Chill Guy Meme Storm: From TikTok Trending Meme to a Multi-Million Dollar Market Cap Token

A trader bought approximately $40 worth of Chill Guy tokens during the initial launch, and if held until now, these tokens would be worth over $10 million. Due to selling too early, this trader missed out on the wealth celebration.

As of mid-December 2025, Chill Guy’s market capitalization experienced extreme fluctuations, falling from a peak of several hundred million dollars to about $19 million.

01 The Birth and Spread of Cultural Genes

The story of Chill Guy began in 2023 when artist Philip Banks created a cartoon dog character wearing a gray sweater, blue jeans, and red sneakers.

The character has hands casually in pockets and a calm smile on its face. Banks described it as “a laid-back guy who doesn’t care about anything.” This simple yet profound character design perfectly captures the common mindset of contemporary young people facing life pressures.

When this image was uploaded to social platforms like TikTok, it quickly went viral. Users combined Chill Guy’s Zen attitude with everyday scenarios, creating various humorous content.

From “Failed the exam? Hang out” to “Work stress? Relax,” the stark contrast between high-pressure situations and Chill Guy’s nonchalant attitude deeply resonated with Generation Z’s sense of humor and coping mechanisms. In just two months, related videos accumulated over 20 million views.

02 From Internet Meme to Crypto Phenomenon

As Chill Guy gained enough popularity on social media, sharp observers in the crypto world seized this cultural phenomenon. On October 6, 2024, the $CHILLGUY token based on the Solana blockchain was officially deployed.

The token’s surge was swift and unexpected. In late November 2024, a series of events propelled $CHILLGUY to meteoric rises.

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele posted a Chill Guy meme on Twitter, without any caption, which received nearly 80,000 likes within hours. Soon after, Elon Musk also joined the frenzy. Although he did not directly endorse the token, his influence further boosted its visibility.

The most telling data of this craze: $CHILLGUY ’s market cap skyrocketed from $10 million to $580 million in a short period. At its peak, its market cap even briefly exceeded $600 million, with daily trading volume surpassing $100 million.

Compared to other meme coins, Chill Guy’s growth rate is astonishing. PNUT took 11 days to reach 60,000 holders, while Chill Guy attracted 80,000 holders in just 4 days.

03 Market Performance and Latest Data

According to Gate data as of December 17, 2025, the current price of Chill Guy is $0.018. Compared to the previous day, the price increased slightly by 1.58%.

At this price, Chill Guy’s total market cap is approximately $18 million. This is a significant decline from its all-time high—Chill Guy’s highest price was $0.768.

Currently, Chill Guy has a circulating supply of 999,947,505.02 tokens, close to its maximum supply of 1 billion tokens. On the Gate platform, users can trade CHILLGUY/USDT spot and perpetual contracts. As of the latest data, the spot trading price is $0.018.

In terms of market ranking, Chill Guy is around 700th globally among cryptocurrencies, reflecting its relative position in the broad crypto market.

04 Controversies and Challenges: Shadows of Copyright

With the success of Chill Guy tokens, controversies also arose. Original artist Philip Banks expressed dissatisfaction over unauthorized use of his work and has applied for copyright protection for the Chill Guy image, planning legal action against unauthorized commercial use.

Banks even stated at one point, “I’ve had enough of the negative vibes around crypto and decided to step back from Twitter for now.”

More complex disputes revolve around the originality of the image itself. Rumors suggest that the main image of Chill Guy may have been plagiarized from a Thai or Vietnamese promotional booklet from years ago.

Although these claims have not been confirmed, and Banks himself hinted on Instagram that these allegations might be based on forged images, the controversy has already impacted the token’s price, causing $CHILLGUY ’s price to temporarily drop by 50%.

Notably, the controversy surrounding Chill Guy has also spawned new meme tokens like RELAXBOY and CHILLDOG, which experienced intense volatility in a short period.

05 Future Outlook: Beyond Meme Potential

Despite the challenges, Chill Guy still demonstrates potential beyond being just a meme token. The project’s mission is to spread the art of staying calm in a chaotic world, helping people discover mindfulness and find inner peace.

Technologically, Chill Guy is built on the Solana blockchain, benefiting from its high speed and low costs. This technical foundation ensures efficient trading and a better user experience.

Community-wise, Chill Guy has a strong holder base. According to SOLSCAN, it has 142,988 holders. This community support is one of the key factors enabling meme coins to persist.

In the future, the Chill Guy team plans to expand its ecosystem, including developing decentralized applications, adding more practical features, and collaborating with other projects. Even more interestingly, the team is exploring the development of a “Chill Metaverse,” allowing users to immerse themselves in a virtual Chill world.

Future Outlook

On the Gate trading page, the CHILLGUY price chart mirrors the volatile nature of the crypto market itself—full of dramatic peaks and valleys. One investor bought tokens with only $22,134 and ultimately made a $760,000 profit, realizing a true “sit back and win” story.

Meanwhile, an early investor bought 30 million tokens with 1 SOL (about $40). At the peak, selling could have yielded $10 million, but due to selling too early, they only gained 0.6 SOL. The opportunities and risks of the crypto market are vividly reflected in this lazy meme coin.

The price of Chill Guy tokens may continue to fluctuate with market sentiment, but the internet cultural phenomenon behind it has already been deeply imprinted in crypto history.