CR7 memecoin hits $140 mln market cap, rugpulled: ‘Crypto never sleeps, but scams run faster’

Key Takeaways

Cristiano Ronaldo’s rumored CR7 memecoin caused a frenzy before collapsing in a rugpull, showing how easily celebrity names are exploited in crypto scams.

After a whirlwind of celebrity-backed memecoins in 2024, some skyrocketing in popularity while others collapsed into outright scams, the trend is showing no signs of slowing down in 2025.

Big names continue to pour into the $4 trillion crypto market, with figures as prominent as U.S. President Donald Trump stepping into the space.

Is Cristiano Ronaldo’s memecoin being launched?

Now, the spotlight has shifted to Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Rumors of a Cristiano Ronaldo-themed memecoin, dubbed CR7, recently swept through the crypto community after multiple X (formerly Twitter) accounts began circulating alleged launch posts.

These posts, packed with flashy claims and bold predictions, suggested that the token could quickly rise to become one of the market’s largest memecoins.

However, the frenzy was short-lived but dramatic.

Within hours, the coin reportedly surged to a market cap of $140 million before collapsing just as fast.

Crypto investor Loudspotter noted that promotional tweets briefly fueled a surge to nearly $100 million in market value in mere minutes.

Why is this sounding more like a scam?

Some of the posts were swiftly deleted, and the project unraveled into what many described as a classic rugpull.

According to several community accounts, the scam unfolded on the Solana [SOL] blockchain, where influencers launched the token, drove up hype, and exited within 20 minutes, pocketing an estimated $50,000 across multiple wallets.

The incident has now been dubbed a “$100 million scam under Ronaldo’s name,” underscoring how quickly celebrity-linked narratives can be exploited in the memecoin space.

Seeing this, legitimate efforts around football-related digital assets are also gaining traction.

What’s more?

Ezzak from Messari released a research note on Football.fun, a rising consumer app on Base.

The analysis focused on the top 10 footballers available on the platform, many of whom are shortlisted for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, highlighting their current token prices, average buy levels, and weekly trading volumes.

By surfacing these insights, the report aims to help collectors and investors identify potential value plays ahead of the prestigious award announcement, without having to comb through the data themselves.

As of now, Cristiano Ronaldo and his team have made no announcements about a CR7 memecoin, with the rumor likely tied to his earlier NFT collaboration with Binance.

This coincided with Kanye West’s YZY coin spiking 1,400% to $3 billion just days ago, before crashing 70%.