Artist, Grizzle, created the Trencher character as a hand drawn mascot for the crypto “trenches.” The drawing went viral, catching the attention of the crypto community, as well as Alon, the co-founder of popular memecoin launchpad, PumpFun. This inspired a deployer to launch an unaffiliated token called $trencher. Instead of opposing the token like many artists do, Grizzle took a different approach and chose to embrace the community that had formed around her art.

She has since registered the character as copyrighted IP, created over 600 pieces of art, secured an official partnership with PumpFun, launched an animated series, hosts weekly livestreams, and continues to expand the Trencher brand.

Trencher is a compelling narrative of a small artist who took the major setback of having her artwork stolen, and used it as an opportunity to grow. The token creator fees allow her to support herself as an artist, giving her the time and freedom to continue creating Trencher content. With “creator economies” emerging as a major narrative, the story of Grizzle and Trencher stands out. An art movement that started in the most unexpected of ways, led by an artist who never expected to find herself at the center of it all.