Vlad Gorbunov, founder of the Choise.ai ecosystem, discusses the future of the meme coin space and explains how the team’s new Meme Bank can transform the industry by providing meme coins with utility-focused features like token burning and staking rewards. Real-world applications such as payments with Visa/Mastercard debit cards with custom designs.
CN: Vlad, can you give us information about the future of the meme coin industry? Do you think meme coins can evolve from hype-driven assets into solid, long-term performing assets, especially in light of recent headlines about meme money advertising cooling off?
VG: Meme coins are a perfect reflection of the new investment culture. At first glance, they may seem like pointless creations with no real value, purchased solely for entertainment or speculative purposes. However, it is worth noting that Bitcoin was once in a similar position. In its early days, Bitcoin had no tangible value; its value was based on a collective belief in its potential. This phenomenon mirrors broader financial markets in stocks or other investment areas, where public confidence helps companies achieve valuations of 100 to 200 times their annual revenues or profits.
Similarly, meme coin communities, often numbering millions of people, hold their tokens not because of their inherent utility, but because of a shared belief in the token’s future. For some, the appeal lies in the humor or ideology behind the memes; For others, it is their perceived “uselessness” that makes these coins interesting. Memes are intertwined with events and various ideas, embedding them firmly in modern cultural expressions.
So meme coins have solidified their place as a phenomenon that is unlikely to disappear anytime soon. Market values continue to break records, with price changes exceeding 10,000% since the beginning of the year. Meme coins, one of the fastest growing niches in the bull market, now rank fourth behind currencies, chains and stablecoins. The world’s most influential people, such as Elon Musk and Donald Trump, are showing that they understand the movement that resonates with the masses by adapting to meme money culture.
Market researchers estimate that the meme coin industry has the potential to surpass $1 trillion, signaling that we are at the beginning of a new cycle that could drive mass adoption. So can meme coins turn into sustainable, long-term investment tools? The answer is probably no. They are more likely to remain speculative instruments prone to generating astronomical returns. Take $POPCAT, which is up over 6,400% in 2024 alone. But this dynamic is not entirely different from that of other cryptocurrencies. Ultimately, the driving force behind meme coins is the same as any digital asset: community sentiment. One of the things that can improve the position of meme coins is utility. This is where Meme Bank comes into play.
CN: So how can Meme Bank make sure its benefits-focused approach will resonate in a market that prioritizes excitement over real value?
VG: Meme Bank’s goal is not to diminish the emotional value, excitement, or hype surrounding meme coins; In fact, it amplifies this energy by turning it into a foundation for creating specialized products that reinforce specific meme coins with practical use cases. These products offer features that enhance the functionality of breast coins and integrate them into daily activities. By doing this, Meme Bank not only strengthens and expands the use of meme coins, but also increases their visibility and investment attractiveness.
CN: Can you detail the services Meme Bank will provide to meme token holders and its potential use cases?
VG: Utility refers to a coin’s ability to perform certain functions that provide tangible benefits or support the broader economy. Take Binance Coin, which has created consistent demand thanks to clear functionality, including transaction fees reduced by 25-30% on Binance. Additionally, BNB stake holders contribute to its ecosystem when a portion of the token is redeemed, burned or repurchased, ensuring its active integration into Binance’s operations.
In the meme coin world, communities like BONK occasionally distribute NFTs or rewards to top holders, but such initiatives fall short of delivering real benefits. Acting as a crypto bank for meme coins, Meme Bank will enable these tokens to serve as functional currencies for transactions, swaps, and withdrawals. Users can even take out Visa and Mastercard cards with unique meme designs, deposit their meme money onto them, and use them worldwide for shopping, bill payments, and more.
These apps will also generate revenue through transaction fees that users pay when they send meme coins to a card or make other transactions. This revenue can be reinvested into the ecosystem. For example, if one million transactions generate $10 million in fees, $5 million could be allocated to reduce the supply of meme tokens through buybacks and burns, increasing scarcity and value. Alternatively, users can stake their meme coins in the Meme Bank ecosystem and receive a share of the revenue as a reward. Through these mechanisms, Meme Bank will foster stronger, more inclusive meme coin communities.
Initially, Meme Bank will focus on working with meme coin communities and developing custom solutions to meet their specific needs. Over time, the platform will open to wider participation, allowing any community to vote for a specific meme coin to earn an exclusive meme bank platform. Governance will be community-driven through DAO mechanisms, allowing members to influence key decisions such as card designs, transaction fees, and other banking features.
CN:CHO token will be integrated into every Meme Bank transaction; What advantages and benefits will this bring to the Choise.ai ecosystem?
VG: Resources to develop Meme Bank are provided by Choise.ai and Vault, a leading provider of white-label crypto banking solutions. They equip Meme Bank with the necessary infrastructure to enable meme banks to operate quickly and efficiently.
Vault currently supports more than 50 businesses worldwide and typically generates revenue by charging customers for its services. However, with the Meme Bank platform, meme coin communities will be able to open their own private meme banks without the need for licenses or significant upfront investments. Instead, Vault will leverage the Meme Bank project to showcase its solutions to live, large-scale meme coin communities that incentivize millions of transactions.
Choise.ai and its large community of CHO token holders continue to benefit from each of these transactions. Part of the revenue will be allocated to burning CHO tokens, thus increasing their scarcity and value. This process will happen seamlessly in the background without affecting the meme coins. Real-time dashboards will display write volumes to ensure transparency and encourage participation.
Choice.ai and Vault believe strongly in the vast potential of meme coin communities. The top three meme coin ecosystems (DOGE, SHIB, and PEPE) currently have over 7 million token holders, many of whom are actively profiting from these assets or aiming to do so. Meme Bank represents a groundbreaking initiative to further unlock this potential, expanding meme coin trading well beyond its current 11-figure volume.
CN: If you could summarize Meme Bank’s mission in one word or sentence, what would it be?
VG: Meme Bank’s mission is to be the leading service provider of meme coins, elevating their functionality while maintaining their excitement and emotional appeal.