How long has it been since Binance Alpha listed a Solana meme coin? The last Solana meme coin listed on Binance Alpha was JELLYJELLY ($JELLY) on February 26, 2025, nearly a year ago.
The reason $JELLY got listed wasn’t “pure”—it was related to an incident with Hyperliquid. If we set stricter standards and exclude AI meme coins like Zerebro and elizaOS that can “do work,” the last pure Solana meme coin listed on Binance Alpha without other factors was Fartcoin on December 18, 2024.
We’ve finally seen another Solana meme coin listed on Binance Alpha—$PENGUIN (Nietzschean Penguin).
The token’s story originates from a viral clip in the 2007 documentary “Encounters at the End of the World” by German director Werner Herzog. In that clip, a penguin turns away from its colony and heads toward the sea—the source of food and life.
To reach the sea, it ventures alone inland toward distant mountains, with the sea 5,000 kilometers away. Everyone knows this means hunger, cold, exhaustion, and certain death.
By the mid-2010s, this video became widely known for its “nihilistic” interpretation. In late August 2015, YouTube user Seppe uploaded the clip titled “Nihilist Penguin,” which quickly went viral and has since garnered nearly 2 million views.
This old meme has gradually regained popularity on TikTok and Instagram this year. As its name “Nietzsche Penguin/Nihilist Penguin” suggests, the keyword “But Why” appears in many viral videos and memes, with people worldwide using it to question themselves—but why am I living my life this way?
Society tells us to find a good job, get married, have children, and avoid meaningless or impractical thoughts. But isn’t the meaning of life about exploring it in the way we desire? They ask us why, but there is no why—it’s simply what we want to do. Living authentically and ignoring societal judgments is about transcending oneself.
If this meme had followed its original trajectory, $PENGUIN would have been like $NEET, reflecting contemporary desires to escape the societal “system,” pursue freedom, and awaken self-awareness. However, the White House’s use of this meme added a new layer of meaning, transforming it from a social media trend/consciousness-raising meme coin into a political one.
At 6 AM yesterday, the White House X account posted a tweet saying, “Embrace the penguin,” with an image of the “Nihilist Penguin” holding an American flag and walking alongside Trump toward distant mountains.
At 10:30 PM the same day, the White House X account quoted the tweet again, adding, “This penguin never cared what those who didn’t understand it thought.”
These tweets coincided with Trump publicly expressing renewed interest in purchasing Greenland. He first proposed this idea in 2019, and after losing and regaining power, he still hasn’t given up on his desire for Greenland.
To most people, this desire seems like a crazy delusion. The White House’s use of the meme amplifies the personal quest for life’s meaning, emphasizing Trump’s disregard for ridicule and practical obstacles, portraying his “madness” as heroic and America-first pursuit.
The accompanying image sparked widespread mockery. Netizens pointed out that there are no penguins in the Arctic, a factual error akin to Trump’s suggestion during the pandemic to inject disinfectant to kill the virus. Interestingly, many netizens elevated the image further, linking Trump’s proposal to buy Greenland with the 1867 U.S. purchase of Alaska from Russia, viewing it as America’s “Manifest Destiny”—a unique mission to expand influence, spread systems, or acquire resources.
And no penguins in the Arctic? No problem—if Trump wants it, Trump gets it. This is interpreted as Trump-style humor, conveying a “reality doesn’t matter, willpower does” spirit of human triumph over nature.
By now, we can understand why crypto players have high expectations for $PENGUIN, similar to $PNUT. These expectations align with the reality of Solana meme coins—after that glorious meme season, it’s been too long since we’ve seen a meme coin break a $100 million market cap within 10 days of deployment.
Binance Alpha listing a Solana meme coin again after over a year, purely on its merits, excites crypto players, seen as Binance reopening its arms to Solana meme coins and the beginning of Solana meme coins reclaiming their glory.
This time, we dare to dream—will we truly achieve it?
