Hey there, meme token enthusiasts! If you're deep into the wild world of crypto, especially on Solana where things move at lightning speed, you've probably heard about sniping. But if not, no worries—sniping in crypto terms means jumping in super early on a new token launch to buy at the lowest price, often using bots or insider tricks to get ahead of the crowd. It's like being the first in line at a Black Friday sale, but with digital assets that can skyrocket or crash in minutes.

Recently, Nick from Bubblemaps (@Nickybubbly) dropped a tweet that's got the community buzzing. He announced that their latest investigation into these sniping groups got picked up by The Block, and let me tell you, it's juicy. These groups are way more sophisticated than most folks realize, and the job ain't done yet, as Nick puts it.

Let's break it down. The spotlight is on Kanye West's (now Ye) YZY meme token, which launched with some serious anti-sniping measures. The team behind YZY deployed 25 different contract addresses, picking one at random as the official one to throw off potential snipers. They even set up up to 50 replica wallets to distract anyone trying to front-run the launch. Despite all that, one wallet—dubbed "Naseem" by the investigators—managed to snipe it first.

Who is Naseem? According to Bubblemaps' analysis, this isn't some newbie. Naseem invested $250,000 in USDC to snag nearly $1.2 million worth of YZY tokens right at launch. He then executed two sales for about $535,000 USDC and pulled out around $1.02 million USDC through liquidity removals from a Meteora pool. And get this: he still holds a chunk of YZY. But the real shocker? This same sniper previously turned a $1 million bet on the President Trump meme coin ($TRUMP) into a whopping $100 million profit.

Bubblemaps, the blockchain visualization pros, dug into the on-chain data to connect the dots. They identified Naseem as an "expert sniper with a proven track record," linking his wallet activities across multiple high-profile meme token launches. For instance, in the $TRUMP trade, Naseem allegedly paid an $84,000 bribe to prioritize his transaction, tried buying hours before the official announcement, and scooped up $1.09 million worth in the first second.

How did he pull it off? Naseem claims it was all on-chain sleuthing—no insider info. He and his crew spotted a Meteora address interacting with a TRUMP-USDC pool a day before launch, which they say was an unintentional leak. Whether that's the full story or a clever cover, it's got everyone talking about how deep these sniping networks go. Names like @YX, @mostxche, @slippage, and groups such as @GrandFNF and @banditoDAO popped up in connections, though with varying levels of evidence.

This isn't just about one token; it's a peek into the underbelly of meme coin trading. Sniping groups use advanced tools, shared wallets, and sometimes bribes to dominate launches, leaving retail traders in the dust. Bubblemaps' work highlights how visualization tools can uncover these patterns, making the blockchain a bit more transparent.

If you're trading meme tokens, stories like this are a reminder to DYOR (do your own research) and understand the risks. Launches can be rigged, and while anti-sniping tech is evolving, pros like Naseem seem one step ahead.

For the full scoop, check out the original tweet from Nick and the in-depth coverage on The Block. And if you want to visualize wallet clusters yourself, head over to Bubblemaps.

Stay tuned—Nick says the job's not over, so more revelations might be coming. What's your take on sniping in meme tokens? Drop a comment below!