South Korea’s Altcoin Obsession Fuels Global Crypto Trends Amid USELESS Token Surge

South Korea continues to wield outsized influence on altcoin markets, with its latest fixation—$USELESS—highlighting the nation's evolving role in global crypto speculation. The Solana-based memecoin, despite having no utility or roadmap, has surged in popularity thanks to Korean crypto influencers and a rising appetite for ironic, meme-driven assets.

At the center of the $USELESS mania is Yeomyung, a prominent Korean KOL and early liquidity provider, whose wallet activity has inspired widespread copy-trading among retail investors. According to DNTV Research analyst Bradley Park, Yeomyung’s earlier success with Trump-themed coins and his conviction in holding through a 50% drawdown have made him a symbol of Korea’s emerging crypto maturity. Park noted that many insiders from platforms like Solana’s Jupiter are also holding the token, awaiting a centralized exchange (CEX) listing to exit.

Park argues that Korean traders are no longer merely “exit liquidity” but are evolving into strategic market movers. Influencers like “Bonk Guy,” once linked to Solana's BONK token, have resurfaced to promote $USELESS, though some question the sincerity of their sudden interest.

This trend reflects a broader shift in South Korea’s crypto behavior, moving beyond speculative chaos toward meme-based tokens that resonate with cultural disillusionment. Unlike XRP, which rallied 400% last year on U.S. regulatory optimism and Trump-era policy narratives, $USELESS symbolizes a market embracing transparency in its absurdity.

The rise of tokens like $USELESS, alongside platforms such as Hyperliquid and Kaia, underscores Korea's transition from a secondary market to a global crypto tastemaker. With regulatory clarity advancing in the U.S. through the GENIUS Act and Coinbase pushing stablecoin payments, Korea’s cultural impact on digital assets is proving harder to ignore.