Ghibli Meme Coin Surge Raises Copyright Concerns

The recent update to OpenAI's ChatGPT-4o, allowing users to generate images in a Studio Ghibli style, has sparked a wave of Ghibli-themed meme coins on blockchains like Solana and Ethereum, with some reaching market caps exceeding $20 million within hours of their launch. Notably, the Ghiblification (GHIBLI) token saw a rapid increase in value, up over 39,000% since its launch. The surge of these coins underscores the influence of cultural trends and social media on cryptocurrency markets, similar to earlier meme coin rallies involving Dogecoin and Shiba Inu. However, this trend has raised concerns over potential copyright issues, as OpenAI has restricted the creation of images in the style of living artists. Despite these challenges, the popularity of Ghibli-themed meme coins continues to grow, fueled by the global fanbase of Studio Ghibli and the viral nature of AI-generated art.