Best Meme Coins to Buy in 2025

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While meme coins are speculative cryptocurrencies without use cases, they offer significant price potential. The most successful meme coins, including Dogecoin, Pepe, and Shiba Inu, have built huge communities with millions of loyal holders.

However, millions of meme coins exist, and most fail to deliver gains, making it increasingly difficult to choose suitable projects. This guide explores the best meme coins to buy now, how to build a profitable portfolio, and what risk mitigation practices to follow.

Best Meme Coins to Buy Right Now

According to our research, listed below are the best meme coins to invest in today:

1. Dogecoin (DOGE) – The Original Meme Coin With a $1 Price Potential in 2025
2. Solaxy (SOLX) – New Web 3.0 Startup Building a Layer-2 Network for SPL Meme Coins
3. Shiba Inu (SHIB) – One of the Biggest Meme Coin Ecosystems With DeFi and Metaverse Features
4. BTC Bull Token (BTCBULL) – ERC-20 Meme Coin Offering Real Bitcoin Rewards on BTC Price Milestones
5. Brett (BRETT) – The Leading Meme Coin from Coinbase’s Fast-Growing Base Network
6. MIND of Pepe (MIND) – Self-Sovereign AI Crypto Agent With Meme Coin Launch Capabilities
7. Popcat (POPCAT) – Top Solana Meme Coin With Tier-One Listings and an Organic Community
8. Meme Index (MEMEX) – Invest in a Diversified and Managed Meme Coin Basket for Risk-Averse Exposure
9. Foxy (FOXY) – The De Facto Meme Coin on the Linea Network With a Micro-Cap Valuation
10. Catslap (SLAP) – 100x Potential Meme Coin With an Ongoing Burning Mechanism

Exploring the Best Meme Coins to Invest in

Read on to discover the next meme coin to explode. Learn more about each meme coin project, including its unique selling point, token dynamics, price forecast, and more.

1. Dogecoin (DOGE) – The Biggest Meme Coin by Valuation and Holders With Long-Term Growth Potential

Why We Picked Dogecoin:

• The best meme coin to buy for long-term holders
• Has an established and loyal community consisting of millions of holders
• Trades on retail-friendly platforms, making it a great choice for meme coin beginners

It will come as no surprise to see that Dogecoin (DOGE) is one of the best meme coins to buy. It’s the original meme coin, launched in 2013 as a joke. Fast forward to 2025, and Dogecoin not only has a multi-billion dollar valuation but is one of the biggest cryptocurrencies in general. Now, Dogecoin has a smaller upside potential when compared to other meme coin picks.

This is because it already has a significant market cap. Even so, Dogecoin is a great option for long-term holders. It’s not solely based on generating short-term hype and FOMO like other meme coins, which could provide more stable returns over a longer timeframe. Moreover, Dogecoin has an established community with millions of loyal holders.

It also trades on retail-friendly platforms like Robinhood, Cash App, and Webull, providing exposure to audiences who aren’t comfortable using crypto exchanges. In terms of price forecast, some analysts have set a $1 target for 2025. This would surpass Dogecoin’s 2021 all-time high of $0.74.

2. Solaxy (SOLX) – Presale Project With $28 Million Raised Offering Exposure to a Solana Layer-2 Network

Why We Picked Solaxy:

• New project building a layer-2 network for the Solana blockchain
• Millions of SPL meme coins will benefit from faster and lower-cost transactions
• Currently in presale, with about $28 million raised

Solaxy (SOLX) is a brand-new Web 3.0 startup that’s in presale, meaning it doesn’t currently trade on exchanges. Those investing in the Solaxy presale stage can gain exposure to an innovative product: a layer-2 network for Solana, one of the major blockchains. As the first of its kind, Solaxy is already gaining attention, with over $28 million in presale funding secured so far.

Its layer-2 network will potentially serve millions of Solana meme coins, ensuring faster transactions and lower fees. Most importantly, Solaxy offers a more reliable transaction layer than Solana. Unlimited scalability ensures network conjunction and downtime are avoided. Any meme coins bridging to Solaxy will pay fees in SOLX.

This gives SOLX a real use case, with demand based on real utility rather than short-term speculation. Another feature is Solaxy’s cross-chain compatibility, allowing stakeholders to securely access other blockchain ecosystems. The ongoing presale accepts various cryptocurrencies as payment. SOLX will be listed on exchanges after the presale’s conclusion.

3. Shiba Inu (SHIB) – Popular Meme Coin With Multiple Use Cases and DeFi Earning Opportunities

Why We Picked Shiba Inu:

• One of the best meme coins for real use cases
• The SHIB ecosystem includes a metaverse, play-to-earn games, and DeFi tools
• Boasts one of the largest and most active meme coin communities

Shiba Inu (SHIB) is a popular meme coin project that launched in 2020. It’s based on the dog breed of the same name, inspiring thousands of other meme coins to adopt a similar narrative. Shiba Inu is one of the most successful meme coins for price performance. It’s up over 1 million percent since its inception, even though current prices are a fraction of all-time highs.

Shiba Inu has a massive community too, highly active on social platforms like X and Reddit. However, the best aspect of Shiba Inu is its talented developer team. They’ve built significant use cases for SHIB, ensuring the project moves away from its speculative and hype-driven reputation. For example, Shiba Inu recently launched decentralized finance (DeFi) tools.

This includes liquidity provision, allowing holders to earn passive yields. There’s also a decentralized exchange (DEX) for seamless token swaps. Not to mention a metaverse and play-to-earn games. These features ensure Shiba Inu remains relevant in the long term, making it one of the top meme coins for buy-and-hold investors.

4. BTC Bull Token (BTCBULL) – Earn Real BTC Payouts When Bitcoin Hits Key Price Targets

Why We Picked BTC Bull Token:

• Innovative meme coin concept offering real Bitcoin payouts
• BTC is airdropped when the Bitcoin price hits key pricing milestones
• A deflationary meme coin with target-driven token burns

BTC Bull Token (BTCBULL) is one of the best Ethereum meme coins to watch. It’s another presale project on this list, allowing investors to get in from the ground up. This means a rock-bottom market cap and a discounted token price. Unlike many meme coins, BTC Bull Token has developed an innovative and unique earning framework.

Token holders earn passive rewards based on the Bitcoin price. The key milestones are $150,000, $200,000, and so on until Bitcoin hits $1 million. Each milestone triggers the airdrop distribution, with BTCBULL holders receiving real BTC. But that’s not all – holders also benefit whenever the Bitcoin price hits $125,000, $175,000, $225,000, etc.

This triggers a burning mechanism, meaning a percentage of BTCBULL tokens are removed from the supply. As a deflationary meme coin, the supply gradually becomes smaller, increasing BTCBULL’s scarcity and demand. The ongoing presale, having raised over $4 million so far, is currently offering BTCBULL for just $0.00243 per token.

5. Brett (BRETT) – The Best Pure-Play for Gaining Exposure to the Base Network’s Growing Ecosystem

Why We Picked Brett:

• The biggest meme coin on the Base network
• Base, backed by Coinbase, is the fastest-growing ecosystem
• Brett offers a pure-play investment in the Base meme coin narrative

Meme coin investing is all about following the smart money, with Brett (BRETT) being our top pick for exposure to Base. In a nutshell, Base is a native layer-2 network backed by Coinbase. As a market leader with 100 million verified users, Coinbase’s backing is significant. After all, Coinbase has already begun listing Base meme coins on its primary exchange.

What’s more, Coinbase is regulatorily sound, with full licensing in the U.S. and a NASDAQ exchange listing. Therefore, as the largest meme coin on Base, Brett could be one of the top-performing cryptocurrencies in this cycle. It leverages “The Boy’s Club” narrative alongside Pepe Coin and Andy. Brett doesn’t offer any use cases but it does boast a huge community.

Blockchain data shows over 800,000 holders, although this doesn’t include dead wallets (e.g., wallets that sold Brett but still have a few tokens left). In terms of price potential, Brett trades well below its all-time high, previously surpassing over $2 billion in market capitalization. Coinbase has hinted at a potential listing, which could be highly beneficial for the Brett price.

6. MIND of Pepe (MIND) – AI Agent on the Ethereum Blockchain With a Self-Adapting Personality

Why We Picked MIND of Pepe:

• The best meme coin to gain exposure to artificial intelligence (AI) agents
• Operates autonomously on third-party platforms like X and Reddit
• Has the ability to create and launch new meme coins without human intervention

MIND of Pepe (MIND) is an innovative concept from the AI agent niche, one of the fastest-growing and hottest narratives in crypto. MIND of Pepe is a “Self-Sovereign” algorithm, meaning it operates without human intervention. For example, the algorithm can build communities on social media, with its personality self-adapting based on viral trends.

The overarching objective is to help MIND become a top-10 meme coin by market capitalization. That said, MIND of Pepe can also create and deploy new meme coins autonomously. Once again, the specific narrative is determined by existing trends and sentiment, ensuring meme coin launches are relevant to the broader markets.

MIND of Pepe takes care of all launch requirements, from developing and testing smart contracts to adding liquidity pools of DEXs. All meme coin creations benefit MIND holders, although the specifics of how this will work haven’t been announced yet. Nonetheless, MIND can be purchased at discounted presale prices, with about $7.6 million already raised.

7. Popcat (POPCAT) – Top Solana Meme Coin With Tier-One Listings and an Organic Community

Why We Picked Popcat:

• One of the biggest meme coins on Solana
• Tier-one listings secured from the biggest exchanges
• Has a huge community, including 97,000 X followers

Popcat (POPCAT) is one of the best Solana meme coins to buy. It launched in late 2023 and has produced unprecedented gains since its inception. Those investing in Popcat from day one are now looking at growth of almost 2 million percent (despite a massive market correction). Popcat offers no use cases, but its website has a novel “clicking” game.

Popcat’s mouth opens whenever it’s clicked, contributing points to the global leaderboard. This is country-specific, adding a level of nationalistic competitiveness (Russia, Poland, and Belgium currently lead). Additionally, Popcat has already secured some major exchange listings. This includes Coinbase, Kraken, Crypto.com, KuCoin, and Bybit.

The next target will be Binance, the world’s biggest exchange. Popcat also has a huge community, with over 97,000 highly active followers on X. It also has almost 130,000 token holders, as per Solana blockchain data. Ultimately, Popcat is one of the best plays in the meme coin space on Solana, considering its relatively modest market cap.

8. Meme Index (MEMEX) – Revolutionary Meme Coin Index Funds Offering Diversified and Passive Market Access

Why We Picked Meme Index:

• The crypto world’s first decentralized index fund specifically for meme coins
• Invest in a broad range of meme coins with automated rebalancing and reweighting
• Currently in presale, offering a low valuation before the initial exchange listing

According to some analysts, Meme Index (MEMEX) could be one of the next meme coins to explode. Its unique concept offers decentralized index funds specifically for the meme coin markets. This is a revolutionary solution – investors can now gain exposure to meme coins without needing to make individual picks.

Instead, Meme Index offers diversification into specific meme coin niches, with various rebalancing and weighting methods utilized. For example, the best option for beginners is the Meme Titan index fund. This simply tracks the largest meme coins by fully diluted valuation (FDV), frequently rebalanced to ensure it aligns with the broader crypto market.

Meme Index also offers riskier index funds, tracking the highly volatile markets like XRP meme coins. While Meme Index is globally inclusive, irrespective of investing amounts, MEMEX must be held to gain access. MEMEX is currently in presale but just four days remain. Investors can still get a discounted price of $0.0166883 per token, with over $4 million raised to date.

9. Foxy (FOXY) – High-Risk, High-Return Meme Coin Offering Exposure to the Linea Ecosystem

Why We Picked Foxy:

• Considered the de facto meme coin from the Linea ecosystem
• Linea is a layer-2 network backed by the same founders of MetaMask
• Currently trades with a micro-cap valuation, potentially offering a significant upside

Foxy (FOXY) is one of the best meme coins to buy from the Linea network. Linea is a layer-2 network for the Ethereum blockchain, offering huge scalability via zero-knowledge proofs. While low fees and fast transactions are offered by other layer-2s, Linea stands out for its association with MetaMask (it’s backed by the same founders, Consensys).

Therefore, Foxy is the best pure play for accessing this narrative. While no official confirmation has been provided, existing holders believe that Foxy could benefit from MetaMask’s 100 million users. It could provide direct access to Foxy, allowing anyone to purchase tokens directly from their MetaMask wallet. However, this is purely a rumor at this stage.

Now, we should mention that Foxy is a micro-cap meme coin, trading at a fraction of its market capitalization peak of just $85 million. This means the upside could be significant but equally, so are the risks. Moreover, Foxy’s token dynamics will be a turnoff for many. Just 33% of the total supply is in the public float, with 15% currently held by “seed round” backers.

10. Catslap (SLAP) – Massively Undervalued Cat-Themed Meme Coin With a Growing Holder Base

Why We Picked Catslap:

• Offers 100x potential based on its existing market cap
• A relatively new player in the meme coin space, but has already proven its ability for extended price growth
• Has an ongoing burning mechanism and slap-to-earn rewards

Last on this list is Catslat (SLAP), a cat-themed meme coin on the Ethereum blockchain. Catslap was created in November 2024 via a “fair launch,” meaning no presale or launchpad raise. Instead, Catslap was directly listed on Uniswap, with the token price increasing by over 9,000% over several weeks.

This strong momentum was halted due to the broader meme coin correction, giving new investors the opportunity to buy Catslap at a massively undervalued price. Based on current valuations, Catslap has every chance of becoming the next 100x meme coin. It also boasts thousands of token holders and growing adoption of its slap-to-earn game.

This is similar to Popcat’s tool, but participants can earn real SLAP tokens. Catslap also distributes rewards to anyone promoting the project on social media. Additionally, Catslap has an ongoing burning mechanism, reducing the SLAP supply over time. Nearly 1.5 billion tokens have already been burned, amounting to almost $800,000 based on current prices.

What are Meme Coins?

Meme coins are cryptocurrencies fueled by speculation, hype, and trending narratives. The first meme coin, Dogecoin, was launched in 2013. Dogecoin proved that cryptocurrencies don’t always need a specific use case to become mainstream. On the contrary, meme coins can become successful through community building and common objectives.

For example, Dogecoin has amassed millions of long-term holders, including the world’s richest person, Elon Musk. They might not have much utility, but meme coins are globally inclusive. Anyone can buy meme coins, irrespective of budget or nationality. What’s more, meme coins are often tied to specific internet memes or cultural moments, so there’s an emotional aspect.

For example, the most successful meme coins are based on dogs. This includes Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, Bonk, dogwifhat, FLOKI, and Baby Doge Coin. The cat-themed narrative is also strong, with market leaders including cat in a dogs world, Mog Coin, Popcat, Toshi, and Mr Miggles.

That said, it’s not just animals that have inspired meme coin trends. The markets often move in cycles, with meme coins being created based on real-world events. For example, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE, same ticker as Dogecoin but a separate project) was created in August 2024 when Elon Musk began announcing his cost-cutting goals.

Similarly, during the 2024 presidential campaign, a wide range of political meme coins blew up, many dedicated to Donald Trump (e.g., MAGA and Doland Tremp). However, this segment of the meme coin market is largely driven by short-term speculation rather than building actual communities.

Otherwise called “shitcoins,” these meme coins can produce explosive growth for several days or weeks before peaking. Traders eventually move on to other meme coin trends, meaning the respective project crashes and never recovers. Identifying these projects and being early investors can be profitable, but more risk-averse investors might prefer long-term meme coins.

For example, Shiba Inu, FLOKI, and other established meme projects continue to build use cases. This includes anything from DeFi tools and play-to-earn games to metaverse real estate. Ultimately, there’s a lot to learn when exploring the best meme coins. Key factors include your investing goals (e.g., short or long-term, profit targets), preferred strategy, and risk tolerance.

How We Picked the Best Meme Coins to Buy

We examined the most successful meme coin projects, covering thousands of short and long-term pricing rallies.

Analyzed metrics included social media hype, market capitalization, network ecosystems (e.g., Solana or Base), tokenomics, average meme coin holder times, and broader market sentiment. This formed the basis of our methodology, allowing us to rank the best meme coins in 2025.

Read on to learn more about our research methods.

Meme Coin vs Shitcoin

First, our methodology ensured a distinction between meme coins and shitcoins. This is important, as history suggests the following:

• Meme coins are built around strong communities, with average holder times significantly longer when compared to shitcoins. These projects are ideal for long-term investors – they provide more modest growth but over a much longer timeframe. Examples include Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and FLOKI.
• Shitcoins are focused on hype, FOMO, and speculation rather than building long-term communities. These projects often enjoy explosive growth in a short timeframe and are based on real-time trends. This includes political meme coins and those linked to trending events (e.g., Peanut the Squirrel and Luigi Mangione).

Now, choosing between meme coins and shitcoins depends on your preferred investing strategy. Beginners are best suited for meme coins. These projects often have longer-term visions with active developers, so you won’t need to constantly watch the markets.

Conversely, investors targeting short-term gains might prefer shitcoins. You will, however, need to actively research trending narratives, have solid risk-management practices, and have an exit strategy.

Community Strength and Growth

Our extensive research revealed that the best meme coins to invest in have strong communities. Projects with the largest market capitalizations, like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu, have millions of holders. Blockchain data shows that the average holding time is several months, a notable figure for meme coins.

Strong meme coin communities also boast the highest percentage of multi-year holders, keeping faith even during bearish cycles. In addition to specific holder counts, we also focused on growth levels. Catslap, for example, has almost 23,000 holders even though it launched as recently as November 2024.

Tip: Use Dune Analytics for meme coin holder trends.

Another community metric is social media. This is where loyal communities can help micro-cap meme coins become billion-dollar powerhouses. Shiba Inu and Pepe are two examples. Both achieved mainstream success through active social media engagement. This is where the phrase “shill your own bags” comes from.

Holders are actively encouraged to self-promote their meme coin bags on X, Reddit, Telegram, and more. This is one of the most effective marketing strategies, and it requires zero resources other than time and commitment. As such, we explored social media followers on the main networks and how much engagement each meme community is achieving.

Tokenomics

Tokenomics is the “token economics” of a meme coin project. It’s one of the most important metrics when sourcing the next meme coin to blow up.

Let’s break down the fundamentals.

Token Supply

First, it’s crucial to understand the token supply dynamics.

Assess the total number of tokens that were created. The specific amount is less relevant than whether or not the supply is capped. For example, the leading meme coins (except for Dogecoin) have limited supplies. This provides holders with peace of mind that the founders won’t create and sell new tokens indefinitely. It also increases scarcity, similar to stores of value.

Next, evaluate the circulating supply. History shows that the most successful meme coins have a high percentage of tokens in circulation. This means the majority of the supply is in the public domain, freely bought and sold by the markets. For example, Shiba Inu has a maximum supply of 589.55 trillion (previously 1 quadrillion due to token burns).

Of that supply, 100% of the SHIB tokens are in circulation. However, some meme coins have unfavorable supply ratios, which is considered a red flag. For instance, while Foxy could be a smart play for gaining traction in the Linea network, it only has 33% of the supply in circulation. This is risky, as those tokens will eventually be released and potentially sold.

Token Distribution

The token distribution was another important part of our methodology. We found that the best meme coins to buy are evenly distributed across a large number of holders.

For example:

• The now-defunct SafeMoon had about 40% of its supply held by a small handful of wallets. This meant the project was largely controlled by whales, who could seriously impact the SafeMoon price at any time.
• In contrast, Pepe has one of the best supply dynamics in the meme coin market. Not only does Pepe have hundreds of thousands of holders but most are small-value wallets. This ensures any single group of holders can’t collude to manipulate the market.

Taxation

We found that very few meme coins have enjoyed success with a transaction tax. SafeMoon was one of the first pioneers of this concept. It taxed buy and sell orders, discouraging short-term speculation.

However, research shows that crypto whales avoid tax-based projects. Therefore, we only considered meme coins supporting free market conditions.

Burn Mechanism

We also discovered that the top meme coins have token burning mechanisms in place. Shiba Inu, for example, was initially created with a 1 quadrillion supply. Now standing at about 589.55 trillion, this means that about 410.45 trillion SHIB tokens have been burned.

Those tokens have been removed from the circulating supply, making Shiba Inu more scarce. Similar to share buybacks, this often results in price appreciation, as market forces ensure the market capitalization reflects the new supply metrics.

Unique Selling Points (e.g., Use Cases)

Standing out in the crowded meme coin market has never been more difficult. According to a recent study, about 37 million new meme coins were launched in January 2025 alone. Naturally, only a very small percentage of these meme coins will succeed.

We found that the most likely meme coins to blow up are those offering a unique selling point (USP).

• For example, Meme Index’s USP is its decentralized index funds.
• Similar to the Dow Jones or FTSE 100, its index funds provide diversified exposure to multiple investments, with fully-fledged rebalancing and reweighting strategies.
• The key difference is that Meme Index specializes in fun meme coins rather than stocks.
• This solves a major problem. Investors can now invest in baskets of meme coins passively, so there’s no longer a need to make individual picks.

Another example of a meme coin with a USP is Shiba Inu. It has developed multiple use cases, ensuring investors have a reason to hold long-term. This includes DeFi liquidity pools, offering passive income through staking rewards and flexible withdrawal terms. Shiba Inu has also developed a metaverse with NFT land ownership. These are standout use cases that help Shiba Inu remain relevant.

Meme Coin Narratives

Our research shows that narratives also play a major role in meme coin price performance. Narratives are specific trends that see increased capital flows. They can last for weeks or months, depending on market forces. Either way, getting in early is crucial to maximize returns.

For example, between late 2023 and early 2024, Solana meme coins saw explosive growth. Irrespective of the fundamentals (or lack of), a majority of Solana projects rose in value, creating significant FOMO. However, like all narratives, the Solana trend eventually peaked.

Network-specific narratives have also hit Base, TRON, and TON. This is why it makes sense to have meme coin exposure from different ecosystems. Brett, for instance, has found popularity on Base. And Foxy stands out from the Linea network.

That said, narratives aren’t only specific to ecosystems. They also hit meme coin niches, such as cat-themed or political tokens.

Market Capitalization

Market capitalization was also considered when ranking the best meme coins to invest in. This is important from a risk-reward perspective. We covered a wide range of valuations to ensure all investor profiles were covered.

For example, the biggest meme coins by market capitalization offer a smaller upside but also lower volatility. Examples include Dogecoin and Shiba Inu. Conversely, micro-cap projects like Catslap and Foxy offer much higher growth potential, but the increased volatility won’t be suitable for risk-averse investors.

Mid-cap meme coins like Popcat and Brett sit somewhere in between. You can still target sizable growth but you’re not as exposed to wild pricing swings like micro-caps.

Exchange and Broker Listings

We also analyzed how exchange listings can impact a meme coin’s price potential. Our findings show that meme coins with tier-one listings have the best chance of mainstream success. For example, Pepe increased by 40% in one day when Robinhood and Coinbase announced they’d be supporting the project.

This was big news for Pepe, considering Robinhood and Coinbase are largely used by retail clients. This investor type isn’t always comfortable using advanced crypto exchanges, so the listings made Pepe more accessible to beginners. Similarly, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, FLOKI, and other market leaders have major exchange listings.

Most meme coins, however, are only listed on DEXs. These platforms, while popular with advanced traders, have low liquidity and limited support for fiat payment methods like e-wallets and credit cards. Instead, investors need to connect a wallet and use cryptocurrencies to purchase their desired meme coins.
Why Buy Meme Coins?

Meme coins are traded globally by millions of people every day. Read on to learn why this speculative and high-risk marketplace remains so popular.

The Chance to Make Unprecedented Gains

Let’s be clear: While meme coins are inclusive and community-driven, their most popular mechanism is the price potential. Meme coins have historically provided financial returns like no other financial market. Some investors have a higher appetite for risk, so earning 10% annually from the S&P 500 doesn’t suffice.

For example:

• Suppose you were actively trading meme coins in 2020. You noticed a project called Shiba Inu and decided to risk $200.
• Knowing the risks of meme coins, this was money you were prepared to lose.
• You entered the market at the right time in September 2020, catching Shiba Inu’s all-time low of $0.00000000008165.
• About 13 months later, Shiba Inu’s price hit $0.00008845.
• That $200 you risked was worth over $216 million at its peak.

Now, not even the most skilled meme coin traders can predict the all-time lows and highs of a project. However, the key point is that the Shiba Inu price increased 108 million percent in just over a year. This means Shiba Inu made life-changing money for those investing early.

Let’s look at another example:

• Pricing data shows that Pepe was launched on April 15th, 2023.
• The launch price of $0.00000000001062 aligns with Pepe’s all-time low.
• Pepe hit $0.00002825 in December 2024, returning 266 million percent in just eight months.
• A $200 investment on Pepe’s launch date would have been worth $532 million.

Of course, no investor would hold a $200 investment until it reached hundreds of millions of dollars. Most would have cashed out much earlier. Nonetheless, this is yet another example of how the top meme coins can create unprecedented wealth.

It also shows that investing early can be highly beneficial, especially if the project eventually blows up. That’s why we also include presale projects like Solaxy, BTC Bull Token, and MIND of Pepe. These projects aren’t listed on exchanges yet, as the presale process is still ongoing. While risky, anyone investing will get the lowest token price possible.

Ideal for Short and Long-Term Strategies

Meme coins are suitable for all trading strategies, further increasing their appeal to a wide audience. For example, beginners preferring a simple buy-and-hold strategy can focus on the market leaders. This includes Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, FLOKI, and Bonk. OFFICIAL TRUMP, backed by Donald Trump, arguably fits in this segment too, even though it’s less established.

Long-term investors with strong conviction can sit back and allow market forces to work their magic. There’s less emphasis on short-term pricing swings, meaning a less stressful investing experience. If anything, long-term investors increase their exposure during market dips, allowing them to buy their favorite meme coins at a discount.

However, there are also meme coin investors with a less patient mindset. They want fast and rapid gains, with no loyalty or emotional attachment to their investments. This segment is more attracted to shitcoins than meme coins, meaning they only make investments to catch short-term trends.

• Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT), a shitcoin from the Solana ecosystem, is a good example here.
• This meme coin was launched in dedication to a pet squirrel called Peanut, an internet sensation with a huge Instagram following.
• Peanut was sadly seized and euthanized by New York authorities, causing global outrage.
• Naturally, a wave of meme coins honoring Peanut was created, with the Solana-based token eventually becoming the de facto project.
• Launched at $0.03396 on November 5th, 2024, PNUT hit $2.47 on November 14th. This meant an unprecedented pricing rally of over 7,000% in just 9 days.
• So, had you invested just $500 on the launch day, PNUT would have returned $358,000 at its peak.

Just remember, examples like PNUT represent just a tiny percentage of the broader market. Never make the mistake of thinking this is the norm. On the contrary, most meme coins fail.

Inclusiveness and Decentralized Wealth Building

We found that meme coins are also popular for their inclusiveness. Anyone can buy meme coins, often without needing to meet any minimum trading requirements. Buying meme coins from DEXs like Uniswap and Raydium adds further benefits, especially for those based in countries with draconian crypto laws.

DEXs offer complete anonymity, considering there’s no account opening process or requirement to upload ID documents (unlike regulated exchanges like Coinbase and Kraken). Another benefit is that meme coins enable investors to build and store wealth away from centralized intermediaries.

Meme coins can be stored in non-custodial wallets, which nobody can access but the investor. This is unlike investing in stocks, which are “held” by custodians like brokerage firms. Similarly, cash is stored with banks and financial institutions, meaning permission is needed when sending or receiving funds.

Meme Coins Can be Traded 24/7 (Some Offer Substantial Liquidity)

All meme coins trade on centralized or decentralized exchanges which, unlike stock exchanges, never close. Meme coins can be bought and sold 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Mid-to-large cap meme coins are also beneficial for liquidity purposes. These meme coins have sufficient trading volumes, meaning meme coins can be converted to real money at any time.

For example, suppose you’re holding Pepe, which has a market capitalization of several billion dollars. You can easily sell Pepe for Tether (USDT) and other popular cryptocurrencies, before converting them to local currency. The funds can then be withdrawn to a bank account or other convenient payment method.

However, this perk isn’t as readily available when holding micro or small-cap meme coins. These projects have low liquidity levels, so while they can be traded 24/7, selling can influence the market price. Even a modest sell order can mean you get back much less than you had anticipated.

Own a Large Number of Meme Tokens Without Investing Large Amounts

Our research shows that the vast majority of meme coins have substantial token supplies. For example, Catslap has a maximum supply of 9 billion SLAP tokens. This is why its token price is so low, currently at $0.0005309. So, for a small outlay of $200, you would own over 376,000 tokens.

In contrast, a $200 investment in Bitcoin would amount to 0.0023 BTC, a small fraction of one token. Owning a larger number of tokens is more of a psychological benefit, as it doesn’t impact the profit potential. Even so, many investors, especially retail clients, feel better about owning a large stash rather than a fractional token.

A Diverse Meme Coin Market is Ideal for Diversification

Meme coins are one of the best investing sectors for building a diversified crypto portfolio. There’s many angles to take, ensuring investors avoid becoming over-exposed to any one project. For example, some investors will buy several meme coins from different network ecosystems.

They might buy Shiba Inu and Floki on Ethereum, Popcat and Bonk on Solana, and Brett and Mochi on Base. This links back to our earlier discussion on ecosystem narratives, whether specific meme coin networks enjoy extended pricing rallies. Owning meme coins from the most popular meme coin ecosystems is a great way to ensure broad market exposure.

Another diversification strategy is to build a portfolio with different risk-reward ratios.

For example:

• 60% of the portfolio could be held in large-cap meme coins like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and Pepe.
• 30% could be allocated to mid-caps like Popcat, Brett, and Mog Coin. The remaining
• 10% could be invested in high-risk, high-return presales like Solaxy, Meme Index, and BTC Bull Token.

These portfolio splits are used to highlight the point. You should create your own diversification strategy based on your financial goals, risk tolerance, and favorite niches.

Potential Risks of Meme Coins

We’ll now move on to the risks of investing in meme coins. Read on to ensure you’re fully aware of the loss potential.

Meme Coins are Unregulated

First, it’s important to remember that meme coins operate in an unregulated market. As explained by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), “neither meme coin purchasers nor holders are protected by the federal securities laws.” This is why meme coins are often referred to as the “Wild West of Crypto.”

Anyone can create and launch a meme coin, meaning there’s no accountability. Now compare this to regulated securities like stocks. Publicly listed companies must release audited financial statements, hold quarterly earnings calls, make disclosures on insider transactions, and much more.

Plus, there are no consumer protections when buying and selling meme coins on crypto exchanges. This means there’s little recourse if the exchange misplaces client funds. Conversely, using a regulated stockbroker typically means you’re covered by investor protection schemes.

That’s the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) in the U.S., covering accounts up to $500,000 (up to $250,000 in cash) if the broker fails.

Most Meme Coins Fail

Meme coin investing is all about speculation. You’re speculating that the meme coin’s price will increase, allowing you to lock in a profit. However, this is easier said than done. Research shows that most meme coin launches fail. If you purchase a meme coin and its price declines, you will make a loss.

Crucially, these losses aren’t like investing in a blue-chip stock, which could drop by a few percent in a day. On the contrary, even the best meme coins can lose double-digit percentages overnight. Check out the image below from CoinMarketCap. It shows meme coins that have generated the biggest losses in the past 24 hours.

These losses range from 91% to 99.99% – a staggering amount considering the short timeframe. For example, suppose that yesterday you invested $1,000 in GameStop Coin. That $1,000 would now be worth just $81. This should be a reminder that meme coins should only be purchased with funds you can afford to lose.

Many Meme Coin Projects are Scams

You should be aware of meme coin scams before investing in this market. There are several different ways that cybercriminals can leave you with worthless tokens.

First, there’s the “honeypot” scam. A malicious smart contract (these are blockchain contracts backing meme coins, and they’re unique to each project) is created with the sole intention of scamming investors. This could be a smart contract that prevents anyone but the scammers from selling. So, without anyone being able to sell, the token price would only rise.

Other investors will look at the respective chart and think they’ve found the next meme coin to explode, subsequently investing their own money. The scammers will eventually use their whitelisting wallet to dump all of their tokens. The price crashes to zero almost immediately, meaning holders have lost their entire investment.

Another meme coin scam is the “rug pull”. The founders build the project up, creating hype to lure investors in. Once the price increases by a certain amount, the scammers will abandon the project. This is usually done by removing liquidity from any DEXs. They can also dump tokens on CEXs if any listings were secured, although this is rare.

Meme Coin Profits are Taxable

It’s important to remember that while meme coins are unregulated, they’re still subject to capital gains taxes in most countries. This is usually on “realized” profits, meaning tax is only due if you sell and a profit is made. However, the asset disposal doesn’t just include selling meme coins for fiat money. It also includes token swaps.

For example:

• Suppose you buy 1,000 tokens at $0.50 each, amounting to a total investment of $500.
• You later swap those 1,000 tokens for another meme coin on a DEX. The tokens were worth $1.50 when you sold, meaning a $1,000 capital gain.
• That $1,000 gain will be liable for tax.

Crypto tax laws will vary depending on the country, including capital gains and losses.

Emotional Risks of Meme Coin

An often underreported meme coin risk is the emotional rollercoaster this market presents. It’s not uncommon for inexperienced investors to engage in “chart watching,” waking up during the night to see how their meme coin investments are performing.

There’s also the addictive nature of meme coins. Investors frequently chase losses, subsequently increasing their stakes to try and win some money back. This turns meme coin investing into compulsive gambling.

Pros & Cons of Trading Meme Coins

Let’s summarize the pros and cons of meme coins:

Meme Coin Pros

• Successful meme coin investments can produce significant returns
• Meme coins are suitable for short-term trading and long-term investing
• Anyone can buy meme coins, ensuring inclusiveness
• The meme coin markets are open 24/7
• Most meme coins have low prices, allowing investors to own a large number of tokens

Meme Coin Cons

• Meme coins are unregulated, with no consumer protections in place
• The overwhelming majority of meme coins fail, meaning big losses
• Many meme coins are scams, with honeypots and rug pulls being the most common
• Meme coin trading can lead to a gambling-like addiction
• Millions of meme coins exist, making it challenging to pick winning projects

How to Find New Meme Coins Before They Explode

Finding the best meme coins to buy is a tall order. It’s become increasingly challenging in recent times, with millions of meme coins being created every month. The good news is that seasoned meme coin traders use a range of strategies and tactics which you can implement yourself.

Read on to know how and where to find 100x meme coins before they become mainstream.

Explore Meme Coin Presale Events

The first strategy is to explore upcoming meme coin presales (also called ICOs). These are fundraising events that allow investors to purchase new meme cryptocurrencies before they’re added to exchanges. It’s like investing in a stock IPO, but you’re receiving meme coins rather than equity in a company.

The main benefit of presales is that you’re getting in before the broader markets. Being early means a first-mover advantage, translating to a much lower price point. The hope is that the purchased meme coin blows up, allowing you to target significant growth.

However, presales are considerably riskier than established meme coins. They’re unproven, with no price history and a limited community. Investing in multiple presales can mitigate some risks, as only one needs to explode to see gains. Some presales to check out include Solaxy, a layer-2 network for Solana, and Meme Index, a decentralized index fund for meme coins.

Set up Filters on DEX Aggregation Sites

In addition to presales, the best meme coins can often be found on DEX aggregation sites. Examples include Birdeye and DEX Screener. These platforms extract data directly from the major blockchains. This enables investors to find suitable meme coins based on their preferences. You’ll need to create some filters to ensure you focus on projects with certain characteristics.

Otherwise, you’ll be inundated with millions of different tokens, making it impossible to yield any valuable findings. No two investors are the same, so the filters must align with your risk profile and investing goals.

Some of the key metrics to focus on include:

• Network Ecosystem: It’s wise to focus on specific ecosystems. Ethereum is the go-to blockchain for long-term meme coins with strong communities. Solana is all about short-term speculation. Base is another good choice, the fast-growing network from Coinbase. Other options include TON, BNB Chain, and TRON.
• Launch Timeframe: This metric is very important from a risk management perspective. While investing in brand-new tokens (e.g. launched within the past few hours) can be tempting, these projects have a high likelihood of being a scam. Consider setting the minimum launch time at seven days or more.
• Market Capitalization: Now set the market capitalization range. High-risk investors might prefer meme coins with micro-cap valuations (e.g., under $1 million). Consider higher market capitalization to mitigate the volatility risks.
• Price Performance: This metric can help you find meme coins that are vastly outperforming the market. You can choose the required timeframe and minimum growth amount. For instance, meme coins have increased by at least 60% in the past 24 hours.

These are just some examples of filters that will help you find the top meme coins. Importantly, ensure you’re only considering projects with:

• Locked Liquidity: This reduces the risks of a rug pull scam, meaning the liquidity can’t be removed. Check the lock period – it should ideally be at least a year.
• Audited Contract: Ensure the meme coin’s smart contract has been audited for high network security. Ensure this is from a reputable company. Audited contracts reduce the risks of a honeypot scam.

Use Alert Websites for Listing Announcements From Tier-one Exchanges

This strategy is aimed at investors targeting short-term gains. Major exchange listings almost always result in an immediate pricing rally. This is because only a small percentage of meme coins secure big listings – the majority only trade on DEXs. So, when a meme coin project gets approval from a top exchange, this creates hype, with people rushing to buy the token.

So, Binance and Coinbase have the biggest effect, considering their position in the market. However, other tier-one exchanges like Kraken, Bybit, OKX, and Crypto.com can also have a similar impact. The only way to profit from this strategy is to enter the market as early as possible.

This means following a selection of tier-one exchanges on X, where announcements are typically made. The issue is that you’ll be inundated with notification alerts, as most X posts made by exchanges aren’t specifically related to listings. Instead, it’s best to use a third-party platform offering listing-only alerts.

For example, Cryptocurrency Alerting supports 47 exchanges, including new meme coins on Coinbase. You will receive an alert in real time as soon as the selected exchanges make a listing announcement. Alerts can be sent via email, telephone call, SMS, or push notifications. A telephone call is the best option to ensure you don’t miss the alert.

Whale Wallet Tracking

Whale wallet tracking is another way to find the best meme coins before they blow up. Whales typically invest at least six figures, meaning their purchases can have a big impact on the meme coin’s price. Even more importantly, whales are experienced in picking high-growth meme coins, so following the same trades can pay dividends.

Again, using third-party platforms is the most effective solution. Some platforms offer a free service, allowing you to track a specific wallet address. A notification will be sent whenever that wallet buys or sells a meme coin. However, premium options provide the most valuable tracking benefits.

You’ll often be shown who actually owns the respective wallet, can track whales from multiple networks, and receive in-depth insights that aren’t available with free providers.

X Mentions

X is one of the best social media sites for finding meme coins that will explode. We found that meme coins with a rapid increase in “mentions” can be a precursor to an impending price rally. This is because successful meme coins are often born from social media hype and FOMO.

However, the trick is to focus on projects that have strong engagement but without the price already built in. This allows you to enter the market at a favorable price. Otherwise, buying into meme coins that are already blowing up means you risk investing at the peak.

Trading Volume Spike

Another proven strategy is to look for meme coins that are witnessing significant increases in trading volume compared to their average. For example, suppose you’re exploring small-cap Solana meme coins. You’ve found a project that averages $500,000 in daily volume. However, that meme coin has seen its volume rise to $2.5 million in the past day.

This shows that interest in the meme coin has skyrocketed. It could be because insiders know something the market doesn’t, such as an impending tier-one listing. Either way, pricing rallies often follow volume spikes, so use data aggregation sites to find suitable projects.

Trending Meme Coins

Third-party pricing websites like CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko have trending sections. This shows which meme cryptocurrencies have been trending in the past few hours. However, there have been accusations that trending meme coins are actually paid sponsorships, so it’s best to use a more transparent platform like DEXTools.

DEXTools uses an extensive methodology to ensure its list of trending cryptocurrencies is credible. This includes page views, volume spikes, buy and sell orders, liquidity, searches, and more. This means the listed cryptocurrencies are trending based on real data, leading to legitimate interest from the broader markets.

Conclusion

Meme coins are a speculative market that can offer life-changing gains or significant losses. Being a profitable meme coin trader requires dedication, risk management, and a solid strategy. Diversification is also important, ensuring your capital is spread across many different projects.

Our research shows that established meme coins like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu offer a lower risk-reward, potentially appealing to beginners. However, presales like Solaxy and BTC Bull Token are also worth exploring, especially if you’re interested in the newest meme coins.