The artist behind the iconic Trollface meme, Carlos Ramirez, has granted a exclusive IP license to the Solana-based meme token TROLL after a six-figure agreement. Under the deal Ramirez will also receive an 11% royalty on net revenue from any future TROLL merchandise.
The license is exclusive and worldwide within the crypto and meme-coin space, with one narrow exception for another meme token Ramirez previously created and monetized. Ramirez registered Trollface with the U.S. Copyright Office in 2011 and has earned licensing fees, settlements and merchandise revenue since then.
Negotiations were led by pseudonymous community lead Seal, who initially offered $50,000 before a group of about ten TROLL whales pooled funds in Solana to meet the creator’s valuation. Legal counsel Ariel Givner finalized the agreement, which was signed on August 29. Givner says having an exclusive license helps protect the brand and makes it easier to pursue exchange listings and commercial partnerships.
TROLL’s price history highlights why the deal matters. The one-year-old token climbed to roughly $41 million market cap in April, spiked to about $283.8 million in August and has since retraced to near $159 million, with more than 44,000 holders. Ramirez created his own smaller Trollcoin but has not publicly endorsed the TROLL project.
Why readers should care: securing the Trollface IP reduces a major legal obstacle for the project, clearing the way for official merchandise and helping defend against copycats. That said, licensing does not remove market risk — meme coins remain highly volatile and purchases carry significant risk.
Source: Decrypt. Read the original coverage for full details.