ASTEROID Memecoin Soars 68,000% in a Week After Elon Musk's Social Media Reply

Gate News message, April 19 — ASTEROID, a memecoin based on a Shiba Inu plush toy design, surged more than 68,000% in a single week, reaching a market cap of over $100 million and generating $100 million in 24-hour trading volume. The explosive rally was triggered by two social media replies from Elon Musk to a resurfaced story about the token’s origin.

The plush toy was designed by Liv Perrotto, a 15-year-old who passed away after battling cancer. Her design flew as a zero-gravity indicator on a space mission, and before her death, she made a single request to Musk: “Can you make Asteroid the mascot for SpaceX?” When the story spread online earlier this week and reached Musk, he responded with “Will answer shortly,” causing ASTEROID’s market cap to jump from approximately $50,000 to over $20 million within hours. Musk’s follow-up reply—a single word, “Ok”—sent the token parabolic, with traders interpreting the response as confirmation of the mascot request.

On-chain data reveals significant gains for early traders: one flipped 1 ETH into $470,000 within hours, another held through 580 days of near-zero value and saw $21,000 turn into approximately $392,000, and some traders converted a few hundred dollars into over $1 million in days.

Despite the extraordinary price movement, ASTEROID has no formal connection to SpaceX and no confirmed endorsement beyond Musk’s two informal replies. The token’s sustainability depends entirely on narrative momentum, with no guarantee that Musk’s response translates into official action.