In August 2024, Leland King Fawcette sold his TROLL holdings for approximately $1,300. At the time, the Solana meme coin had barely moved, and it looked like just another throwaway token. Fast forward to today, and TROLL’s market cap has exploded past $158 million. If he had held on, his bag could have been worth more than $36 million.
Bought for the Hype, Sold Before the Price Explosion
Fawcette says he picked up TROLL with plans to promote it through a few influencer campaigns. But after a few days of silence and no price action, he decided it wasn’t going anywhere. The project seemed dead in the water, so he sold and moved on. At the time, the token was barely scraping a $9,000 market cap.
💎 Unlucky Trader Fumbles $36 Million on Troll Solana Meme Coin. Solana meme coin trader Leland King Fawcette bought and sold $1,300 worth of TROLL last summer—that would now be worth $36 million.
— Crypto News 📰 (@btc_af) August 5, 2025
Months of Nothing, Then a Sudden Surge
For a while, that decision made sense. TROLL stayed flat well into 2025. Then in April, the coin suddenly caught fire. By July 26, it had reached a peak market capitalization of nearly $166 million before cooling slightly. That’s when the missed opportunity started making headlines.
Pump.fun Helped Spark the Run
TROLL was created on Pump.fun, a Solana-based platform that has become a go-to spot for launching meme tokens. It climbed the site’s rankings to become the ninth most traded coin on the platform and one of the top meme coins by overall market cap. At one point, it gained over 900 percent in less than two weeks.
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No Regrets from the Seller
Despite the missed millions, Fawcette doesn’t seem too bothered. He said TROLL looked like any other meme coin at the time, one of countless tokens with little sign of life. Looking back, he admits the outcome was wild but says he doesn’t feel regret. For him, it was just another trade that didn’t pan out.
Some Say He Fumbled, Others Say He Played It Right
The crypto community has been quick to weigh in. Some traders say he fumbled generational wealth. Others say it was a reasonable exit based on what he saw at the time. There’s also the quiet majority who know this sort of thing happens every week in meme coin land.
Meme Coins Are Heating Up Again
TROLL’s story comes at a time when meme coin mania is back in full swing. Solana’s low fees and fast transaction speeds have made it a breeding ground for viral tokens. Pump.fun, in particular, has seen massive activity, with new tokens popping up constantly. Some take off, most don’t, and the timing always feels like a coin toss.
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Timing Is Everything in This Game
This situation highlights how unpredictable the meme coin space can be. Traders know that even a small position can balloon into millions, but they also know that holding dead coins can lead nowhere. It’s a constant gamble between cutting losses and holding for that one-in-a-million moonshot.
Where It Goes from Here
Now the question is whether TROLL has more room to grow or if this was its peak moment. Either way, the buzz around it isn’t dying down yet. The story has already become another cautionary tale and a badge of honor in crypto circles. Everyone’s got a bag they wish they had held longer. Fawcette’s just happened to be worth $36 million.
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Key Takeaways
- A trader sold $1,300 worth of TROLL in 2024 before it skyrocketed to a $158 million market cap, missing out on $36 million.
- TROLL stayed flat for months before suddenly surging in April 2025, showing how unpredictable meme coin trends can be.
- The token was launched on Pump.fun, a Solana-based platform fueling meme coin growth, and reached top ranks on the site.
- Despite the missed windfall, the seller expressed no regret, saying the project looked dead at the time of his exit.
- The crypto community is divided on the decision, using it as a reminder of the risks and rewards of meme coin speculation.
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