The Protocol ($THE) is an ERC20 meme token that is inspired by Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of eth, tweet.

On October 14, 2022, Vitalik tweeted the following: "Someone should make a project called "THE Protocol", so that their shills can say "Look, soandso mentioned THE!" pretty much any time anyone says anything." The founders of $THE responded to the tweet by launching The Protocol. Ever since its launch, Vitalik has interacted with $THE tweets, allowing the token to prosper.

The protocol quickly became a community effort, with 0% taxes and a renounced contract.