Key takeaways:
CZ’s mention transformed the meme token “4” into a significant trade; one early investor turned $3,000 into $2 million.
The catalyst was the hacking of BNB Chain’s X account, which initiated “4.”
The increase was driven by flow impacting thin liquidity rather than fundamentals.
Some wallets had already made purchases just before CZ’s announcement.
On October 1, 2025, BNB Chain’s official X account was hijacked and used to share phishing links. Within hours, the situation spiraled into a joke token on BNB Chain called “4,” humorously hinting at reports that the attacker only stole about $4,000.
Then, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, Binance’s co-founder and former CEO, commented on the incident.
This single comment transformed a niche joke into a real market signal as interest surged into a newly created pool with minimal liquidity.
In the ensuing rush, one early investor invested about $3,000 in BNB (BNB) into “4,” witnessing its value rise to approximately $2 million on screen within hours.
Did you know? When CZ tweets “4,” he refers to point #4 from his 2023 “Do’s & Don’ts” list: Ignore FUD, fake news, attacks, etc. It had become a community shorthand long before the 4 memecoin debuted.
How a meme turned into a movement
1. BNB Chain account compromised (Oct. 1, 2025)
The official X account of BNB Chain was hacked and used to post phishing links to about 4 million followers. The team later regained control and issued alerts. Out of the confusion arose a running joke that the attacker only made off with “$4k.”
2. A joke gets a ticker
Within hours, a new token called 4 was introduced on BNB Chain — a nod to the “$4k” joke. Early buyers began flocking to a brand-new liquidity pool that was scarcely funded.
3. CZ boosts it
Changpeng “CZ” Zhao mentioned the incident to his 10.3 million followers, highlighting the hacker’s small gain and how the community “purchased the memecoin at a higher price.” What initiated as a joke swiftly morphed into a live trading signal. Both human traders and bots now had a ticker to pursue.
4. The initial wave of orders arrives
Scanners detected the contract, copy traders queued purchases, and retail flowed through aggregators into the same shallow pool. With minimal depth, each filled order elevated the next quote. Slippage increased, momentum built, and the chart shifted nearly vertical.
5. The prominent wallet is already in
An address labeled “0x872” bought in early with approximately $3,000 worth of BNB. As attention flooded the pool and liquidity diminished, that small investment ballooned to around $2 million within hours.
Inside the winning wallet
The wallet that made headlines (“0x872”) didn’t appear to be a mastermind. It invested about $3,000 worth of BNB into a newly minted token and, as attention grew, watched its mark-to-market soar.
What transformed a modest position into a fortune was entering early into a thin pool. When liquidity is sparse, every new buyer drives up the next quote you’d sell into — regardless of whether you actually sell.
Then came the moment every speculator both desires and fears: life-altering numbers on screen with almost no depth beneath.
On-chain traces reveal only slight profit-taking. The address retained over 98% of its portfolio in 4, still valued at about $1.88 million after the initial spike, maximizing upside if momentum sustained, but exposing the position if a significant market sell impacted the pool.
The screenshots reflected a similar narrative: roughly $1.8 million in unrealized profit over the week.
“Unrealized” is the crucial word. Until an order is executed, profit and loss (PnL) is merely a suggestion. In markets where a single sale can shift the price by several percentage points, even trimming requires intention and a plan. Many traders learn this by cycling back to par; this wallet, for a time, chose to hold.
Flow around the wallet sustained the loop. “Smart money” addresses monitored by Lookonchain began purchasing 4, elevating it into the most accumulated BNB Chain tokens within the next 24 hours.
This feedback loop intensified reflexivity. As more screens ignited and copy trades executed, the early holder’s unrealized value continued to rise — until a larger seller eventually tested the pool’s depth.
0x872’s fate depended on two decisions: entering absurdly early and resisting the immediate urge to cash out.
Did you know? 0x872 wasn’t solitary. Another wallet reportedly purchased minutes before CZ’s post and was up seven figures within hours — a reminder that swift alerts and feed monitoring can yield a genuine edge in meme-driven surges.
When hype outruns depth
So, what lies ahead for the headline wallet? Maximum upside if momentum continues and maximum downside if a significant sell order strikes a shallow pool.
Yet we shouldn’t overlook the trigger: a compromised official account. Spikes like this draw phishers and imitation contracts. The lesson is procedural. Verify the contract and pool size, script an exit in advance, and treat screenshots as mere suggestions until a fill clears.
Posts generate flow, not value, and the exit door is narrower than it appears.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
