As a legendary director of Ghibli Studio, Hayao Miyazaki’s works have touched global audiences with unique artistic style and profound emotions. With the late March update of OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o, allowing users to generate images imitating Ghibli style, this trend quickly gained popularity and gave rise to Miyazaki-themed meme coins. This article will explore the origins of this phenomenon, the rise of related meme coins, and Miyazaki and Ghibli Studio’s attitudes towards it.
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In late March, the cryptocurrency market saw an unprecedented Miyazaki meme craze. The source of this storm can be traced back to OpenAI’s release of the GPT-4o image generator. This tool can transform ordinary images into artistic works in the style of Miyazaki, known for its delicate lines, dreamy colors, and profound depiction of the relationship between nature and humanity. For example, users can transform their selfies into characters from ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ or ‘Spirited Away.’ This trend, known as ‘Ghiblification,’ quickly spread on X, with celebrities like Elon Musk and Sam Altman joining in, further fueling the heat and instantly igniting social media.
The launch of GPT-4o has not only allowed ordinary users to experience the charm of AI technology but also sparked a series of discussions on copyright and creative ethics. Especially when the official White House social account joined this trend, transforming news photos into Studio Ghibli style, the discussion reached a climax. At the same time, the crypto asset market keenly captured this cultural phenomenon and quickly launched a series of meme coins themed around the style of Hayao Miyazaki.
In the midst of this Miyazaki meme craze, the GHIBLI token in the Solana eco stands out. In just half a day, the price of the token skyrocketed 100 times, with a market value exceeding 47 million dollars, attracting the attention of numerous investors and sparking a frenzied pursuit of Miyazaki concept coins in the market.
Following closely, as CZ stated that he will not change his Ghibli-style avatar, similar Ghibli-themed tokens such as GHIBLICZ have also appeared on the BNB Smart Chain. The emergence of these tokens further expands the influence of Miyazaki memes in the crypto asset market. Investors are eagerly investing in these emerging meme coins, hoping to replicate Ghibli’s success.
In addition, the market has also seen other meme tokens that mimic the style of Miyazaki and Ghibli, such as Shibli Inu and Ghibli Doge, but most of them have failed to break through the $1 million market value. The rise of these meme coins reflects the rapid response of the crypto market to social media trends, but it also comes with the risk of sharp fluctuations in high market capitalization.
Miyazaki’s views on AI-generated art are clear and critical. In a 2016 documentary, after watching AI-generated animation, he referred to it as an ‘insult to life’, emphasizing the lack of depth and emotion in AI’s human experience. This viewpoint was widely cited in the 2025 trends, with many fans hoping he would take legal action.
Currently, Studio Ghibli has not issued an official statement on AI-generated images or meme coins, but given Miyazaki’s position, they may take a critical stance on this. OpenAI’s response is that its tools allow imitation of a “broader studio style,” but they refuse to directly imitate the style of artists who are still alive.
In the face of the challenges brought by the AI era, Jason, the founder of the Web3 wallet protocol Story, proposed an innovative solution. He suggested establishing a new creative market to protect the rights of creators through blockchain technology. Under this mechanism, whenever AI generates content in the style of a creator, the creator will receive corresponding rewards.
Jason, for example, said that if Studio Ghibli is paid $0.1 for each time its style is used by AI, it can earn a considerable income in just one day. This mechanism not only ensures the freedom of AI creation but also protects the rights of the original creators, achieving a win-win situation. However, this solution still faces many challenges, such as the judicial ’s recognition of on-chain protocols, the codification of ‘Ghibli style’ standards, and whether large AI companies are willing to connect to blockchain protocols.
With the continued development of this trend, we may soon see the birth of a more fair and transparent eco for the creative market.
The Miyazaki concept Meme trend reflects the intersection of AI technology, social media, and the crypto asset market. While this trend provides new ways of interaction for fans, it has also sparked discussions on copyright and artistic ethics. The critical attitude of Miyazaki and Ghibli Studio suggests that they may not approve of the commercial exploitation of this phenomenon. The sustainability of this trend in the future still needs to be observed, especially in the face of possible legal challenges and market fluctuations.
Risk Warning: The development of AI technology and changes in regulatory policies may affect the market trend of Meme coins, and investment needs to be cautious.