The Chinese company Pop Mart is officially more valuable than industry giants Mattel and Sanrio, thanks to the popularity of Labubu dolls.

After taking in the race followed by an extravagant firework show, Madge was treated to an enormous pink cake topped with sparklers and a giant edible sculpture of a Labubu doll. “Happy birthday Madudu,” read lettering at the base of the confection.

LABUBU meme coin surged over 120x in 2025, riding the wave of hype around the viral Labubu doll. It’s part of a growing trend of community-driven tokens, launched alongside coins like VINE and LAUNCHCOIN. Despite no ties to toy maker Pop Mart, LABUBU gained traction thanks to strong fan support and cultural relevance, especially in Asia.

Madonna marked the milestone of turning 67 by heading to Siena in Italy to watch the Palio horse race alongside her boyfriend and her daughters. The Queen of Pop was also treated to a huge pink Labubu

China's Pop Mart , which has taken the world by storm with its smash hit, the ugly-cute Labubu doll, reported a 204.4% jump in first half revenue on Tuesday on high demand for the toys, and as it shifts towards higher-margin overseas markets.

Labubus have been everywhere on social media and on shelves across the globe. Explore the origins and future of this trendy craze.

Labubu is a quirky little creature from Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung’s The Monsters series. The figures took off when POP MART began selling them in blind boxes sealed packs, where you only find out which character you got after opening it. The surprise, the odd-cute design, and limited drops turned Labubu into a collector favorite.

For a long time, China has had an image problem it couldn’t shake off – synonymous with cheap exports and heavy censorship. But are the tides changing – and is China now cool?