Will the Memecoin Hype Continue in 2025?

The past year saw exponential growth in the number of memecoins, leading to stories of both incredible successes and significant losses.

As we’ve stepped into 2025, a pivotal question arises: Will the memecoin phenomenon continue to dominate the crypto world, or has its moment of glory passed? To explore this, we’ve analyzed data and emerging trends that could shape the next chapter of memecoins.

Memecoins in 2024: a Quick Recap of Their Meteoric Rise   

In 2024, memecoins firmly established themselves as a significant part of the crypto world. They brought in millions of new users and hit impressive milestones, transforming from a niche trend into a recognized sector.

Here are some memecoin stats:

• From a $20 billion market cap in January 2024, memecoins grew to over $120 billion by December, representing a 500% increase over the year (source: DWF Labs).
• Memecoins were the second most profitable category of the year after AI tokens, with average yearly returns of 2,185% (source: CoinGecko).
• Solana positioned itself as the leader in memecoin activity (source: Messari).
• More than 4.4 million memecoins were launched through the Solana-based launchpad Pump.fun (source: Messari).

More than 4.4 memecoins were launched through Pump.fun in 2024. Source: Messari

Among the trending memecoins of the year were Dogwifhat (WIF), Goatseus Maximus (GOAT), Pepe (PEPE), and Fartcoin (FARTCOIN). 

What Are the Reasons Behind Memecoins’ Growth in 2024?  

Despite representing a small percentage of the overall crypto market, memecoins saw remarkable growth in 2024. Several factors contributed to this surge.

One key reason is their fun and relatable nature. Unlike altcoins that are deeply technical or abstract, memecoins thrive on humor, cultural relevance, and shared identity, making them particularly appealing to a broad audience. Successful memecoins often cultivate large, passionate communities that rally around the token, sharing goals and fostering a sense of belonging.

Related: Meme Coin Mania: How to Spot Meme Coins with Growth Potential?

Memecoins also come in various subcategories, including animal-themed coins, NFT-based coins, AI-driven coins, and tokens tied to social media trends, allowing them to tap into diverse interests and audiences.

The memecoin movement often feels like being part of a club or an inside joke, which is a powerful motivator for participation. For many, investing in memecoins isn’t just about financial gain – it’s about being part of something bigger, whether it’s a viral trend or a digital movement. During the US elections, for instance, political memecoins such as MAGA (TRUMP) and Joe Boden (BODEN) gained traction, showcasing the role of memes in political discourse.

Another great characteristic of memecoins is how they can bring people together for meaningful causes. For example, the Mira Token on Solana was launched to raise funds for a young girl diagnosed with cancer. The community sent half of the token’s supply to the girl’s father, Siqi Chen, while trading activity brought its market cap to over $42 million within hours.

The accessibility of memecoins also played a crucial role in their growth. User-friendly platforms like Pump.fun and Moonshot simplified the process of creating and trading tokens, encouraging widespread participation and innovation.

Finally, the potential for massive profits cannot be ignored. Stories of memecoins skyrocketing 10x in minutes drew a wave of investors eager to seize the opportunity, further fueling the sector's expansion.

Lessons Learned from the Gen Z Quant Incident and Celebrity Tokens  

Sometimes, focusing on hype makes it easy to overlook the risks of price manipulation, rug pulls, and value depreciation.

Did you hear about the teen who launched a token called Gen Z Quant ($QUANT) on Pump.fun and hyped it up during a livestream? 

As people started actively buying the token, he abruptly stopped the stream and sold his coins, earning about $30,000.

But there was a twist.

The crypto community didn’t just sit back and sulk – they retaliated by buying even more of the coin, driving its value to over $80 million. In doing so, they taught the streamer a lesson: he could have earned far more if he hadn’t rug-pulled investors.

This story serves as a perfect reminder of how easy it is to launch a memecoin today and the importance of thoroughly researching a token rather than jumping in because of hype.

Speaking of failures, we need to give credit to many celebrity coins. 

Most of the celebrity crypto projects, including Caitlyn Jenner's JENNER Token,  Adin Ross’s MILF Token, Davido’s DAVIDO, and Andrew Tate’s DADDY were a flop. They lack proper planning, and many end up being pump-and-dump schemes.

What’s Expected for Memecoins in 2025?  

Memecoins started 2025 strong with a market cap of over $104 billion and a daily trading volume of around $12 billion. Among the trending memecoins currently are PENGU, the native token of the Pengy Penguins NFT collection, and GOAT, associated with the decentralized AI chatbot, Truth Terminal.

It’s expected that memecoins will maintain strong performance throughout the year. The basis for this expectation is developments in blockchain infrastructure, improved transaction speeds, lower costs, and a simplified user experience.

Due to memecoins’ high-risk, high-reward nature, traders are likely to continue seeking profit opportunities in the sector.

According to memecoin influencer Murad, the total market cap of memecoins will surpass $1 trillion this year. During his speech at Token2049 in Singapore in 2024, he predicted a Memecoin Supercycle in 2025, with tokens going parabolic and mission-based memecoins achieving the largest market caps.

That being said, memecoins are not the only hot trend in crypto. Currently, there’s a surge in AI tokens driven by AI agent platforms. AI tokens were the top-performing category by average price gains in 2024, achieving 2,939% and challenging memecoins.

Top crypto categories by profits. Source: CoinGecko

Dragonfly Capital’s managing partner Haseeb Quresh predicted that AI agents will continue outperforming memecoins in 2025. 

Memecoins will continue to lose market share to ‘AI agent’ coins. I consider this a migration from financial nihilism to financial over-optimism,

he said in a post on X.

Emerging Memecoin Trends in 2025   

As a dynamic sector, memecoins are set for shifts and changes in 2025. There’s a growing focus on memecoins' utility, with more practical use cases emerging, such as integration with AI-powered tools, DeFi, payment systems, NFTs, and gaming platforms.

Vitalik Buterin previously published a paper titled ‘What else could memecoins be?’, highlighting their potential to go beyond jokes and speculation. According to the Ethereum founder, memecoins could play a greater role in public projects, charity initiatives, and blockchain applications.

A rapidly rising trend is AI memecoins, which incorporate AI tools and agents in their creation. AI agent-related memecoins, like Virtual Protocol’s LUNA, often include interactive features, such as adaptive user engagement or personalized token mechanics, making them more engaging and adaptable to user preferences.

According to CoinMarketCap, AI meme tokens currently have a market cap of over $6.8 million, demonstrating steady growth as more innovative projects emerge. Notable examples include ai16z (AI16Z), Zerebro (ZEREBRO), and Turbo (TURBO).

Memecoins are also likely to see an increase in community-driven initiatives, such as fair token launches and decentralized governance models. Simplified tools like meme-focused launchpads and mini-apps are expected to lower barriers for token creation and distribution, attracting more newcomers to the crypto space and empowering communities to drive adoption.

Overall, memecoins are maturing, and 2025 is likely to bring exciting developments and strong performance from this category.