Meme coins sit where internet culture meets speculation. They began as parodies and have become one of the most traded — and most dangerous — corners of crypto.
Early internet memes (1990s–2000s)
Image boards, forums and early social networks created the shared jokes — image macros, reaction images, viral videos — that later became the raw material for meme coins.
The Dogecoin era (2013–2017)
Dogecoin launched in December 2013, created by Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer as a light-hearted alternative to Bitcoin, based on the "Doge" Shiba Inu meme. Its community used it for tipping and famously sponsored the Jamaican bobsleigh team in 2014.
First wave (2017–2020)
The ICO boom produced many meme-inspired tokens. Almost none lasted.
The celebrity era (2020–2021)
Posts by Elon Musk and others drove Dogecoin into the mainstream. DOGE peaked at around $0.70 in May 2021, the same month as Musk's appearance on Saturday Night Live — and then fell by more than 80%.
Imitators (2021–2022)
Shiba Inu (SHIB) and a wave of animal-themed tokens followed. Many copied the branding but not the staying power.
Multi-chain (2022–2023)
Meme coins spread beyond Ethereum, especially to Solana, where BONK launched in December 2022. PEPE, on Ethereum, surged in 2023.
The launchpad era (2024–present)
Launchpads made creating a token almost free, and millions were launched. Dog-themed WIF, politically themed tokens and celebrity coins drew huge volumes. The TRUMP token launched in January 2025; LIBRA collapsed within hours in February 2025.
The pattern
Each wave follows the same cycle: a novel story, rapid price gains, a flood of copies, then a steep decline in which most tokens never recover. Knowing this is the best defence. Use the meme filter in the Forecast Explorer to see how volatile these coins are today.
This article is for education only and is not financial advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any cryptoasset. Cryptoassets are high-risk; you could lose all the money you invest.