You may have recently noticed some of your favorite Hollywood names suspiciously tweeting about Tron a couple of weeks ago. This included Lil Yachty, Amanda Cerny, Lindsay Lohan, NeYo, and more. Coincidentally, Tron’s price surged up 42% from 83 Sats to around 118 Sats.
Exploring #DeFi and already liking $JST, $SUN on $TRX. Super fast and 0 fee. Good job @justinsuntron
— Lindsay Lohan (@lindsaylohan) February 11, 2021
It’s unclear how much of the 42% price bump resulted from the celebrity tweetstorm. It is plausible, however, insiders who knew about the publicity stunt took advantage of that knowledge. Or simply Tron gained from a booming alt season. But one thing is for certain: with the rapid speed of crypto adoption, the truth matters. And to this point, the recent unfoldings of Tron and Doge can help reveal the truth.
Addressing Tron Rumors
Rumors spread that there was a targeted campaign to bring influencers into the Tron ecosystem with paid incentives. These rumors now appear to be confirmed. Considering the tweets only mentioned Tron (TRX), the writing on the wall was clear.
Sure enough, one of the targeted “influencers” leaked an email from an undisclosed 3rd party that offered to pay for a tweet about Tron. Marques Brownlee, a popular YouTuber was behind the leaked emails offering compensation for a “sponsored tweet” rather than accepting the shill.
Tron’s CEO Justin Sun was quick to jump in. He claimed neither he nor Tron Foundation had any connection to the tweets, and Tron has no relation to the events. It is unknown who the individual is behind the campaign. But one thing is for sure, people want the truth.
The Tron situation stands as a stark contrast to the recent rise of Doge. Like Tron, Doge has been under an equally (if not more) intense spotlight. They’ve received repeated recognition from the richest man in the world, Elon Musk. Alongside Musk, other influencers are talking about this digital asset including Snoop Dog, Gene Simmons, and Mia Khalifa.
Owning Dogecoin
The reason why people are talking about Doge is simple. It’s fun.
From the ranks of Robinhood traders to corporate elites, owning Doge and being a part of the meme is exciting at the very least. Nobody is under the impression they invested in a coin with “real-world utility,” but rather that they are a part of a decentralized joke with clear intentions. Furthermore, investors and traders realize Doge solely derives its value from supply and demand hype.
If you were to ask someone who the creator of Dogecoin is, most people wouldn’t know that it was two men rather than one. And they definitely couldn’t recite their names — Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer. Markus can be found on Twitter by the name Shibetoshi Nakamoto. His bio reads, “Original creator of dogecoin (though no longer active with the project).”
The founders’ absence from the infamous cryptocurrency is telling the world that, as Musk asserts, Dogecoin is “the people’s crypto.”
Why Dogecoin Matters
Generally speaking, the surface value of any joke is the laugh that it produces. But when a joke becomes as widespread as Dogecoin, it tends to stand for something far greater than simply a meme. Dogecoin represents an idea of decentralization and honesty, similar to Bitcoin. Absent a legitimate leader, Bitcoin continues to grow through grassroots movements. It serves as an opt-out for failing financial systems around the world. Similarly, Dogecoin has also become a symbol of decentralization. It starkly stands in contrast to some of the more disingenuous sides of crypto.
Rather than taking itself too seriously like many altcoins, it simply offers a cheap joke. It is abundantly clear that Dogecoin is not a solution for a failing financial system. Ranking 13th on CoinMarketCap, Dogecoin’s rise to fame is forcing the community to rethink where their values lie, shining a light on the other cryptocurrencies’ shortcomings.
When a platform is truly decentralized, growth is likely to be authentic, although often at the expense of speed. Decentralization is authentic. Similar to the “wisdom of the mass,” each voice matters in each decision. It’s uncompromising to a loud minority or set of malevolent actors. The silent majority will eventually prevail. With that comes a better chance for genuine support such as what Elon Musk could contribute.
Of course, we live in a day and age where anyone with a couple of hundred dollars can purchase a cameo for a cheap price and receive a celebrity endorsement, but the world is smarting up. People are starting to see what’s real, what’s trying to be real, and what’s a joke. While it may be funny that Lindsay Lohan is “enjoying Tron,” it’s not a joke people can place their values behind.
After being lied to for centuries by corrupt governments, the community wants what’s real whether it be an internet dog or digital gold. The truth holds value.