Introduction

In recent years, with the rapid iteration of blockchain technology and the flourishing development of the cryptocurrency market, meme coins have gradually evolved from community-driven internet culture symbols into a significant component of the crypto asset landscape. Their unique innovation and widespread market influence have prompted the industry to continuously explore their underlying potential and value.

To provide an in-depth analysis of this phenomenon and offer forward-looking, strategically significant industry insights, LBank Labs, in collaboration with MetaEra and Bee Network, has jointly released the “Top 10 Trending Memecoins of 2024” research report. This report rigorously examines the market, analyzing factors such as liquidity, community engagement, and market performance to identify the ten meme coins with the greatest growth potential in 2024, offering a comprehensive overview of their ecological value and development prospects.

Since the explosive growth of $DOGE in 2020, meme coins have become a vital narrative and an emerging investment asset in the cryptocurrency industry. Over the past year, despite a generally bearish market sentiment and underwhelming performance from most altcoins, meme coins have defied the trend, emerging as one of the fastest-growing sectors. Their allure of “overnight riches” has captured the attention of retail investors worldwide. Notably, in March, BOME achieved unprecedented success and joined the ranks of “Meme Legends,” igniting the market’s fervor for a vibrant Meme Summer.

According to data from Artemis Terminal, as of November 27, meme coins have delivered stellar performance in 2024, achieving a 261% year-to-date growth, making them the second-best-performing sector in the crypto space, trailing only RWA (Real World Assets).

(Source: Artemis Terminal)

Despite divided opinions among investors, meme coins have solidified their position as one of the best-performing and most actively traded narratives of 2024. Their strong performance is fundamentally driven by “attention premium” and “FOMO premium”, satisfying the speculative appetite of investors—particularly retail traders—by offering low transaction costs, fair token distribution, efficient issuance and trading mechanisms, and significant upside potential in the absence of compelling market narratives.

Meme Coin Market Analysis

Overview of Meme Coin Market Capitalization

Since the inception of meme coins in 2014, their market capitalization has experienced considerable volatility. The first significant surge occurred in Q2 2017, with a 1,198% increase, bringing the total market cap to $343 million. In Q1 2018, meme coins surpassed the $1 billion mark for the first time. By Q1 2021, their market cap had soared by 1,287%, reaching $7.2 billion, and later fluctuated between $3 billion and $60 billion.

(Source: CoinMarketCap)

During the crypto winter of 2022–2023, the overall meme coin market cap contracted and stabilized around $16 billion. However, in Q4 2023, meme coins demonstrated remarkable resilience, maintaining a market cap of $22 billion. Notably, even amid the market downturn from July to October this year, the total market cap of meme coins did not experience a significant decline, outperforming many VC-backed tokens and altcoins.

According to CoinMarketCap data, meme coins have shown a consistent growth trend in 2024, with their total market cap peaking at $120 billion and standing at $110 billion as of November 27.

• Q1 2024: Meme coins experienced a dramatic 213.42% growth, fueled by the emergence of BOME and SLERF and the rapid rise of Pump.fun, reaching a market cap of $68.9 billion on March 29.
• Q2 2024: The market exhibited a rise-and-fall pattern, peaking at $69.8 billion on April 1. Despite the overall crypto market downturn, meme coins declined by only 9.51% but rebounded with the momentum of the PolitiFi meme narrative during the U.S. presidential election, stabilizing above $45 billion.
• Q3 2024: Meme coins faced a 36.40% decline, bottoming out at $34.7 billion on August 6.
• Q4 2024: As of November 27, meme coins have shown an impressive 126.64% growth, driven by hot tokens like Neiro, MOODENG, GOAT, ACT, and PNUT, with the market cap reaching a peak of $125.6 billion on November 24.

Top 10 Trending Meme Coins

The following tokens have been identified based on a combination of factors, including market capitalization, popularity, and project success. 

1. Neiro and APU stood out as the top-performing meme coins of 2024, with maximum returns of 69,215% and 45,692%, respectively, leading the memecoin market.
2. Brett and BOME delivered exceptional performance, driven by their unique cultural appeal and innovative tokenomics. Brett focused on cultivating community culture and cross-industry collaborations with renowned brands, while BOME captured attention with its “Book of Meme” concept, cementing its status as a culture-driven meme coin.
3. SLERF, the first meme coin to adopt the Community Take Over (CTO) concept, became an unexpected hit due to its creative narrative and high user engagement.
4. GOAT and ACT, leveraging AI-driven themes, emerged as market highlights, showcasing the innovative potential of AI-integrated meme coins.

These meme coins are not merely speculative products but powerful expressions of cultural, technological, and community dynamics, demonstrating resilience and market influence.

BRETT

Inspired by Matt Furie’s Boy’s Club comic series, which features the iconic Pepe the Frog character, Brett has effectively leveraged meme culture to captivate its investor and fan community. By 2024, Brett had achieved significant milestones, including becoming the leading meme coin on the Base chain. Its community-driven growth and strategic partnerships have positioned it as one of the most promising meme coins of the year.

The tokenomics of Brett are designed to ensure stability and long-term growth. With 85% of its supply locked in liquidity pools and a deflationary model that gradually reduces total supply over time, Brett offers a compelling value proposition for both traders and long-term holders. Additionally, the rapid expansion of the Base ecosystem has further bolstered Brett’s utility and potential, opening up more opportunities for adoption and development.

Remarkably, Brett saw its market capitalization grow from under $10 million to nearly $2 billion in just 101 days. It became the third-fastest cryptocurrency to reach a $1.5 billion market cap. As of November 27, Brett’s market cap stands at $1.63 billion, down 13.76% from its peak.

Brett’s success is largely attributed to its robust community engagement. Through viral marketing and active social media campaigns, Brett has transcended being merely a meme coin to become a cultural phenomenon within the crypto space.

BOME

BOME (Book of Meme): Launched on March 14 by Pepe Meme artist Darkfarms, BOME is a Solana-based meme coin. Its initial token presale was conducted via Twitter, where Darkfarms invited users to contribute SOL to a designated wallet. While the initial fundraising goal was 500–600 SOL, the presale far exceeded expectations. A community vote determined how the funds would be allocated, and by March 15, BOME had raised 10,131 SOL.

In just three days, BOME achieved a 100x return and secured a listing on Binance, pushing its market capitalization past $2 billion. Its rapid success not only captured market attention but also ignited a presale frenzy within the Solana ecosystem, setting the stage for the Meme Summer hype.

The October 2023 surge in SOL and subsequent Jito airdrop attracted institutional and DeFi Degen interest, while Meme Summer drew retail investors to the Solana chain. Pump.fun, which followed BOME, injected new vitality into an already thriving Solana ecosystem.

While BOME has since peaked in influence, as of November 27, its market cap has declined to approximately $590 million—a 54.26% drop from its all-time high. Despite this downturn, its liquidity pool retains over 150,000 SOL. However, the coin has yet to experience a significant rebound post-listing.

SLERF

SLERF is a meme coin born from an unexpected turn of events, evolving into a phenomenon of performance art.

On March 17, SLERF raised over 50,000 SOL through Twitter. However, the founder later claimed to have accidentally burned the liquidity pool and reserved tokens. Initially thought to be the end of the project, the founder’s “anti-whale” stance struck a chord with investors, sparking a buying frenzy that drove the token’s price to soar.

Positioned as the “truly decentralized meme,” SLERF capitalized on the ICO hype and attracted a massive influx of users. It shattered BOME’s record by reaching a $100 million market cap in just 30 minutes. Within hours, its liquidity pool exceeded $100 million, ranking among the largest on-chain at the time.

During this period, SLERF’s founder partnered with LBank to launch a donation initiative. LBank not only made the first contribution but also served as the custodian for the donation address. As of June 14, the donation address had received over 40,000 SOL, which was used to compensate private investors impacted by the initial incident.

SLERF was later listed on LBank and Bitget, with its price reaching a peak of $1.30 and a market cap close to $700 million. By November 27, its market cap had fallen to $130 million, a 70.98% drop from its peak. Despite this decline, SLERF’s burn mechanism has maintained liquidity at over $70 million, with trading volume consistently exceeding millions of dollars daily.

APU 

Apu, also known as Peepo or Helper, is a derivative of the Pepe meme, portrayed as a younger, kinder, and more innocent version of Pepe. Often depicted with expressions of sadness or distress, Apu reflects a more empathetic and naive personality. Originating in Finland, the meme quickly gained international traction, amassing a significant following due to its relatability and emotional resonance.

On March 11, 2024, APU Apustaja was tokenized and deployed on the Ethereum blockchain. Since then, it has experienced a rapid rise in popularity within the cryptocurrency space. 

Despite early challenges, such as the departure of its developers, the resilient APU community remained united, demonstrating unwavering dedication to their beloved meme. In just over a month, APU Apustaja’s market cap surpassed $300 million. This rapid growth highlighted not only the immense potential of community-driven projects but also the enduring appeal of APU as an iconic internet character, sparking significant investor enthusiasm for its future.

Following the path of other successful meme tokens, the APU Apustaja community launched a series of innovative initiatives to enhance the token’s visibility. Their remarkable creativity and dedication led to listings on major exchanges like LBank, Bitget, and Gate, alongside the release of 11 community-created music albums on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify. The community also introduced APU-themed games and a 30-chapter legend book, further enriching the brand experience. Grassroots marketing efforts, such as stickers and posters, successfully drew increasing attention to APU Apustaja. With nearly 7,000 holders and 6,000 active Telegram members, APU Apustaja has become more than just a meme token—it embodies the resilience, unity, and transformative potential of meme culture within the cryptocurrency realm.

According to historical data, APU reached its all-time high of $0.001151 on March 15, achieving a market cap of nearly $390 million. As of November 27, APU’s market cap stabilized at $280 million, marking a decline of approximately 38.34% from its peak.

MEW

MEW, an acronym for “CAT IN A DOG’S WORLD,” is a leading cat-themed meme token on the Solana network. Built around a narrative of rebellion, compassion, and heroism, MEW projects a distinct feline identity that symbolizes a break from the dog-dominated meme market while reflecting a pursuit of fairness and camaraderie within the crypto community.

Officially launched on Solana on March 25, MEW adopted a value-driven strategy through a combination of burn mechanisms and airdrops to foster scarcity and community engagement. In its early phase, MEW distributed 10% of its token supply via airdrops to Solana ecosystem users, sparking widespread interest and discussions within hours of its release.

In April, MEW conducted further airdrops to holders of BONK, WIF, and Solana Saga 2 smartphones. It later achieved a significant milestone by listing on Upbit, a prominent Korean exchange, becoming the third meme token available for trading after DOGE and SHIBA. On November 18, MEW reached its all-time high of $0.01288, with a market cap exceeding $1 billion. By November 27, MEW’s market cap stood at $800 million, reflecting a 24.36% drop from its peak.

Notably, MEW partnered with renowned animation studio LOCUS Studios to enhance its brand appeal through high-quality animated content. This collaboration elevated MEW’s narrative and character design, establishing it as more than just a cryptocurrency but a cultural icon with broad appeal.

Neiro

Often referred to as the spiritual successor of Dogecoin, Neiro maintains a unique connection to internet culture and meme tokens. Like Doge, Neiro embodies the playful and community-driven spirit of the meme token ecosystem.

Launched on the Ethereum network on August 4, 2024, Neiro quickly captured market attention, even drawing the support of Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. Responding to the rapidly growing community, Buterin publicly endorsed Neiro and donated over $500,000 to animal welfare funds, marking a historic milestone.

After its original developers abandoned the project, Neiro was taken over by its community, becoming the first meme token fully governed under the ethos of a “Community Take Over” (CTO). 

Neiro’s listing on Binance significantly boosted investor interest and trading volumes. Since its launch, Neiro’s price surged over 5,000%, earning it a spot among the top 100 cryptocurrencies. Institutional investors, such as GSR Markets, have also shown strong confidence in Neiro’s long-term potential, purchasing millions of NEIRO tokens.

On November 12, Neiro reached its all-time high of $0.003093, with a market cap exceeding $1.24 billion. By November 27, Neiro’s price stabilized at $0.001698, with a market cap around $700 million, marking a 43.54% decline from its peak.

MOODENG

Inspired by a baby hippo born in July 2024 at Thailand’s Khao Kheow Zoo, Moo Deng, meaning “bouncing pork” in Thai, became an internet sensation due to its adorable expressions, particularly when being sprayed with water or cuddled by zookeepers. Its charm sparked a wave of fan art and memes, solidifying its status as an online celebrity.

The Moo Deng meme token, launched on the Solana-based platform Pump.fun, achieved remarkable success, with its market cap surpassing $100 million within weeks. In a recent survey, Moo Deng ranked as the most popular meme token, highlighting its widespread appeal among crypto enthusiasts.

On November 15, Binance announced the listing of MOODENG futures, causing the token’s price to surge over 100%. On September 28, MOODENG reached its all-time high of $0.6911, with a market cap of nearly $640 million. By November 27, MOODENG’s market cap remained at $337 million, reflecting a 43.83% decline from its peak.

GOAT

Goatseus Maximus is an unintended creative outcome driven by artificial intelligence, born from an experimental platform called “Truth Terminal”. This platform was designed specifically for the dissemination and experimentation of memes. Created by Andy Ayrey with support from the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), this AI combines humor and philosophy in its social media posts. By blending the concepts of “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) with elements of Greek mythology and Latin, it adds layers of cultural and comedic depth to memes.

The narrative took a pivotal turn when Marc Andreessen, a16z’s founder, interacted with the AI bot on Twitter. Inspired by a series of philosophical exchanges, Marc decided to fund Truth Terminal with $50,000 worth of Bitcoin, supporting its vision of gaining greater autonomy and expanding the Goatse Gospel into a tangible meme token economy.

As Truth Terminal actively promoted itself on Twitter, the Goatse Gospel quickly gained widespread attention. On October 10, an anonymous investor recognized the viral potential of this meme and launched GOAT, listing it on Pump.fun. GOAT’s market cap soared to a peak of $350 million within just a few days. Subsequently, through aggressive promotions on Twitter and Discord, along with a notable wealth effect in secondary markets like LBank, GOAT’s market cap surged past $1.3 billion. Despite its market cap dropping to $830 million as of November 27, down 38.01% from its all-time high, its influence remains profound.

The rise of GOAT highlights the convergence of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and meme culture, revealing the potential impact of AI on the crypto industry. This phenomenon has brought the fusion of AI and memes back into public discourse, sparking widespread discussions and interest.

ACT

AI Prophecy (ACT) is an AI-themed meme project based on the Solana blockchain, designed to leverage the growing influence of AI in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. The project uniquely integrates community interaction and cultural trends through autonomous AI agents. These AI agents enable unscripted, AI-driven interactions within dynamic environments while incorporating social networking elements. Unlike traditional projects, ACT’s AI agents can learn, adapt, and actively engage within simulated social contexts, continually optimizing user experiences. This approach fosters sustained user engagement, creating distinctive market dynamics and deep participation.

Since GOAT’s breakthrough, AI memes have rapidly emerged as one of the hottest sectors in crypto, with numerous projects vying for the “second-best” position in this space. Among them, ACT, as an infrastructure-oriented meme, was once considered a promising contender. However, one of its developers, AMP, repeatedly misled the community after receiving funding and sold off all his tokens, causing the token’s value to plummet by 50%, nearly destroying the project’s prospects.

Despite these setbacks, Wizard and other community members took over ACT, refusing to abandon the project. After multiple adjustments and revival efforts, ACT finally launched on LBank on October 22, bringing a glimmer of hope. Shortly after, its listing on Binance on November 11 sparked strong market enthusiasm, causing the price to surge and solidifying ACT’s position as the second-leading project in the AI meme sector, paving the way for its recovery and breakthrough.

According to CoinGecko, ACT reached an all-time high of $0.942 on November 14, with a market cap exceeding $800 million. As of November 27, ACT’s price has dropped to $0.4429, with its market cap stabilizing around $410 million, reflecting a 50.4% decline from its peak.

PNUT

Peanut ($PNUT) is a meme token issued on the Solana blockchain, created to pay tribute to New York City’s famous pet squirrel, Peanut. Peanut became an internet sensation through adorable videos shared by its owner, Mark Longo, captivating millions with its charming personality. However, in October 2024, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) confiscated Peanut due to laws prohibiting the keeping of wild animals and concerns about rabies, eventually euthanizing the beloved squirrel.

The story of Peanut’s capture and death quickly became a political flashpoint. Public mourning for Peanut’s tragic fate spread across the internet, amplified by figures like Elon Musk, turning the incident into a nationwide political movement and sparking widespread outrage.

On October 31, the squirrel-themed meme token PNUT was officially launched on the Solana blockchain. Following its debut on LBank on November 3 and Binance on November 11, PNUT experienced four consecutive days of price surges. On November 14, PNUT’s price peaked at $2.484, with its market cap exceeding $2.4 billion. As of November 27, PNUT’s price has dropped to $1.09, with a market cap of $1.1 billion, marking a 55.71% decline from its peak.

The overlap of external attention and internal narrative created a spillover effect of FOMO sentiment. Similar “rescue” narratives and themes began to emerge, such as $JORGIE (a monkey taken by police) and Free Shayne Coplan (an eagle associated with Polymarket’s founder’s arrest). However, only PNUT has managed to sustain notable market traction.

Conclusion

This wave of meme narratives, starting with BOME from pre-sales, has evolved into AI memes, with innovations and storytelling flourishing. Unlike VC coins that rely on fundamental analysis, meme tokens are predominantly driven by emotion, supported by community power. Meme tokens have become carriers of community values and market sentiment, repeatedly stoking users’ fantasies of sudden wealth. Today’s popular AI memes represent a novel asset issuance method through AI automation, making AI + memes one of the most practical and innovative experiments in the crypto space.

If traditional memes were once a celebration of grassroots users and retail investors, this Meme Summer has reignited the crypto community’s recognition of memes’ potential, with many established investment firms now actively participating in meme projects. In the near future, memes will undoubtedly become an indispensable component of the Web3 ecosystem.

After all, greatness cannot be planned. In the history of crypto, wasn’t Bitcoin itself the first meme token?

While promoting new meme tokens, it’s crucial to be wary of the influence of social media influencers. Many such tokens lack real-world value or utility, making them risky trades. Although there are success stories, most investors ultimately incur losses because these tokens derive value from social engineering. They are especially prone to pump-and-dump schemes, making them highly volatile.

Always ensure thorough research and sound risk management before trading.

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About MetaEra

MetaEra is a Hong Kong-based leading blockchain media platform dedicated to advancing the Web3 ecosystem and blockchain technology. With a focus on delivering high-quality news, in-depth analysis, and industry insights, MetaEra has become a trusted source of information for blockchain enthusiasts and professionals worldwide.

MetaEra covers a wide range of topics, including blockchain technology, cryptocurrency markets, decentralized finance (DeFi), NFTs, and the metaverse. Through its multilingual content and global reach, the platform bridges the gap between communities and fosters collaboration within the Web3 space.

In addition to its media coverage, MetaEra actively engages the industry through online seminars, expert interviews, and co-hosted events, positioning itself as a key player in promoting dialogue and innovation in the blockchain industry.

About Bee Network

Bee Network is a blockchain-based ecosystem designed to facilitate the widespread adoption of decentralized technology by providing an accessible and user-friendly platform. Through its mobile application, Bee Network enables users to earn Bee Tokens by participating in simple, daily activities, thereby lowering the barriers to entry for blockchain engagement.

With a vision to create a transparent, secure, and scalable ecosystem, Bee Network aims to expand the practical use cases of its token, including applications in payments, decentralized transactions, and broader blockchain functionalities. The platform’s community-driven approach fosters global engagement, and through ongoing technological development, Bee Network seeks to offer sustainable value and opportunities to its growing user base.