US–Venezuela Oil Moves Ignite Meme Coin Frenzy as ‘USOR’ Surges 150%

A little-known Solana token calling itself “US Oil” (USOR) surged more than 150% in 24 hours on Monday, briefly pushing its market capitalization above $40 million, as traders latched onto fresh headlines around the United States selling Venezuelan oil blocks.

The token trended on CoinGecko, even as on-chain analysts and traders warned the rally showed classic signs of a speculative pump.

Geopolitics Turns Into a Tradeable Meme

The surge coincided with heightened geopolitical attention on oil. According to reports, Washington today started selling the seized Venezuelan oil assets.

President Trump said the US has taken about 50 million barrels of oil out of Venezuela and sold some of it on the open market.

???? LIVE updates: https://t.co/ZlCX9IGcsz pic.twitter.com/6PVPVQQJvS

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 20, 2026

That macro backdrop appears to have spilled into crypto markets, where traders rapidly attached a political narrative to USOR, despite no verified link to any government oil reserves.

At the height of the rally, USOR traded above $0.04, with daily trading volume approaching $20 million.

USOR Surges 150% on January 20. Source: CoinGecko

The move unfolded in a near-vertical price pattern, a structure that multiple traders flagged as abnormal.

USOR markets are concentrated on the Solana ecosystem, primarily via decentralized venues such as Meteora. Charting platforms displayed “suspicious chart” warnings as volume spiked sharply alongside price.

The projects website claims USOR represents an “on-chain reserve index” that tokenizes US oil reserves, describing itself as oil-backed, US-aligned, and governed by public transparency.

Unverified US Oil Reserve Tokenization Claims by the Project

However, the site provides no verifiable evidence of custody, legal structure, or linkage to any official US oil reserve infrastructure.

Also, theres speculation that this token could be an insider move, as it was launched on the same platform as the TRUMP meme coin – Meteora.

Viral Charts, Thin Proof, and Rising Red Flags

Meanwhile, crypto Twitter was filled with sharply divided reactions.

Several crypto traders alleged the narrative was engineered to exploit real-world news, pointing to coordinated promotion, bundled wallets, and a lack of organic accumulation.

Others warned that the tokens branding closely mirrors geopolitical developments to carry out a rug pull.

retail is getting baited again by memecoins

got a text from a friend asking about Trump making 9-5 workers rich and a pump happening on Jan 31-Feb 1st

all tiktoks and roads lead to $USOR, which I'll give it to them is fucking genius

onchain exposure to oil reserves from… pic.twitter.com/E9vFqakr8M

— tommy (@thatdegenvc) January 20, 2026

One widely shared post described USOR as “on-chain exposure to oil reserves from Venezuela,” a claim that has no confirmation from US authorities or energy agencies.

Multiple analysts countered that the timing, branding, and chart structure resembled prior politically themed meme coins that surged on headlines before collapsing.

⚠️ RUG PULL WARNING

U.S Oil – $USOR looks to be a bundled scam. The developer of this project has clustered most of the supply in the top 100 wallets which are under their control.

GMGN labels dozens of sniper wallets in this project. The Bubblemaps looks atrocious here too.… pic.twitter.com/PQrKD0uoFG

— Crypto Rug Muncher (@CryptoRugMunch) January 13, 2026

On-chain data shared by independent trackers showed supply concentration among a small cluster of wallets.

Bubble map visuals circulating on X suggested that many top holders were linked, raising concerns about centralized control and exit liquidity risks for late buyers.

Overall, USOR is another example of how quickly macroeconomic and political news can bleed into crypto speculation.

As the US navigates a complex reset in its Venezuela oil strategy, parts of the crypto market appear eager to financialize the narrative—often without evidence.

Whether USOR proves to be a short-lived meme or something more durable remains unclear. What is clear is that traders are once again racing to trade the story, even as warnings grow louder that the story itself may not hold up.