Japan prime minister Sanae Takaichi disavows Solana meme coin after it crashes by 75%

Japan’s economic security minister Sanae Takaichi said she has “absolutely no knowledge” of a Solana-based meme token bearing her name, after the cryptocurrency briefly surged to a market capitalization of around $30 million million.

“I have heard that a cryptocurrency called SANAE TOKEN has been issued and is being traded to some extent,” Takaichi wrote on X. “Due to the name, it seems there are various misunderstandings, but regarding this token, I have absolutely no knowledge of it, nor has my office been informed about what this token entails. We have not given any approval whatsoever in this matter.”

Her statement came after the token reached a market capitalization of $27.72 million before falling back to around $6 million. Onchain data cited by Wu Blockchain showed that the top three addresses held roughly 60% of the token’s supply, with several leading wallets recording notable inflows.

This is not the first time a memecoin inspired by a political figure has caused a stir, with the LIBRA token initially framed as being backed by Argentina president Javier Milei, leading to political turmoil.

Takaichi said she issued her statement “to ensure that the public does not labor under any misapprehensions,” distancing herself and her office from the project.