A cryptocurrency trader recently transformed a modest $3,000 investment into a staggering $2 million within mere hours, all thanks to a timely social media post by Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, the co-founder of Binance. The trader's success story highlights the volatile yet potentially lucrative nature of memecoins, which have been taking the crypto market by storm.
The memecoin in question is called "4", and it gained traction following a phishing incident on the BNB Chain. After the incident, CZ posted about the memecoin on X, which caught the attention of many investors. Blockchain data, analyzed by Lookonchain, identified the trader, with the wallet address "0x872," as one of the earliest investors in the newly launched "4" token. This early investment proved to be a game-changer.
The trader's initial $3,000, used to purchase the "4" token, grew exponentially, achieving a roughly 650-fold return on investment, ballooning to $2 million. Despite the massive gains, the trader has only sold a small fraction of their holdings, retaining a significant $1.88 million worth of the tokens. This indicates a strong belief in the memecoin's future potential or a strategic decision to capitalize on further price increases.
The "4" token's origin is rooted in a phishing attack on the BNB Chain, where the hacker reportedly gained a mere $4,000. Ironically, the crypto community transformed the event into a meme, creating the "4" token as a tongue-in-cheek response. CZ acknowledged the "BNB meme szn" on X, stating he "didn't expect this at all". The trader seems to have capitalized on the social buzz surrounding the memecoin, allocating over 98% of their crypto portfolio to "4". Data from CoinStats.app indicates that the trader's portfolio generated over $1.8 million in unrealized profit within a week.
The "4" memecoin has also attracted the attention of industry's most successful cryptocurrency traders, tracked as "smart money" traders on Nansen's blockchain intelligence platform. Nansen's data revealed that the "4" memecoin was the third-most-bought token by smart money traders on the BNB Chain over the past 24 hours, with nearly $100,000 worth of tokens acquired.
While memecoins often lack intrinsic utility, they have a history of creating millionaires out of astute crypto traders. In March 2025, a trader reportedly turned a $2,000 investment into $43 million by investing in the Pepe memecoin. However, that trader held through a 74% decline, which saw his unrealized profit shrink considerably before he sold. Another investor turned $27 into $52 million in May 2024, according to onchain data.
CZ's X post acted as a catalyst, sending the "4" memecoin on a parabolic surge. Interest in the token surged after Zhao reposted the BNB Chain's statement on the phishing incident to his millions of followers. According to Bubblemaps, another unknown wallet purchased the memecoin minutes before Zhao's post and was up over $1.5 million hours after the trade.
The rise of "4" has contributed to a broader "BNB meme szn," with over 100,000 on-chain traders buying into the new memecoin frenzy, and 70% of them being in profit. This surge in activity has also benefited the Four.Meme launchpad, which has seen its revenue surpass that of its Solana-based rival, Pump.fun.
The success of memecoins like "4" highlights the power of social sentiment and community-driven narratives in the crypto market. While these tokens are highly speculative and can be extremely volatile, they offer the potential for significant returns for those who can identify and capitalize on emerging trends.
