Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (@cz_binance) has done it again. The crypto billionaire just burned $490,000 worth of meme coins sent to his donation wallet, wiping several community tokens from circulation in a single move.
Among the burnt assets was $SHORT, a small-cap meme token whose team had sent CZ 99.9% of its total supply, a stunt that backfired spectacularly. Within minutes of the burn, the token’s market cap exploded, briefly touching $3.47 million, marking a 28x surge in less than 45 minutes.
CZ’s post-burn comment? “Just cleaning up the wallet.”
Just cleaning up the wallet. The donation address only keeps #BNB. Next time, I might choose to market sell any meme coins received.
Do not send tokens to the address if you don’t want them to be sold on the market https://t.co/nvK94tyAMu
— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) November 9, 2025
The Burn That Broke the Charts
The transaction, spotted on-chain shows $490,000 in meme tokens permanently removed from circulation.
Tokens included:
- $SHORT
- $QUQ
- $SIREN
- $BNBCARD
- $XXY
While small in dollar terms, the symbolic impact was huge. Meme coin communities were quick to react, calling it the “most expensive cleanup in crypto.”
CZ, however, made it clear the act wasn’t personal, it was housekeeping.
“Just cleaning up the wallet,” he said. “The donation address only keeps BNB. Next time, I might choose to market sell any meme coins received.”
That line, “next time, I might sell”, sent a ripple through the meme coin market.
The Donation Wallet Drama
CZ’s wallet had become a magnet for unsolicited token airdrops. Meme coin teams often send massive allocations to high-profile addresses to create hype or simulate endorsements.
For months, developers have used this “celebrity drop” tactic to generate buzz, sending free tokens to known wallets and then marketing it as a “CZ-backed project.”
But the Binance founder isn’t playing along.
By burning the tokens, he effectively destroyed them, ensuring none could ever be traded, dumped, or used to mislead investors.
The move underlines CZ’s long-standing policy: he doesn’t accept unsolicited tokens, partnerships, or endorsements.
And now, his warning adds new weight, future tokens sent to his wallet won’t be burned. They’ll be sold.
$SHORT Becomes the Accidental Star
Ironically, the token that lost almost all its supply became the biggest gainer of the week.
After CZ’s burn, $SHORT, whose name alone feels tailor-made for the moment, went on an unexpected tear. Its market cap surged from near-zero to over $3.47 million, according to Dexscreener data.
The reason? Scarcity.
With 99.9% of supply gone, the tiny remaining float triggered extreme volatility, as traders piled in, chasing what some called the “CZ blessing effect.”
For a few hours, $SHORT became the most talked-about token on X before dropping in value.
Market Impact: From Burn to Boom
Meme markets reacted instantly. The price action across small-cap tokens became unusually volatile following CZ’s announcement. Traders scrambled to decode whether his next move, a potential open-market sell, could become a new kind of “CZ test” for meme coin resilience.
Analysts called it a “decentralized PR event”, where a single burn turned into global exposure for dozens of microcap tokens.
Still, the message behind CZ’s action was clear: the Binance founder wants to discourage unsolicited airdrops.
CZ Burned $490K worth of memecoins from the donation wallet, Including $SHORT $quq $SIREN $BNBCARD & $XXY
But here’s the twist: He said Next time He’ll dump them on the open market. pic.twitter.com/NSfg8HitHo
— Crypto Patel (@CryptoPatel) November 9, 2025
His post clarified:
“The donation address only keeps BNB. Do not send tokens to the address if you don’t want them to be sold on the market.”
That final line could reshape how teams approach token marketing, especially those relying on symbolic gestures to attract attention.
A Familiar Pattern, CZ and the Burn Culture
This isn’t the first time CZ has performed a token burn to make a point. Over the years, Binance has burned billions in $BNB through its official quarterly mechanism, but those are structured events tied to supply management.
The latest incident is personal, not corporate.
CZ’s direct wallet burns have become a kind of folklore in the meme coin world, a chaotic blend of humor, message discipline, and unintended pump mechanics.
Each time it happens, the internet explodes with screenshots, memes, and speculation.
This one was no different. Within hours, hashtags like CZBurn and ShortedByCZ began trending across crypto Twitter.
Next Time, “He Might Dump”
The most discussed part of CZ’s tweet wasn’t the burn, it was the warning that followed.
By suggesting he might sell future tokens on the open market, CZ flipped the script. What had once been a “free marketing opportunity” for meme projects may now become a liability.
Developers can no longer use the “CZ received our token” narrative without risk.
If they try, they may find their token suddenly under selling pressure from the same address they were hoping to flex.
In essence, the Binance founder just created the first “anti-airdrop deterrent” in crypto history, using market mechanics instead of words.
The Meme Market Takes Note
The broader meme market, still buzzing from the $DOGE and $PEPE revival, has taken note. Projects have begun openly discussing wallet policies and airdrop etiquette.
Community chatter suggests some teams may move to “opt-in only” airdrop models, ensuring recipients consent before receiving tokens.
Meanwhile, $SHORT’s wild rally, and equally wild aftermath, has become a case study in how scarcity and narrative can collide overnight.
For now, the “CZ Effect” remains unpredictable, but undeniably powerful.
CZ’s burn may have erased half a million dollars in tokens, but its symbolic weight is far greater. It’s a message to the market: unsolicited tokens are not endorsements, and blockchain transparency cuts both ways.
Meme coins thrive on attention. But this time, the spotlight came with a warning.
As one trader wrote on X, “If you send tokens to CZ now, you’re either fearless or finished.”
And given his latest stance, next time, he’ll dump them, the market might finally listen.
Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services.
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Source: https://nulltx.com/cz-burns-490k-in-meme-coins-warns-hell-sell-the-next-batch-sent-to-his-wallet/