A profile picture change tanked a token by 86%. Welcome to crypto in 2026.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong publicly distanced himself from the $BRIAN token, also known as “Coinbase Man” or “Brian Coin,” on July 20 after the memecoin experienced a spectacular rise and catastrophic fall tied entirely to his social media activity. Armstrong stated clearly that he neither created nor endorsed the token, and asked his followers not to treat his posts as investment advice.
The CEO of the largest US crypto exchange didn’t have to do anything particularly dramatic to move markets. He just changed his profile picture. Twice.
The six-day saga of Brian Coin
The $BRIAN token launched around July 14, and for its first couple of days, it existed in relative obscurity.
