Are these new “Made in USA” coins such as Worldcoin (WLD), Pi Network (PI), and Movement (MOVE) really the future of finance? Or are they just another series of hype bubbles ready to pop. There has been a cloud of enthusiasm surrounding them, especially during the third week of May. This buzz isn’t the result of organic market adoption—it’s being created. The reality is much worse than what the advertising puffery would lead you to expect. It's all about the whales.

Whales Control The Crypto Narrative?

Forget decentralization. Never mind the dream of a financial system made accessible to all. Dig deeper into the on-chain data, and you’ll spot the violent hand of whale manipulation slammed all over these coins. First, let’s take on the concentrated ownership that leads to these huge buy and sell orders that jolt markets. The governance structures are usually Potemkin villages; however, an elaborate facade of decentralization where the whales actually call all the shots.

Consider Worldcoin. It's getting positive momentum... but all that money—how much of it is real, and how much is just smoke and mirrors? Those rumors of OpenAI integration? Sure they’re catnip for retail investors, but who’s the one actually pocketing that next-minute price spike that inevitably follows? The whales who bought up WLD long before the hype train left dock.

Pi Network? A speculative surge driven by… what exactly? Hope? This is a speculative, future value reliant coin. The problem? Its value is more based on the network effect that continues almost by default. It hinges on Pi Network’s capacity to deliver on its commitments. What happens when the music stops? And who will be holding the bag? Likely no to the whales, if they blew town already having taken their profits. And don’t even get me started on the token unlock – easily the most classic whale exit strategy.

Movement (MOVE), a very different animal, is still shaking off sordid scandals. Even this recovery is still entirely powered by whale investment, and therefore, their confidence in the coin’s future. Is the project really trustworthy? Or are we seeing a carefully crafted PR campaign to restore confidence and allow insiders to quietly recover their investments?

Governance: Real or Just Illusion?

The real surprise isn’t the whale activity itself, but clearly ineffectual governance that would collectively prevent manipulation from occurring. After all, these “Made in USA” coins are meant to promote American values, such as fairness and transparency. But where's the oversight? Where's the accountability?

Providing the projects with a meaningful and sustainable governance structure will take some significant innovation. Are they really as decentralized as they claim in their marketing brochures, or actually controlled by a few insiders? Are there safeguards to stop whales from artificially moving the market? Are there robust consumer protections to keep average investors from getting skinned?

The cold hard truth is, virtually all of these governance models are window dressing. They’re meant to provide some false sense of community control, to distract from the fact that the whales are still swanning around, chaotically free, doing whatever they want. It’s a textbook example of regulatory arbitrage, taking advantage of loophole in our system to profit off the backs of others.

American Values... Or Just Loopholes?

Beyond the advertising gimmick, this “Made in USA” label is your leverage point. We protest, as Americans, because we expect a higher standard of integrity and fairness. Are these coins truly delivering on that promise or are they just taking advantage of the free money to enrich themselves?

As a result, the increasing regulatory scrutiny that Worldcoin has recently faced in Kenya and Indonesia ought to serve as an alarm bell. It’s a positive development and an indicator that governments are moving in the right direction by focusing on the potential risks of these largely unregulated cryptocurrencies. Regulatory action alone isn’t enough. We need to hold them to an even higher standard of transparency and accountability for the success of these projects.

My guess is that the answer lies in the combination of both. Its promise is incredible. Yet a dozen billionaires and their enablers are suffocating it with self-serving poison instead of allowing Congress to create a better business and residential future.

  • Are these coins truly beneficial to society, or are they just vehicles for speculation and wealth transfer?
  • Are they adhering to American values of fairness and transparency, or are they exploiting loopholes in the regulatory system?
  • Are they promoting innovation and economic growth, or are they creating new opportunities for fraud and abuse?

At the end of the day, the state of your financial well-being rests on knowing how these dynamics work. Don't fall for the hype. Do your own research. And for the love of everything holy, beware the next shilled cryptocurrency that claims to make you a millionaire overnight. In the crypto world, as in life, skepticism is healthy. As the old saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it likely is! The whales are watching, are you?

Ultimately, your financial well-being depends on understanding these dynamics. Don't fall for the hype. Do your own research. And be very, very careful about investing in any cryptocurrency that promises easy riches. Because in the world of crypto, as in life, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The whales are watching, are you?