BNB News Today: "Trader's 650X Meme Coin Win: A House of Cards Built on Social Media Hype"

A cryptocurrency trader achieved a 650-fold return on investment, converting a $3,000 stake into approximately $2 million within hours after Binance co-founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao amplified a BNB Chain memecoin on social media. The trader, identified via wallet address "0x872," acquired the newly launched "4" ($4) token in the aftermath of a phishing attack on the BNB Chain, where the hacker initially profited $4,000 before the community transformed the incident into a meme. Zhao's post to his 8.9 million X followers highlighted the event, stating, "Interestingly, after the hacker dumped ALL his tokens for a $4k gain, the community took over and bought the meme coin higher, as a mock to the hacker" title1^[1]. Blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain reported that the trader retained 98% of their holdings, with $1.88 million still unrealized title2^[2].

The "4" memecoin's surge was further fueled by coordinated buying activity. Minutes before Zhao's post, an unknown wallet purchased a large batch of the token, which appreciated to over $1.5 million in value within hours, according to data from visualization platform Bubblemaps title3^[3]. Smart money traders, tracked by Nansen, also entered the market, acquiring nearly $100,000 worth of the token within 24 hours, making it the third-most-bought asset on the BNB Chain title4^[4]. CoinStats data revealed the trader's portfolio generated $1.8 million in unrealized gains over the past week, underscoring the token's extreme volatility and speculative nature title5^[5].

This event mirrors past memecoin success stories. In March 2025, a trader turned $2,000 into $43 million via the Pepe (PEPE) token, though subsequent price declines reduced gains to $10 million. Another investor converted $27 into $52 million in May 2024 title6^[6]. Analysts note that memecoins thrive on social media-driven narratives and influencer exposure, with liquidity and timing often outweighing intrinsic utility title7^[7].

The "4" token's creation followed a BNB Chain phishing incident, where attackers exploited the platform's X account to promote the memecoin to over four million followers title8^[8]. While the hack was short-lived, the resulting publicity amplified the token's visibility, aligning with broader trends of community-driven price surges in speculative assets.

Despite the astronomical returns, the trader has yet to liquidate the majority of their position, highlighting the risks of holding volatile assets. Memecoins remain inherently unpredictable, with gains often evaporating as quickly as they materialize. The "4" token's 500% price surge within 24 hours of CZ's post-peaking at $0.22 before correcting to $0.1363-exemplifies the sector's parabolic movements title9^[9].

This case underscores the outsized influence of high-profile figures on crypto markets. Zhao's endorsement, coupled with the token's meme-driven narrative, created a feedback loop of speculative buying. However, the absence of fundamentals leaves such tokens vulnerable to rapid reversals, particularly as market sentiment shifts.