Key Takeaways:
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CZ’s mention transformed meme token “4” into a tradable asset; one early investor turned $3,000 into $2 million.
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The catalyst was the hacking of BNB Chain’s X account, which led to the emergence of “4.”
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The price increase resulted from trading volume overwhelming thin liquidity, rather than legitimate fundamentals.
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Some wallets made purchases just prior to CZ’s announcement.
On October 1, 2025, BNB Chain’s official X account was compromised and used to share phishing links. Within hours, this chaos gave rise to a meme token named “4,” humorously referencing the approximately $4,000 the hacker reportedly stole.
Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, Binance’s co-founder and former CEO, later referenced this incident.
His mention elevated a niche joke into a valid market indicator, attracting attention to a new liquidity pool with minimal funds.
In the ensuing frenzy, an early buyer invested about $3,000 in BNB (BNB) into “4,” watching it catapult to approximately $2 million shortly thereafter.
Did you know? When CZ tweets “4,” he’s referring to point #4 from his 2023 “Do’s & Don’ts” list: Ignore FUD, fake news, attacks, etc. This became a community shorthand well before the memecoin appeared.
How a Meme Became a Move
1. BNB Chain Account Compromised (Oct. 1, 2025)
The official X account of BNB Chain was hacked and used to disseminate phishing links to nearly 4 million followers. The team regained control and issued warnings, while a running joke emerged about the hacker’s meager take of “$4k.”
2. A Joke Gets a Ticker
Within hours, a new token dubbed “4” was launched on BNB Chain, reflecting the “$4k” meme. Early investors began targeting a new liquidity pool that had minimal funds.
3. CZ Amplifies the Buzz
Changpeng “CZ” Zhao mentioned the event to his 10.3 million followers, highlighting the hacker’s small gain and how the community began purchasing the memecoin at rising prices. What began as humor quickly evolved into a market signal. Both human traders and bots began chasing the new ticker.
4. Initial Orders Flood In
Scanners flagged the contract, copy traders queued up orders, and retail investments surged through aggregators into the shallow pool. With very limited depth, each filled order lifted the next quote available. Slippage widened, momentum intensified, and the price graph nearly shot upwards.
5. Notable Wallet Participation
An address known as “0x872” made an early investment of about $3,000 in BNB. As interest surged and liquidity dwindled, this small initial investment escalated to around $2 million within hours.
Inside the Winning Wallet
The wallet that garnered attention (“0x872”) didn’t appear to be from a strategic investor. It put roughly $3,000 of BNB into a newly launched token and watched as the market value rose.
What transformed this modest investment into substantial profits was entering early within a low liquidity environment. In such scenarios, each new buyer drives up the price of the next sell order, regardless of whether the holder decides to sell.
Then came the pivotal moment that many investors both desire and fear: viewing life-altering numbers on the screen with minimal depth beneath them.
On-chain records indicate little profit-taking. The address maintained over 98% of its holdings in “4,” still valued at approximately $1.88 million after the first spike, thus maximizing potential upside while remaining vulnerable to a significant sell order impacting the pool.
The visuals reinforced this narrative: around $1.8 million in unrealized profit over the week.
“Unrealized” being the key term. Until an order is executed, profit and loss (PnL) remain a theoretical matter. In markets where a single sale can drastically alter prices, even small adjustments require careful strategizing. Many traders learn this through losing gains; however, this wallet opted to ride the wave for a while.
Market movements around the wallet contributed to the feedback loop. “Smart money” addresses monitored by Lookonchain began acquiring “4,” turning it into one of the most accumulated tokens on BNB Chain in the next 24 hours.
This feedback loop amplified reflexivity. As more screens lit up and copy trades executed, the early holder’s unrealized value continued to rise—until a larger trader finally tested the pool’s elasticity.
The fate of 0x872 hinged on two choices: entering exceptionally early and resisting the temptation to cash out immediately.
Did you know? 0x872 wasn’t alone. Another wallet reportedly made a purchase just minutes before CZ’s mention and reached seven figures in profit within hours — highlighting the competitive advantage that quick alerts and monitoring can provide during meme-driven surges.
When Hype Exceeds Depth
What lies ahead for the headline wallet? Maximum potential if momentum sustains, but significant risk if a sizable sell order hits the thin pool beneath.
It’s essential not to overlook the trigger: a compromised official account. Such spikes attract phishers and imitation contracts. Key lessons include verifying contracts and pool sizes, devising an exit strategy beforehand, and treating screenshots as provisional until an order is fulfilled.
Posts generate flow, not inherent value, and the exit pathway is often more constrained than it appears.
This article does not constitute investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move carries risk, and readers should perform their own research when considering decisions.
