CRYPTO 101 Podcast: Meme Coin Mania - We Called It Early: ASTER Pumps, Doge ETF Hype, PENGU Goes Corporate, & Moonbird Sells Out!

Date: September 24, 2025
Hosts: Bryce Paul, Brendan Viehman
Guests: Brian & Joe (Momentum Money Makers)

Episode Overview

This special edition of the Crypto Rundown brings together hosts Bryce and Brendan, joined by meme coin experts Brian and Joe, for a deep dive into the current state and red-hot trends of meme coins, perps platforms, NFTs, and the growing intersections of TradFi and crypto innovation. The crew takes a victory lap on the ASTER call, unpacks meme ETF news, regulatory shifts, and ecosystem developments, with alpha drops throughout for both casual retail and active degens alike.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Macro Market Sentiment & October Outlook (00:00–14:32)

• Short-term weakness, long-term bullishness: Despite a crypto "correction" and a red September, all panelists are excited for Q4, referencing strong historical performance for bitcoin and cryptos in October, dubbed “Uptober.”
• Brian’s take (03:19):

  “Just like crypto likes to do, it smacks us down a bit, wipes out leverage, but I couldn’t be more bullish. This feels like a fire sale before a new all-time high by Halloween.”
  (03:19)

• TradFi and Crypto Convergence: Joe shares excitement over rate cuts fueling liquidity, with Polymarket odds favoring more cuts (10:06).
• Seasonality data: October-to-December typically accounts for 70% of annual bitcoin growth (14:23).

2. Technical Analysis & Industry Bullishness (16:09–20:18)

• Ethereum Optimism: Technical guru Mark Newton expects ETH to move upwards (16:13):

  “One does not need to be concerned about Ethereum. It should go no lower than $4,000. I expect a move to $5,500.” (16:11)

• Institutional Adoption: Morgan Stanley prepping crypto trading for E-Trade; SEC rolling out pro-crypto regulation—rolling out the red carpet for product launches (18:30).

• Joe on Mass Adoption:

  “It’s just getting easier…products are getting better...mass adoption, I see it coming.” (20:18)

3. Regulation & New Product Risks (20:18–24:49)

• SEC Loosening Rules: Allowing rapid launch of crypto products.

• 401k Unlock: Trump’s executive order to open up retirement plans to crypto seen as a huge liquidity boost, perhaps as impactful as ETF approval.

  “It’s going to be so bullish. It’s not about if, but when.” (24:49; Brian)

4. Momentum Money Makers’ ASTER Call & Meme Coin Trends (27:26–34:19)

ASTER Success Story

• Process Behind the Call (28:08):

  • Project surfaced after CZ endorsed it on Binance chain.
  • Community trade alerts issued around $0.40; ~2x since then.
  • Emphasis on accessibility and immediate trading liquidity.

  “I posted it in our mighty networks...right around $0.40. This looks prime to rip. It’s BNB season, CZ was chatting it up...” (28:08; Brian)

• Risk Awareness:

  • Warn listeners not to chase pumps.
  • ASTER has a major token unlock, echoing similar momentum cycles (32:27–33:32).

Perp Season

• Hype for perps platforms spreading, with major names (including Justin Sun's "Sun Perps") launching.

  “It’s kicking off a kinda perps season...there’s stuff launching on Tron, Solana, Ethereum.” (33:32; Joe)

5. Base Network & Airdrop/DeFi Alpha (38:30–44:33)

• Base Token Anticipation:

  • Announcement of a possible BASE token is a huge deal, status: “announcement of an announcement”; likely Q1 2026.
  • Suggests using apps on BASE (e.g., Farcaster) to maximize airdrop eligibility.
  • MASSIVE list of airdrops lined up for Q4 (Metamask, Opensea, Moonbirds, Polymarket, Rainbow Wallet, and more).

  “I personally am eligible probably for like 80% of these airdrops, not going to sell for cash—going back into altcoins and Bitcoin.” (41:38; Brian)

• Joe on Base Opportunities:

  “You can get 11% on your stablecoins in the base ecosystem. How can you be bearish?” (43:17)

6. NFTs, Meme Brand Expansion & Crossover with TradFi (45:20–62:27)

Pengu (Pudgy Penguin) Goes Corporate

• Mentioned in New York Stock Exchange earnings call (Bullish IPO).

• Pengu as the first meme coin highlighted as a retail gateway on Wall Street—a milestone for meme brands.

  “First time ever a meme coin got called out as a way for the retail person to have adoption into crypto.” (45:31; Joe)

DOGE ETF Hype

• Dogecoin ETF launches with $20M in day-one inflow—signals mainstream infrastructure for meme coins.

• More meme ETFs coming (Doge, PENGU).

  “Just another onboarding mechanism… now you could buy this inside your Roth.” (48:02; Joe)

Brand & Flywheel Ethos

• Wrecked Drinks: Hits 1 million cans sold, launches Faze Clan collab (major gaming crossover).
• Nobody Sausage: Fast-moving, low-cap meme token—potential “next Pudgy Penguin.”

NFT-Backed Meme Strategies

• Punk Strategy: Projects like Punk Strategy buy NFT blue chips (e.g., CryptoPunks) with coin-based treasury, adding new meta for meme coin/NFT integration.

• Moonbirds: Sells $1.7M in toys in 24 hours; launching “burbs” token in Q4.

  “NFTs aren't just JPEGs anymore; they’re generating revenue with physical toys, too.” (64:29; Joe)

7. Prediction Markets Mania & Airdrop Farming (64:29–73:10)

• Polymarket, Myriad, Robinhood: Explosive growth in on-chain prediction markets—used for sports, politics, key economic events.

• Double-Airdrop Opportunities: Using Myriad on Abstract chain yields eligibility for two tokens.

• Gambling meets education: Prediction markets seen as news insights, sentiment barometers, and portfolio tools (67:06).

• Cautions: Always read market rules before placing bets (70:09).

• Alpha-packed User Q&A:

  • On airdrop discovery: Twitter/X, CoinMarketCap, and due diligence are key. (73:10; Brian)
  • On safety: “99.9% of airdrop emails or DMs are scams—verify everything multiple ways.”

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “We’re always learning—literally every time we hit record.” (01:52; Bryce)
• “It’s just another reason to be bullish. People like free money.” (41:38; Brian)
• “You gotta do the research...if these people don’t understand what’s under those ETFs, they’re gonna get in trouble.” (22:34; Bryce)
• “Airdrops are like liquidity events—free money people will likely roll right back into crypto.” (41:38; Brian)
• “First time ever a meme coin got called out as a retail gateway on a public company's earnings call.” (45:31; Joe)
• “I love the Pengu token...it’s a meme coin plus a real-world brand, a double whammy.” (50:15; Brian)

Key Timestamps by Segment

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|----------------------| | Macro Market, Correction Overview | 00:00 - 05:14 | | October Q4 Bullishness & Chart Analysis | 11:12 - 14:32 | | Mark Newton on Ethereum | 16:09 - 16:59 | | TradFi-Crypto Convergence (ETrade/SEC) | 17:58 - 20:18 | | Regulation, 401k Unlock | 20:18 - 24:49 | | Meme Coin Mania: ASTER Call & Perps Season | 27:26 - 34:19 | | Base Ecosystem/Airdrop Outlook | 38:30 - 44:33 | | PENGU ETF, DOGE ETF & Other Meme Products | 45:20 - 51:22 | | NFT/Flywheel Innovations, Punk Strategy | 54:04 - 61:59 | | Moonbirds, Physicals, NFTs in Q4 | 62:27 - 64:29 | | Prediction Markets, Airdrop Farming | 64:29 - 73:10 | | Q&A, Final Alpha | 73:10 - End |

Conclusion & Takeaways

• Meme coin mania is alive—ASTER as a case study for disciplined, research-driven alerts and community alpha.
• Both TradFi and DeFi worlds are converging: ETFs, 401k products, and legacy brands are onboarding crypto in new ways.
• Airdrop season is everywhere—being an engaged user, not just a holder, is the path to outsized rewards.
• NFT projects are innovating with physical goods and brand partnerships, anchoring long-term value beyond pure speculation.
• Prediction markets are growing, offering both fun and actionable sentiment indicators—just be careful, do your own diligence.

Stay plugged in, stay skeptical, and—true to the Crypto 101 ethos—keep learning, keep experimenting, and don’t FOMO into the top!

For more alerts, alpha, and education, check out Brian & Joe’s Momentum Money Makers group (link in podcast description).