Did I just father a meme coin? Well, accidentally…

Okay, I’ll tell you what happened.

Last month, I was writing an article about Pudgy Penguins — the NFT collection turned Walmart toy success story, known across crypto circles. It was a pretty normal day.

The piece was supposed to highlight how Pudgy Penguins, against all logic, had outperformed Bitcoin that week in sheer price action.

But instead of calling it "Pudgy Penguins" throughout, I used the phrase “Walmart toy coin.” Why? Because you can literally walk into Walmart, buy a Pudgy Penguin toy, scan a QR code, and unlock an NFT. It felt accurate. It felt fun. It was just one line.

That was it — the line that started it all.

Apparently, calling something a Walmart toy coin is meme gold. Within hours, an X (formerly Twitter) community popped up. Someone forked a coin. They actually called it “Walmart Toy Coin.”

And no — this isn’t a shill. This is just a first-hand account of what happens when the crypto trenches take a throwaway joke and run with it.

To be clear: I didn't launch it. I didn't fund it. I didn’t promote it. In fact, we never editorialized that phrase in follow-ups because we knew how wild things can get. But still, it happened. On that day, the newly minted "Walmart Toy Coin" was up 50%, data from DEXScreener showed. Market cap hit half a million dollars at its peak. As of writing this, it's back down to $38,000, as most meme coins go. But the community? Still hanging on. Memes are still flying.

Ok @mehabspeaks

Let’s cook! pic.twitter.com/UZJC0GLGd2

— airBart (@TipsterBarton) July 28, 2025

So... did I just father a meme coin?

This is the kind of weird stuff only crypto can make happen. The speed, the spontaneity, the utter chaos of it all. It’s funny, but also kind of telling. Anything—anything—can become a coin. A passing phrase. A tweet. A typo. If enough people think it’s funny, or relatable, or ironic, they’ll ape in. The coin isn’t the product. The vibe is the product.

We’re in an age where making a coin is easier than ever. With platforms like Pump.fun you can launch a Solana-based token in a few clicks. No code needed.

According to CoinGecko, of the nearly 7 million cryptocurrencies listed since 2021, 3.7 million have since stopped trading and are considered failed. It means over 50% of all cryptocurrencies have failed. But a handful spark. And when they do, they take on a life of their own. Communities form. Telegrams explode. Memes multiply. And suddenly you’re staring at a microculture that didn’t exist a day ago.

And while Ethereum meme coins have been on a tear lately, it’s worth noting that the success rate is still vanishingly low. For every $PEPE or $DOGE, there are 10,000 coins that never even see a chart. What makes one catch on? No one really knows. A good name helps. A good joke helps more. But timing, virality, and tribal momentum? That’s the secret sauce.

We heard you like the toys @mehabspeaks pic.twitter.com/zKJKSgkJCc

— WalmartToyCoin (@WalmartToyCoin) July 17, 2025

Walmart Toy Coin is a perfect example. It was never meant to exist. It was a throwaway line in a fun market recap. But that’s the crypto internet for you — everything’s remixable. Your analysis might be someone else’s next Ponzi. Your joke might be someone else’s LP. It's chaotic, it's dumb, and it's also a case study in how memes move markets.

Honestly, the entire experience gave me a bit of insight into how meme culture works in the trenches. It’s not about fundamentals. It’s about being first, being funny, and being fast. Communities don’t wait for permission. If they like the vibe, they’ll mint the coin. And if it pumps, even for a day, that’s enough.

So yeah. I might have accidentally fathered a meme coin. No roadmap. No team. No utility. Just a phrase, a story, and a whole lot of copy-paste culture. The coin’s probably headed to zero. But the memes? They’ll live forever.

That’s just crypto.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheStreet or its affiliates. This piece is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. As mentioned above, our team didn't create, launch, fund, or promote the "Walmart Toy Coin."