Here are some interesting arguments within Solana’s leadership: The Foundation’s president thinks meme money is useful for stress testing online. The co-founder thinks it’s rubbish. Both work on the same blockchain.
Lily Liu, president of the Solana Foundation, said in a conversation with Sean Farrell of Fundstrat that meme money should be understood as a “creative test” of the Internet’s work, not as a description of the environment. In its design, every commercial stir that is added is a fire drill for Solana’s foundation.
The reframe Solana needed
Liu described the meme currency as part of Solana’s multifaceted activities, ranging from fantasy on the one hand to real needs on the other. They are not accepting meme coins as a valuable currency. They say that they do mechanical work on the network, even though the tokens themselves have no currency.
Meme coins accounted for about 62% of Solana’s dApp revenue in June 2025. This is a lot of stuff that, by design, has no value other than vibes and energy.
Instead of arguing this, Liu leans in with another story. Meme money is not a thing. Solana’s ability to organize them at his level is creative.
The ‘digital slop’ counterpoint
Not everyone at Solana HQ has anything to say about this. Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of the blockchain, referred to NFTs and meme currency as “digital slop” with no real value. Where Liu sees a good place to testify, Yakovenko apparently sees a dumping ground.
Solana’s meme coin moment did not come out of nowhere. Donald Trump’s $TRUMP meme token was launched on Solana on January 18, making the network the biggest political news. Melania Trump’s meme icon followed soon after, rising to nearly $1.6B in total value. These were not hidden signs that were traded among several thousand degens. It was a topic of discussion, and they all ran on the Solana track.
Beyond meme currency: long-term play
The Solana Foundation is using a post-quantum digital signature on a testnet, a method that aims to future-proof the internet against cyber threats.
What does this mean for investors?
For anyone who owns SOL or builds on Solana, meme money should be watched carefully. A share of 62% from meme income means that the financial health of the network is closely related to memes. If the meme coin’s sales decline, Solana’s income may drop significantly.
