Share this text
Meet András Arató, higher referred to as Cover the Ache Harold—a Hungarian engineer who by no means deliberate to develop into an web star.
What began as a easy inventory photograph session was a worldwide phenomenon, and now Harold is making waves within the crypto world together with his very personal memecoin, $PAIN.
The delivery of a meme
Whereas on vacation, Harold snapped some informal trip images. A photographer noticed his potential and invited him for a inventory photograph shoot.
Quickly, his images have been in all places.
![](https://i0.wp.com/static.cryptobriefing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/07012845/838268-scaled.jpg?w=696&ssl=1)
However individuals observed one thing surprising: his compelled smile appeared to cover a deeper ache.
Round 2011, on-line communities started so as to add humorous captions and tragic backstories, and “Cover the Ache Harold” was born.
Rise to meme fame
The meme rapidly unfold throughout Fb, Reddit, 4chan, and Imgur.
By 2016, Harold had revealed his true self to the world, and in 2020, he was topped Imgur’s “Meme of the Decade,” even outshining legends like Grumpy Cat.
![](https://i0.wp.com/static.cryptobriefing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/07013242/GbKI1b9WcAEVW6N-1.jpg?w=696&ssl=1)
Embracing fame
At first, Harold wasn’t too thrilled about his unintended fame. However quickly, he embraced his position as an web icon.
From TV appearances to model offers with Coca-Cola and Vodafone—and even a TED speak—Harold turned a meme right into a full-blown profession.
![](https://i0.wp.com/static.cryptobriefing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/07013123/Waking-up-as-a-meme-hero-_-Andras-Arato-_-TEDxKyiv-0-38-screenshot-1-1.jpg?w=696&ssl=1)
No $PAIN, no acquire
In 2025, Harold stepped into the crypto scene by launching $PAIN, the official memecoin impressed by his personal meme legacy.
Regardless of a significant market shake-up, the $PAIN presale raised almost 185,976 SOL (about $40M) in simply 48 hours—a record-breaking achievement.
Expensive Folks in Ache,
Thanks for the overwhelming assist! We’re painfully completely happy to share that we’ve raised 185,976 $SOL in 48 hours—greater than every other memecoin presales in USD worth.
However there isn’t a means that we’d like a lot to launch $PAIN.$PAIN is the official memecoin… pic.twitter.com/NKe0oHAamb
— PAIN (@ache) February 5, 2025
And right here’s the twist: Harold refunded 80% of the funds raised, a transfer that constructed belief and set a brand new normal within the meme coin world.
As he put it, this coin isn’t right here so as to add extra ache to your portfolio—it’s a playful nod to life’s ups and downs.
In March 2024, meme cash plummeted following a Bitcoin flash crash that dramatically affected the broader crypto market.
Final month, the Doodles NFT model co-founder launched the Poop Token, with two wallets buying 38% of the preliminary provide, sparking insider buying and selling issues.
In July 2024, meme cash like BONK and Brett soared in worth regardless of a downturn in Bitcoin’s efficiency attributable to market turbulence.
In November 2024, the “Chill Man” meme coin confronted authorized challenges from its creator over unauthorized use after gaining reputation by way of viral success.
Earlier this 12 months, the Solana meme coin ecosystem noticed report buying and selling volumes, fueled by tokens like Dogwifhat and Bonk, together with strong neighborhood engagement and social media hype.
Share this text