTs are digital slop and have no intrinsic value,” Yakovenko wrote on X, likening them to loot boxes in free-to-play mobile games. ”I’ve said this for years.”

The comments triggered uproar in the crypto community, with critics highlighting Solana’s reliance on meme coin and NFT activity to drive traffic, fees, and user engagement.

Crypto Leaders Debate Intrinsic Value Of Meme Coins And NFTs

His post came during a heated debate with Jesse Pollak, creator of the Base layer-2 network, about the assets’ actual worth.

Yakovenko argued that meme coins and NFTs only gain value through speculation, while Pollak pushed back, saying their creative content holds value on its own, just like art in a museum.

“The content itself is valuable. just like a painting is fundamentally valuable, regardless of whether you charge people at the museum to see it,” he said.

Yakavenko did, however, acknowledge that without meme coins and NFTs, the SOL ecosystem would not be where it is today. 

the content itself is valuable. ads are a way to monetize that value. but the content itself is valuable. just like a painting is fundamentally valuable, regardless of whether you charge people at the museum to see it.

— jesse.base.eth (@jessepollak) July 27, 2025

Yakovenko Criticized For Meme Coin Stance

With Pump.fun, one of the leading meme coin launchpads, on the Solana blockchain, Yakovenko’s comments about meme coins’ and NFTs’ drew much criticism.

“Mock your users AND post a terrible take,” said one user on X in response. 

“I’m not a huge fan of how Vitalik handled memecoins (nuking them in 1 clip anytime someone sent them to his wallet) but I find Toly’s approach much more distasteful, actively promoting them constantly while believing they’re worthless,” wrote another user.

Yakovenko’s latest reiteration of his meme coin stance comes after Burwick Law, on behalf of a number of plaintiffs, filed a lawsuit against Pump.fun, Yakavenko and other Solana ecosystem partners for allegedly running an unlicensed meme coin casino.

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