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The Lore Behind $BEENZ

The retro token that's all about nostalgia, fun, and gains! Dive into a world where the past meets the future—$BEENZ brings back the joy of simpler times, combined with the power of blockchain technology on Solana.

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Meet Charles Cohen

The story begins with Beenz, one of the earliest attempts at a digital currency, launched in 1998 by Charles Cohen in London. Cohen, a young entrepreneur who conceived the idea while at Oxford University, aimed to create “the web’s currency”—a universal, incentive-based online currency to reward consumer behavior. Users earned “beenz” by engaging in activities like visiting websites, shopping online, or logging in through specific ISPs. These points could then be spent with participating merchants, positioning Beenz as a precursor to modern loyalty programs and cryptocurrencies.

The Dot-com Boom

The company gained significant traction during the dot-com boom, raising nearly $100 million from high-profile venture capitalists like Larry Ellison (Oracle), François Pinault (PPR), Softbank, Apax Partners, and Vivendi. At its peak, Beenz operated in 15 countries, with offices worldwide and partnerships like one with MasterCard, allowing users to transfer beenz to credit card accounts. Cohen’s vision was ambitious: he once claimed Beenz could supplant traditional currencies. However, regulatory hurdles and the dot-com bubble burst in 2000 derailed its momentum. 

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The End of an Era...

This tale is often cited as a cautionary one: a bold idea ahead of its time, undone by market immaturity and economic chaos. Yet, it laid groundwork for later digital currency concepts, predating Bitcoin by a decade.

THE ORIGIN OF BEENZ (VIDEO)

The Revival of $BEENZ

Beenz faded into obscurity after its sale to Carlson Marketing Group in 2001, relegated to a footnote of the early internet era. For years, it lingered as a nostalgic relic—until a dedicated group of crypto enthusiasts revived its legacy.
 
Enter $Beenz on Solana.
 
Solana has emerged as a powerhouse in the memecoin ecosystem, hosting viral tokens like WIF, Fartcoin, and Popcat, among others. The blockchain has captured mainstream attention in the memecoin market, even serving as the launchpad for Donald Trump’s own memecoin.
 
Yet, in the world of memecoins, nostalgia and narrative can be the rocket fuel that sends a token soaring. Beenz fits the bill perfectly—a pioneering digital currency that predates Bitcoin itself.
 
So how did the “Beenzers” (a term officially coined by Charles Cohen) manage to bring the Charles Cohen, the original visionary behind Beenz, into the fold?
Elon Musk tweeting about Beenz in 2021
Community member navi reaching out to charles on linkedin