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Hassan Shittu
Journalist
Hassan Shittu
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Retired rapper and crypto entrepreneur Iggy Azalea is taking another step into Web3 with a new Solana-based platform called Thrust, a token launchpad designed to restore credibility to celebrity-led coins and curb the pump-and-dump culture that has plagued the memecoin sector.
The Australian artist, known for her MADRE memecoin 2024, will serve as creative director and strategic partner for the project.
Thrust was officially launched on Wednesday and describes itself as a “culture currency” platform, one that combines blockchain transparency with enforceable entertainment contracts.
The goal, according to its founders, is to eliminate insider allocations, deceptive promotions and price manipulation schemes that have plagued the celebrity crypto space.
Inside Thrust: Iggy Azalea’s Bid to Make Crypto Celebrity Legit Again
In the report, Azalea said she spent months rethinking how to make her own project sustainable.
“I’m kind of asleep trying to figure out how I can create some kind of real income to put back into what we’re doing,” he said, referring to MADRE.
“How can I do more live events? How can I give more to the community? How can we do more?”
Unlike open platforms like Pump.fun, which popularized Solana’s “memecoin meta” by allowing anyone to issue a token, Thrust will operate under stricter conditions.
Each project will be vetted, legally binding, and structured to protect fans and creators.
Azalea said that her new role goes beyond design: “It’s not just that I decide aesthetically what things look like for Thrust as a company, but I’m a big part of the concepts when we’re wearing white gloves to these celebrities on board. I think it’s almost like being a godmother.”
The project’s co-founder, Jake Antifaev, described Thrust as an attempt to “introduce pop culture into crypto responsibly.” He said that the company built a framework where creators can engage fans with accountability, not speculation.
“We want people who are committed to creating experiences for their fans and really want to be there and contribute,” he said.
Thrust’s first release features Twitch streamer N3on, who has around 440,000 followers on Kick and is also part of Azalea’s spin-off company, MOTHERLAND, a digital gaming casino.
Azalea’s own MADRE token will migrate to the Thrust platform by the end of the year, and she has confirmed that actress Megan Fox is expected to debut her own token at Art Basel in December.
Iggy Azalea’s push platform allows fans to buy creator tokens using Crypto or Fiat
Launching the launchpad gives fans direct access to creator tokens through a curated system designed to prevent early allocations and insider private rounds.
According to themeach launch will follow a clear process: users join a creator’s community in the Thrust app, add funds via crypto or fiat payment methods, and participate in a timed purchase window.
The tokens will then gradually become available, giving holders access to gated community areas and exclusive content.
According to Thrust, this model aims to restore confidence after a series of high-profile token collapses that have impacted the celebrity coin market.
A recent example was Haliey Welch’s HAWK tokenwhich briefly reached a market capitalization of $490 million before crashing 93% within minutes.
The volatility has reinforced criticism that most celebrity coins are short-lived speculative assets with little underlying utility or accountability.
Azalea herself has been no stranger to controversy. When MOTHER debuted in 2024, Blockchain analytics firm Bubblemaps alleged insider activitywhich claims that the wallets linked to the first investors have unloaded about $2 million of the token after the launch.
Azalea dismissed responsibility, saying she could not control how the independent holders acted.
Despite the setback, MADRE has been active, currently trading at $0.00659, up 5% in 24 hours, with a market capitalization of about $6.3 million, according to CoinGecko.
Since then, Azalea has continued to expand her crypto ventures. In June 2024, he relaunched a telecommunications company which allowed users to buy phones and cell plans with MOTHER or Solana’s native token, SOL.
The broader market for celebrity-themed tokens remains relatively small but active.
CoinGecko data shows a total market capitalization of about $84 million, with MADRE ranking among the top gainers alongside projects like BULLA and YZY.
