The SEA token launch coincides with OpenSea’s OS2 revamp. The crypto space is also buzzing with the rise of Broccoli-themed meme coins on Solana and BNB Chain, after a viral post by Binance founder CZ. Meme coin trading activity surged, and propelled BNB’s price and PancakeSwap’s trading volume. Meanwhile, Kanye West recently revealed that he turned down a $2 million offer to promote a fraudulent crypto scheme. OpenSea Announces SEA Token OpenSea, the leading NFT marketplace, is preparing to launch its own project token, SEA, according to an announcement by the OpenSea Foundation on Feb. 13. While the foundation did not provide a specific timeline for the token launch, it confirmed that SEA will be available in various countries, including the United States. The allocation of the token will be influenced by users’ historical engagement with the platform rather than just recent activity. This move is happening at a time of shifting regulatory dynamics in the US under President Donald Trump’s administration. Since Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, his pro-crypto stance started a big shift in the regulatory landscape. He pledged to position the United States as the “world’s crypto capital” and nominated industry-friendly figures to lead key financial regulators. OpenSea previously faced legal scrutiny, with lawsuits and regulatory inquiries questioning whether NFTs traded on its platform qualified as unregistered securities. Fungible tokens, like SEA, have historically faced even more intense regulatory scrutiny. While the probe into OpenSea is still unresolved for now, the recent change in regulatory leadership suggests a potential easing of enforcement actions against crypto firms. The SEA token launch coincides with OpenSea’s rollout of OS2, which is a completely redesigned version of the platform. In a post on X, OpenSea CEO Devin Finzer described OS2 as a “brand new OpenSea built from the ground up.” OpenSea operates on more than ten blockchain networks, and accumulated nearly $1 billion in fee revenue since its launch in 2017, according to Dune Analytics . The broader revamp includes restoring locked items and delisted collections, as well as removing certain bans that previously restricted user activity. Finzer acknowledged that the NFT bull market altered OpenSea’s direction and pushed the platform toward a more corporate and risk-averse approach. He believes the changes represent a “complete reset” that is more focused on user experience and decentralization. PENGU market cap since launch (Source: CoinGecko ) OpenSea’s announcement was made after the December launch of PENGU , the project token for the Pudgy Penguins NFT collection. PENGU debuted with an estimated market cap of $3.5 billion but has since declined to approximately $680 million. While the Pudgy Penguins team has not specified a definitive use case for the token, it is expected to play a role in the project’s governance, according to Bybit. For now, it seems like OpenSea’s SEA token could follow a similar trajectory. Broccoli Tokens Take Over Solana and BNB Chain Other token launches are also turning heads in the crypto community. Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the founder and former CEO of Binance, revealed his dog’s name in a post on X on Feb. 13. Inadvertently, this started a frenzy of meme coins inspired by his Belgian Malinois, Broccoli. Within hours, hundreds of Broccoli-themed tokens emerged on popular meme coin platforms. Solana’s Pump.fun is hosting at least 480 different versions and at least 300 have been deployed on BNB Smart Chain’s Four.Meme platform. Some of these tokens attracted a lot of traction, with one Broccoli meme coin on Solana reaching a market cap of $1.5 billion on the same day. Despite the hype, CZ clarified that he was not involved in any token launches and left it up to the community to take initiatives on their own. The growing popularity of meme coins coincides with a surge in trading activity on decentralized exchanges. PancakeSwap, which is a leading DEX on BNB Smart Chain, recorded $3 billion in trading volume over the past 24 hours. This allowed it to overtake major competitors like Uniswap, Raydium, Meteora, and Orca, according to DefiLlama . DEX 24 hour volume (Source: DefiLlama ) Meme coins have been a very controversial topic, especially after the launches of tokens associated with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania in January. While some argue that these tokens encouraged a wave of scam coins designed to exploit investor interest, others embrace and actually enjoy the unpredictable and fast-paced nature of meme coin trading. The BNB Chain team acknowledged this trend in its 2025 roadmap . They are excited for the growing integration of meme-related tools in BNB Chain and pledged to continue collaborating with developers in the space. The rising interest in meme coins appears to have influenced the price movement of BNB , which briefly surged to $724.70 on Feb. 13. Adding to the intrigue, the BNB Chain team recently created a test meme coin as part of a tutorial on the Four.Meme platform. Although much of the token’s details were redacted, traders quickly identified the visible test name and speculated about its legitimacy. This led to a rapid increase in its market cap within hours. Despite their appeal, meme coins still carry serious risks as many projects turn out to be scams. Developers often execute rug pulls by leaving investors with worthless tokens. Kanye West Refuses Deal to Promote Fake Crypto Kanye West, now known as Ye, recently revealed that he turned down a $2 million offer to participate in a crypto scam that would have deceived his 32.6 million followers. According to a Feb. 7 post on X, the scheme involved him promoting a fraudulent crypto and later claiming his account was hacked, giving scammers enough time to extract millions from unsuspecting investors. West shared a screenshot with details about the plan that outlined an upfront payment of $750,000 for keeping the post live for eight hours, followed by an additional $1.25 million payout 16 hours later. The message he received explicitly stated that the company behind the offer planned to scam the public out of tens of millions of dollars. Shortly after his post, West shared a private conversation where he asked an unnamed user for a “crypto connect” that will allow him to bypass middlemen. The user suggested Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and even offered to request his phone number on West’s behalf. Naturally, this got the crypto community talking and people offered very differing takes on West’s potential involvement in the space. Crypto figure Armeanio suggested that instead of launching a token, West should use cryptocurrency to sell his merchandise. They also warned that celebrity-backed tokens often end in retail investors suffering losses. Meanwhile, Crypto Vic speculated that West is not planning to launch a token but is instead generating publicity ahead of a new album release, calling him a “master marketer.”
