Technology investor Jason Calacanis said on Sept. 27, 2026 that he has nothing to do with any meme coins and never will, describing the category as a “giant scam” while distancing himself from tokens that might trade on his name. According to Crypto.news, the post also carried a warning that he would never privately ask followers to buy, sell or trade any financial asset.
Calacanis framed the statement around two assets he said he does discuss: bitcoin and Bittensor’s TAO. He wrote that any meme coins sent to accounts under his control would be donated to a good cause, and he did not name any specific token or claim a named project had used his identity. U.today reported that Calacanis added that “for the truly gullible” he would never ask anyone to buy, sell or trade anything, “especially on social media or via DM.”
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Key facts
- Calacanis posted the statement on Sept. 27, 2026, saying he has “nothing to do with any meme coins and never will.”
- He named bitcoin and Bittensor’s TAO as the two crypto assets he sometimes discusses publicly.
- CoinGecko data cited by Crypto.news put tracked meme tokens’ combined market capitalization near $35.9 billion, with roughly $3.55 billion in 24-hour trading volume.
- Dogecoin remained the largest meme asset at about $15 billion, followed by Shiba Inu near $3.4 billion and MemeCore near $2.8 billion.
- U.today reported that Calacanis has repeatedly poked fun at Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor, including a joking request in August to “check on Saylor” during a period of Bitcoin weakness.
A skeptic on Bitcoin who still counts himself a fan
The meme coin remarks sit alongside a consistent critical streak toward the larger crypto market. On Sept. 18, Calacanis called Bitcoin’s rebound a “dead cat” bounce and questioned how much the network had advanced in roughly 17 years, arguing it remained awkward for everyday payments and limited in native smart-contract functionality. U.today reported that an even more bearish post followed on Aug. 22, when Calacanis said a previous rally was a dead-cat bounce and that he did not expect a new all-time high soon, writing that there were more valuable things for individuals and institutions to own.
That has not stopped him from posting enthusiastically when prices move up, and Crypto.news noted that Bitcoin has since traded substantially higher, with recent market data placing BTC near $85,000 after an eight-month high above $86,000 and approaching positive year-to-date performance. Crypto.news also reported that his Sept. 27 statement did not reject cryptocurrency broadly, only separating his interest in BTC and TAO from meme tokens.
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Impersonation is the recurring problem
Calacanis’s warning about private investment instructions lands against a run of incidents in which public figures were tied to tokens without authorization. Crypto.news reported that Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev’s X account was compromised in July and used to promote a token called Vladhood that briefly reached a market capitalization near $10 million before the company confirmed the breach and worked with X to restore control.
Keith Gill, known online as Roaring Kitty, had his verified X account used in May to promote a Solana token called Red Kitten Crew; Crypto.news reported that traders lost millions after the token briefly hit roughly $12 million in market value, and that the developer acquired 39.5% of the supply across multiple wallets before selling tokens worth about $611,000. In June, several Solana tokens appeared using the identity of crypto commentator Ansem, who disavowed versions he had not created. Crypto.news reported in July that blockchain investigator ZachXBT said several meme coins had been created using his identity; he sold tokens sent to his donation address and directed roughly $41,000 in proceeds to charities.
Compromised corporate accounts have been used the same way. Crypto.news reported that SpaceX and Starlink accounts were hijacked in July to promote a token named SCATMAN, with the attacker selling holdings worth about $135,000, and that malicious websites connected to token listings displayed fake Cloudflare verification screens, with one trader reporting a loss of roughly $600,000.
Why it matters
Calacanis is one of the better-known technology investors willing to attach his name to specific crypto assets, so an explicit disavowal carries weight for followers deciding whether a token with his name attached is genuine. Unlike the Tenev and Gill episodes, there is no evidence in the Content that his account was hacked or that a specific unauthorized token had already launched in his name — a difference Crypto.news flagged. His “giant scam” label is his opinion and does not establish that any particular project is fraudulent, and the meme coin market remains a multibillion-dollar category despite the criticism.
What to watch
Whether any token using Calacanis’s identity surfaces, and whether he acts on his pledge to donate proceeds to a good cause, are the near-term tests of the statement. The broader market figure to track is the meme coin category’s market capitalization, which CoinGecko put near $35.9 billion on the day of his post.
This article is not financial advice. Crypto asset prices are volatile and uncertain, and nothing here should be read as a recommendation to buy or sell any token.
Sources: crypto.news, U.today
