This past week, the social media trend has changed.

It is full of all kinds of "Ghibli-style" AI images - generated by the latest version of OpenAI's ChatGPT image generation function with one click. This retro, dreamy, and anime-like visual trend has not only ignited the discussion on platforms such as WeChat Moments, X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit, but also unexpectedly set off a memecoin capital carnival on the Solana chain.

It all started with a "Ghibli-style" prompt word.

An AI+sentiment detonation experiment

On March 25, OpenAI quietly launched an image generation function update for ChatGPT Plus users. With the support of the GPT-4o model, users only need to enter prompts such as "transform this photo into the style of Studio Ghibli" to generate retro anime images full of the colors of "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away".

This "familiar strangeness" has a natural viral transmission feature on the Internet. After users upload selfies, pet photos, family photos, and even portraits of politicians and use AI Ghibli, the social platform suddenly becomes an aesthetic exhibition hall that combines nostalgia and technology.

GHIBLI exploded as soon as it went online: market value exceeded 20 million US dollars in 20 hours

A memecoin called Ghiblification (GHIBLI) was launched in this context. In just 19 hours, its market value exceeded 20.8 million US dollars, and the increase was as high as 39,000%. According to the typical gameplay of memecoin, this "surge" is amazing, but it is often accompanied by the script of "rapid birth and rapid death".

GHIBLI is just the beginning.

In the next 48 hours, at least 20 Ghibli-related meme tokens emerged on the Solana chain, including Shibli Inu, Ghibli Doge, Totoro Moon, etc. Most of them were born on Pump.fun's one-click coin issuance platform and were listed for trading through PumpSwap.

The price of GHIBLI then fell from its high point to around 18 million US dollars, but it still remained at the top of the meme market. Behind the meme, there is a whole new set of "culture + AI + speculation" narratives.

The celebrity effect behind the GHIBLI craze

The rapid outbreak of the GHIBLI phenomenon is inseparable from the concentrated participation of celebrities in the technology and crypto circles. They used "Ghibli-style avatars" as a medium to transform their social influence into a value amplifier for tokens, completing a typical "financialization of influence" operation.

On March 26, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman changed the X avatar to a Ghibli-style portrait and wrote "This is the theme of today."

Immediately afterwards, Musk also wrote "This is the theme of today" the next day. Within 24 hours, GHIBLI's trading volume surged 17 times, accounting for 23% of the Solana chain's full-day trading volume, forming a dual-wheel drive of social and on-chain funds.

Opinion leaders in the crypto industry also quickly followed suit. Binance CEO Richard Teng, Ripple executive Brad Garlinghouse and others changed their avatars one after another and responded on social media platforms, forming a "snowball" of celebrity effect.

From avatars to transactions, GHIBLI is not a simple meme hype, but an experiment in "identity reshaping" and "credit assignment". Technology leaders empower tokens with their own IPs, win user recognition through visual language, and directly anchor this wave of visual trends in the financial market, building a complete closed loop of "social popularity-asset premium-wealth transformation".

FROM CHILLGUY TO GHIBLI

In fact, this is not the first time that the memecoin market has been awakened by a "cultural event."

Last November, the CHILLGUY token on the Solana chain soared, with a market value of up to $643 million. But as of now, the price of CHILLGUY has fallen by about 95% from its high.

GHIBLI's path is exactly the same - it has exploded under the triple drive of popular trends, celebrity endorsements, and social communication, but its sustainability still faces huge challenges.

Some traders believe that the rise of such meme coins, although short-lived, may be a signal that the market has bottomed out. Since the overall crypto market peaked in December 2023, the market value of the memecoin sector has shrunk by more than 57%, and GHIBLI's sudden "hot search" has given the sluggish market a chance to breathe.

PumpSwap becomes the driving force behind the scenes

This "Ghibli-style" on-chain craze is inseparable from the promotion of Pump.fun and PumpSwap. This "Solana version of Pump.fun" tool platform achieved a cumulative transaction volume of nearly US$2.5 billion 10 days after its launch, and promoted a number of popular memecoins to go online.

In addition to GHIBLI, ROUTINE also climbed to a market value of US$19 million, although it subsequently fell back.

PumpSwap has become a new generation of "on-chain cultural blockbuster maker" with its low threshold, strong topicality, and near-real-time on-chain trading experience. The popularity of AI image generation just provides a steady stream of visual IP materials and secondary creation inspiration.

From this perspective, memecoin is no longer just a vulgar clone of "Dogecoin" and "Shitcoin", but has gradually evolved into a financial container for on-chain cultural expression and collective imagination.

Conclusion

Behind the GHIBLI craze is a regeneration of a cultural phenomenon and a reinterpretation of the economic system.

Here, AI is not just a technical tool, but also a "fuel" to stimulate trading momentum; and memes are no longer just jokes, but anchors for community recognition and traffic on the chain.

The Ghibli style may soon pass, but what remains on the chain is a new interpretation of the relationship between AI, aesthetics and crypto-economy.

Maybe next time, it will not be GHIBLI, not CHILLGUY, but another "cultural ghost" empowered by AI, which will once again awaken the dormant capital will on the chain.

Are you ready?