A surge in memecoin trading on the BNB Chain has resulted in a wild week for investors, with some early participants realizing substantial profits. Fueled by social media buzz and endorsements from prominent figures, several memecoins have experienced parabolic price movements, turning modest investments into millions of dollars in a matter of days.
The frenzy gained momentum after Binance co-founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao acknowledged the surge of meme coins on the BNB Chain. In a post on X, Zhao noted the unexpected activity, which many interpreted as a signal to the market. Following CZ's post, a new token called BNB MEME SZN (SZN) was launched and its price skyrocketed over 3,400%.
Data from Bubblemaps indicates that over 100,000 on-chain traders have recently invested in memecoins on the BNB Chain, with approximately 70% currently holding profitable positions. This surge in activity has translated into significant gains for some, with one trader reportedly making over $10 million. Furthermore, 44 wallets have seen profits exceeding $1 million, and around 900 traders have pocketed six-figure sums.
Several individual success stories have emerged amidst the memecoin mania. One trader transformed a $3,000 investment into roughly $2 million within hours after CZ's post about a BNB Chain memecoin on X. Identified by the wallet address “0x872,” this trader was among the first to buy the newly launched "4" ($4) token, achieving an approximate 650-fold return on investment. Despite the massive gains, the trader only sold a small portion of their holdings and continues to hold $1.88 million worth of the tokens. The "4" token was created after a phishing attack on the BNB Chain, where the hacker made just $4,000 in profit before the community turned the event into a meme.
Another trader turned a $5,756 investment in 币安人生, which translates to "Binance Life," into $1.6 million in just two days, representing a staggering 280x return. Similarly, an investor who put $3,500 into the meme coin when it had a sub-$100,000 valuation now holds over $7.9 million worth of $币安人生. Popular trader LaserCat397.eth also reportedly made $2.12 million from $币安人生 and $818,000 on GIGGLE. Additionally, a whale investor purchased 6% of the meme coin 4 for $68,600, which is now worth over $13.6 million.
The surge in memecoin trading has significantly impacted decentralized exchanges (DEXs) on the BNB Chain. Daily DEX trading volume on Binance Smart Chain reached $6.05 billion on October 8, the highest since June 2025. PancakeSwap, a leading DEX on the BNB Chain, accounted for a substantial portion of this volume, contributing $4.28 billion. The total on-chain profits from meme coin trading on BNB Chain have reached $401 million.
While memecoins have created opportunities for substantial gains, they are also associated with significant risks. Their value is often driven by hype and speculation, making them highly volatile and susceptible to sudden crashes. Investors are advised to exercise caution, conduct thorough research, and only invest what they can afford to lose.