In the fast-paced world of crypto, few voices carry as much weight as Changpeng Zhao, better known as CZ, the founder of Binance. Recently, CZ gave a shoutout to Aster, a perpetual futures decentralized exchange (perps DEX) on the BNB chain, and the results were explosive. The token surged 10x in value almost overnight. But as one insightful thread on X points out, this isn't CZ's first rodeo with hyping projects—and the outcomes haven't always been rosy.

The thread, posted by DeFi enthusiast @FabianoSolana, kicks off with that eye-catching chart of Aster's price action. CZ's simple "Well Done! Good start. Keep building!" tweet on September 17 sparked the rally. But Fabiano warns: "Do you know what happened to the last tokens he hyped up? Spoiler: it’s not looking good..."

Let's break it down. Fabiano highlights how CZ often adds disclaimers to his endorsements, likely for legal cover, but his influence is undeniable. Take the example of Ronaldinho's STAR10 coin back in March. CZ tweeted about it, but the tokenomics were a red flag—94% of the supply held by the team, unlocked liquidity, and a history of rugs from the soccer star's prior crypto ventures.

The result? A quick pump followed by a crash to zero. Fabiano argues that ignoring these signs and chalking it up to "just a disclaimer" is naive, especially since the info was public.

Next up is Vana, another project CZ endorsed earlier this year. It was already down 85% when he tweeted, praising it in a way reminiscent of his Aster shoutout. (Fun fact: yzilabs invested here too.) The price doubled post-tweet but has since dipped even lower.

Then there's AVA from Travala, which CZ promoted right after his jail release in 2024. It rocketed 333% from $0.60 to $2.60 in a day, only to slump back to pre-tweet levels.

Fabiano also recalls CZ's push for memecoins on BNB earlier this year, like TST, Broccoli, and Mubarak. Most tanked 90% shortly after his hype.

So, will Aster buck the trend? Fabiano is skeptical. He notes it's not revolutionary or superior to competitors like Hyperliquid (HL). Many jumped in purely on CZ's word, which is risky given his track record. Yet, with all eyes on it now, maybe the scrutiny keeps things in check.

The thread wraps up by blurring the line between genuine support and shilling. CZ isn't running Binance anymore, so he's more like an influencer boosting BNB ecosystem projects. It seems he's keen to show BNB can outpace chains like Solana in memecoins and perps trading.

For meme token hunters and DeFi builders, this is a reminder: Hype from big names like CZ can create massive pumps, but sustainability matters. Always dig into tokenomics, team history, and project fundamentals before diving in. As Fabiano puts it, betting on one man's word is a gamble—especially in crypto.

If you're tracking similar trends, check out the full thread here for more charts and context. What's your take on CZ's influence in the meme and DeFi space? Share in the comments below!