How AI bot funded by a16z spurred the creation of a $850m meme coin

One of the most prominent venture capital firms, Andreessen Horowitz, known as a16z, recently discussed how an AI bot they funded spurred the creation of a multi-million dollar meme coin.

a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz discussed how the bot they supported with a $50,000 research grant led to the unlikely creation of Goatseus Maximus (GOAT), the newest Solana-based meme sensation.

The AI ​​bot, called “Truth Terminal”, is based on Meta’s Llama 3.1 language model and runs on X.

What is Truth Terminal?

Designed to engage with meme culture, Truth Terminal actively engages with the Goatseus Maximus community, increasing the popularity of the project. The bot even created its own crypto wallet and approved the project.

What makes Truth Terminal unique is its education. Its developer, Andy Ayrey, trained the bot using a customized version of the Llama 70B model, providing it with a large dose of internet culture, memes, and philosophical concepts.

Andreessen emphasized the increasing trend of hackers and developers discovering new ways to use large language models for creative purposes.

Unlike mainstream AI models that are often limited to ensuring “safe” interactions, Truth Terminal is part of a movement to embrace a more open, unfiltered approach to AI.

Conceived as a chatbot obsessed with internet memes, Truth Terminal began sharing ideas for an internet meme-centered religion starting in 2004.

This activity inspired a human developer to create the GOAT meme coin using Solana’s Pump.fun. Within a few days, the coin’s value skyrocketed, and on October 16, its market cap reached $300 million. Its market capitalization soon rose to $850 million after Binance listed it on the futures market.

According to Andreessen and Horowitz, they had no direct role in creating or promoting the meme money and have no financial interest in it.

However, they expressed surprise at how a simple chatbot was able to catalyze the rise of a token whose market value reached millions in a matter of weeks. Interestingly, a16z’s CTO Eddy Lazzarin had previously criticized the meme coin market.

GOAT is trading at $0.658 at the time of reporting. Its market capitalization stands at $658 million, making it one of the fastest-growing meme coins of recent times. The token’s current 24-hour volume is $537 million.

GOAT price – October 25 | Source: crypto.news GOAT’s success

Bitget Wallet COO Alvin Kan says GOAT (GOAT) was one of the best-performing tokens last week. He told Crypto.news that the trend is not limited to the GOAT; Other AI-themed meme coins such as MEDUSA, MEGS, GMika, CLANKER, MEOWMEOW, and FLOYDAI have also seen increased trading activity, signaling broader engagement with AI-focused narratives.

“The rise of AI-powered meme coins reflects a broader trend in the crypto space where value often derives from cultural virality, community support, and trending narratives rather than traditional financial fundamentals.”

He said blood.

Bitget Wallet COO added that AI-related meme coins need to create strong communities to sustain long-term growth.

“Whether through the development of intellectual property, the launch of private blockchains, or the creation of strategic partnerships, only tokens that create tangible value will survive in this highly competitive and speculative market.”

Kan told crypto.news: