A political parody image of Franklin the Turtle has sent the Franklin meme coin into a frenzy.

Here’s what happened: Pete Hegseth, an official from the Trump administration, posted a satirical image, photoshopping the children’s cartoon character “Franklin the Turtle” into the role of an armed drug cartel fighter. The result? In just one hour, the number of Franklin coin transactions skyrocketed to nearly ten thousand, and its market cap shot back up to $13 million.

This perfectly illustrates the phrase “story is everything.” Technology? Fundamentals? Not even a consideration. A sudden trending topic and heated debate were enough to send the coin’s price soaring. This kind of bizarre development sucked in all the retail investors dreaming of instant wealth and short-term speculative capital.

But—what does this mean for ordinary people?

Put simply, it’s a stimulant for market sentiment. When major coins are quiet, speculative funds get restless and rush into any ridiculous story they can find. It may look lively, but in reality, it injects uncertainty and risk into the market.

What’s even worse is that this kind of single-hotspot-driven surge is violent on the way up—and even more brutal on the way down. Those who jump in late are basically just handing over their money to others. The phrase “prices are highly volatile, invest with caution” isn’t just lip service—it’s a hard-earned lesson.

What should retail investors do? The core advice is simple: just watch the show.

A few practical suggestions:

Treat it as a case study—observe how crazy the market can get, but don’t see it as a way to get rich. At its core, it’s gambling, not investing.

Don’t be ruled by FOMO—feeling an itch when you see others talking about it or prices skyrocketing? That anxiety is exactly what the sharks feed on.

Protect your principal—keep your main funds in logically sound mainstream assets. As for meme coin hype? Just take a quick look.

The crypto world is never short of wild stories, but those who have the last laugh are always the ones who know how to exercise restraint.