Crypto glossary
Memecoin
A memecoin is a cryptocurrency inspired by an internet joke, animal or celebrity whose price depends mainly on community hype rather than any utility.
Dogecoin, created in 2013 as a parody featuring the Shiba Inu meme, is the original memecoin. It was followed by tokens such as Shiba Inu, PEPE and BONK. Most memecoins have little or no function beyond being traded, and their value rests on attention, social media momentum and the size of their community.
Launch platforms on Solana and other chains have made it possible to create a token in minutes for a few dollars, so thousands appear every day. Celebrities and politicians have launched their own, including the TRUMP token in January 2025.
Memecoins are among the riskiest assets in crypto. Prices can multiply in hours and collapse just as fast, insiders often hold large shares of the supply, and many launches end in rug pulls where creators sell everything. Buyers typically trade them on DEXs, where anyone can list a token, so copycat and fake tokens are common.
Example
A new memecoin launches on Solana with a $50,000 market cap, reaches $20 million within a day as it trends on social media and falls 90% the following week when early holders sell.
Try it with live data
Related terms
Latest articles on Memecoin
- Binance Hackers Use Fake Elon Musk and Animal Memecoins to Launder Stolen Funds
- Scaramucci Blames Trump Memecoins for CLARITY Act Setback
- Binance Sees $1.4 Billion MemeCoin Sell-Off Amid Market Uncertainty
- Pump.fun Taps Hyperliquid to Bring Leverage to Memecoin Traders
- Coin Metrics: Most Memecoins Never Recover After Their First Major Peak
