Trollface Creator Condemns Crypto Use as Art Diminishment Despite $184M Meme Coin Surge

Carlos Ramirez, the creator of the iconic "Trollface" meme, has publicly expressed disapproval of its use in a Solana-based meme coin, calling the trend a “diminishment” of artistic value [1]. Despite having the legal grounds to act against the unlicensed use of his creation—registered under U.S. copyright in 2010—Ramirez has ruled out pursuing any legal action [1]. The meme coin, also named "Troll," has seen a dramatic surge in value, rising over 1,050% in the past two weeks and reaching a market cap of $184 million [1]. The token is now ranked 32nd among global meme coins on CoinGecko, surpassing other tokens such as Moo Deng and Aura [1].

Ramirez has dismissed multiple offers of token allocations from platforms like Bags and Pump.fun, referring to the offers as “cursed propositions” due to the difficulty of selling the tokens without destabilizing the market [1]. He has also distanced himself from any further engagement with the project, despite having briefly promoted a token on X in April that reached a $14 million market cap before fading [1]. He later promoted another rival token on Bags, which saw a brief spike before losing 97% of its value within an hour [1].

While legal experts like intellectual property attorney Eliana Torres have noted that Ramirez has a legal basis for claiming infringement, he has made it clear that he has no intention of pursuing such action [1]. Instead, he has focused his efforts on creative endeavors, including the development of a new video game that he claims belongs to an entirely new genre and will be released anonymously [1]. Ramirez has expressed concerns that further exposure of his work would lead to further commodification, as seen with Trollface [1].

Although he has earned over $64,000 in Solana tokens through royalty-sharing features on platforms like Pump.fun, Ramirez has emphasized his desire to remain disengaged from the crypto community [1]. His stance reflects a broader philosophical tension between the artistic value of digital creations and their transformation into speculative financial assets. Despite being offered financial incentives, Ramirez has chosen to prioritize creative integrity over monetary gain [1].

Source:

[1] Trollface Creator Says Crypto ‘Diminishes’ Art, Rules Out Legal Action on $200M Meme Coin, Decrypt.co (https://decrypt.co/333881/trollface-creator-crypto-diminishes-art-legal-action-meme-coin)