Unofficial Grand Theft Auto-Themed Meme Coins Surge on Solana Before Crashing
The rise of Grand Theft Auto (GTA)-themed meme coins on the Solana blockchain continues, with tokens like GTA 6 Coin and GTA Guy recently surpassing a $1 million market cap before experiencing dramatic crashes.
GTA-Themed Meme Coins on Solana: A Boom and Bust Cycle
Much like other meme coins, which are known for their high volatility and risk, these GTA-inspired tokens have plummeted more than 90% from their peak values. Currently, GTA 6 Coin holds a market cap of just $69,000, while GTA Guy has fallen to $12,000.
These are only two examples of the dozens of GTA-related meme coins that have been launched through Pump.fun, a popular Solana token launchpad. A search for “GTA” or “Grand Theft Auto” on DexScreener, a leading crypto analytics and discovery tool, reveals a long list of similar tokens across multiple blockchains, including Solana, Arbitrum, and Ethereum. Some of these tokens date back as far as a year, yet most are now worthless.
GTA and Crypto: Speculation and Rockstar's Stance
Beyond meme coins, the Grand Theft Auto franchise has been a subject of speculation in the crypto community for years. Rumors about potential in-game crypto rewards in the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) have circulated since 2021, suggesting that Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) could play a role in the game.
These rumors intensified in 2024, but neither Rockstar Games nor its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has ever confirmed any crypto-related features in GTA 6. In fact, Rockstar has previously acted against crypto integrations in its games. In 2022, the gaming studio took legal action against modded, fan-operated GTA 5 servers that utilized crypto and NFTs, effectively banning the use of blockchain-based assets in its ecosystem.
What’s Next for GTA 6 and Crypto?
The anticipation surrounding GTA 6 remains immense. Expected to be one of the best-selling games of all time, it is projected to generate billions of dollars in sales within its first year. The official GTA 6 trailer dropped in 2023, and the game is slated for release later this year.
While the connection between GTA 6 and cryptocurrency remains speculative, the popularity of GTA-themed meme coins highlights the ongoing fascination with the franchise in the blockchain and crypto space. Whether Rockstar Games will ever embrace crypto gaming remains to be seen.