Ciao amici,

In case you hadn’t realised…I’m Italian.

And as a proud Italian, it pains me deeply to talk about how much of a mess Europe is now especially for startups and innovation.

Truly dreadful. There’s no discussion.

I shared a thread on Thursday that broke down the whole “Europe is dead” situation in comparison to the US but I also wanted to explore more than just another doom and gloom take.

Because I very much believe that there’s more to this topic than simply “Europe is doomed.”

And today, I wanted to highlight something that is easily overlooked yet could be THE reason for Europe’s salvation.

One word:

Memes.

As outlandish as that may seem, we must remember that the current market capitalization for meme coins is $140 BILLION.

Though memes and meme coins are quite different functionally, they are one and the same in origin.

The impact of memes is certainly undeniable.

But what does this have to do with Europe’s potential reversal?

Before we get to that, let me take you on a quick journey through the evolution of memes - a phenomenon that has reshaped how we communicate, influence, and create cultural change.

You see, while everyone thinks memes are just funny internet pictures…

They're actually much more powerful than that – they have become engines of cultural change.

Here's the fascinating history:

The term "meme" was coined by Richard Dawkins in 1976 - way before the internet era. He saw memes as cultural genes that spread through society, shaping how we think and behave.

But here's what most people don't know:

The first real "viral meme" wasn't even digital. During WW2, American soldiers spread "Kilroy was here" graffiti across Europe. It became so ubiquitous that Stalin himself allegedly asked about it at Potsdam!

But the real revolution began in the late 90s with something seemingly silly - the "Dancing Baby" animation:

Primitive by today’s standards of memes, but it showed the world something crucial: digital content could spread globally, instantly, and without any central control.

This was revolutionary.

Think about it - for the first time in human history, ideas could replicate and spread faster than any government or institution could control them.

Fast forward to today:

• Memes have evolved from simple jokes to powerful tools of cultural and political change
• They’ve helped overthrow governments (Arab Spring)
• They’ve influenced financial markets (GameStop)
• They’re shaping how the next generation thinks and communicates

The truly mind-blowing part? We’re just at the beginning.

With AI and new social platforms emerging, memes are becoming even more sophisticated tools for cultural transmission.

They’re no longer just content - in many ways they are a new language.

So, back to Europe…

How will this new language pull the EU out of their death spiral?

In our attention economy it all comes down to this equation:

Capturing attention → Awareness → Change

We have seen this play out on huge stages and most notably in the recent US election.

Regardless of political views, the impact of Elon’s X is objective.

And soon we will see DOGE, a government department literally named after a MEME COIN.

All quite crazy.

BUT what if memes specifically are the key to Europe rising from its ashes?

Memes like…

And…

And…

Though not as sophisticated as the political cartoons from history:

They hold the same function:

To spread messages and awareness in a viral manner that goes far beyond any centralised control or mainstream media.

The nail in the coffin for Europe will be (and has been till now) denial.

Denial that the current trajectory of Europe is to relegate itself as just the holiday destination of the world.

We have seen glimpses of hope with those like Mario “whatever it takes” Draghi stepping up.

But where will the next generation of incredible entrepreneurs and leaders come from?

My take is that they will emerge from the world of memes.

Awareness is the first step towards change and the virality of constant memeing (is this a word??) I believe could be what influences the next generations to rise up to and conquer the challenge of making Europe great again.

Perhaps this is a far-fetched take…

But days after Bitcoin crossed $100,000 it really does seem like anything is possible.

In the meantime, have a magnificent weekend!

Ciao for now,

Ale

P.S. Here's the link to my Europe thread from earlier this week in case you missed it.

And as always, please send over any comments, questions and requests for certain topics.

I love hearing from you all!