Carlos Ramirez, known online as Whynne, has recently given his first interview in a decade, revealing that he is frequently approached with offers related to token supply for meme coins associated with his creation, Trollface. Over the past two weeks, the value of the Troll meme coin has surged by more than 1,050%, positioning it as the 32nd largest meme coin globally. In his conversation with Decrypt, Ramirez expressed his disinterest in participating in the booming Solana meme coin based on his design, citing concerns that the profit-driven nature of cryptocurrency conflicts with his artistic integrity. Despite this, he confirmed that he would not pursue legal action against the token, even though he had previously promoted a different Troll token earlier this year.
### Discontent with Token Offers
Ramirez described the offers he receives as a “cursed proposition,” indicating that any attempt to sell the token supply would lead to a decline in its value. He emphasized, “The money means nothing to me if I can’t sell it, but if I sell it, I crash the coin. And frankly, I do not want to be responsible for other people’s financial ruin.” When Decrypt pointed out that the deployer of the Troll token had profited over $64,000 in Solana tokens through a revenue-sharing feature, he expressed a strong aversion to engaging with the community. “I’d prefer to never interact with such people. They aren’t interested in creating anything of value,” he stated, highlighting his desire to focus solely on artistic creation rather than monetary gain.
### The Ascent of the Troll Meme Coin
In a remarkable rise, the Troll meme coin’s market capitalization skyrocketed from $16.12 million to over $184 million, making it a significant player in the meme coin sector. It now ranks ahead of various notable tokens such as Moo Deng and Melania Trump’s official token. The explosion in interest has also led to a wave of imitation tokens appearing on multiple platforms, including Bags, which allows token creators to share trading fees with users on X, previously known as Twitter. Ramirez mentioned, “If people want to divert royalties to an address only I can access, that’s fine. I’ll take whatever they throw at me, but if they think it means I owe them something, then they’re mistaken.”
### Past Involvement and Current Stance
Earlier this year, as the meme coin gained traction, Ramirez attempted to capitalize on the trend by promoting a competing Troll token on X, which briefly achieved a market cap of $14 million. However, these posts have since been removed, and the token has largely faded from view. When asked if the promotion was a result of hacking, he stated, “You could say that. But I don’t really want to speak on it. I have no relationship with any Trollcoin developers.” Despite being pressed for clarification, he maintained his disinterest in being involved with any token, emphasizing, “I’m just not interested in any kind of involvement. On basically any level.”
### Mixed Signals on Social Media
Interestingly, shortly after his declaration of disinterest, Ramirez promoted yet another rival Troll meme coin on social media, which was launched on the Bags platform. This engagement might have been motivated by the fact that the Bags token was sharing transaction fees with his social media account, unlike Pump.fun, which requires more active involvement from him. Following this promotion, the token’s market cap soared to $900,000 before plummeting by 97% to $27,833 within just an hour.
### Copyright and Legal Rights
In a previous interview with Kotaku, Ramirez disclosed that he registered Trollface with the U.S. Copyright Office in 2011. He estimated earning over $100,000 from licensing and settlements related to Trollface from 2008 to 2015, a figure that began to decline as the meme’s popularity waned. Eliana Torres, an intellectual property attorney, underscored that Ramirez’s copyright registration grants him comprehensive legal rights regarding reproduction, licensing, and enforcement. Should any crypto project use Trollface in its branding without permission, he has grounds for a copyright infringement claim, which could include demands for takedowns or financial damages.
### Choosing Not to Pursue Legal Action
Despite the potential for legal recourse, Ramirez has opted not to take any action against the meme coin projects. “I’m not going to do anything,” he stated. “I endorse nothing and I will interfere with nothing. They can do what they want.” This decision comes even as he continues to promote a competing meme coin on social media. According to Nirav Murthy, co-founder of the IP-focused blockchain Camp Network, Ramirez retains the option to change his mind regarding legal action.
### Future Focus Beyond Trollface
Ramirez conveyed a general indifference towards the ongoing developments surrounding Trollface, indicating a desire to concentrate on new creative projects. He noted that Trollface originated from a spontaneous doodle during his college years, and he has since developed additional original characters. However, he refrained from discussing these new ideas for fear they could be exploited as meme coins before he could realize them. “I have other original characters and ideas that I’d like to bring to life,” he said, further revealing that he is currently working on a video game that will not be associated with his name. “When it comes out you won’t know I had anything to do with it. And I intend to keep it that way as long as I can,” he concluded.
