The meme coin space has completely evolved from the early Dogecoin days. Sure, you still get plenty of obvious rug pulls and celebrity cash grabs, but buried in all that noise are legitimate projects with actual communities and utility. The most popular meme coins right now include Bitcoin Hyper, Maxi Doge, and LIQUIDCHAIN.

In this space, the real value is in knowing to spot the ones with actual utility, viral trend, or hyped communities.

Below, we’ll break down the best meme coins to buy in 2026, what makes them different from the thousands of copycats, and how to spot the next moonshot before it takes off.

Best Meme Coins July 2026

What Are the Best Meme Coins to Buy Right Now?

1. Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) – Bitcoin Layer 2 with Solana Virtual Machine Power

 

5. SpaceXRP ($SPACEXRP) – The New Community-Oriented Meme Coin With Unique Utility

SpaceXRP is a popular community-driven meme token built on the XRP Ledger and centered around an adorable canine astronaut mascot called Dripple. Holders who engage with the activities on the chain participate in “missions” and contests built around XRP news cycles, intended to build hype for the token and its ecosystem.

SpaceXRP is in its presale stage currently with 95 percent of its 100 billion token supply locked. The team plans to make allocations toward marketing, community missions, and staking. Currently, its staking rewards are remarkably high, though they will likely drop over time as more investors stake. Users who participate in the community will get to be involved in “Bark Quests,” NFT drops, and an upcoming To Mars! game.

Some of the marketing so far has emphasized audits and transparent mechanics. But, SpaceXRP is most definitely a meme coin in its early stages that has a speculative appeal. It’s tied to the hype around XRP and has a lot of community energy, if not a lot of proven utility as of yet. While the coin does seem to have a great deal of potential, it is still a new and unproven coin that carries quite a bit of risk.

Find out more about meme coins:

• What Is a Meme Coin?
• Best Ethereum Meme Coins
• Best Meme Coins to Invest in Now

Visit SpaceXRP Presale

6. Gassed Token ($GASSED) – Taking Fart Meme Coins to Another Level

Gassed ($GASSED) is quickly shaping up to be one of the freshest and most authentic meme coins to hit the Solana blockchain. We are talking about a project that takes crypto humor to the next level. It is inspired by the frustration of Ethereum’s sky-high gas fees, and turns that annoyance into entertainment with its motto of “fart-tueled finance.”

The project’s standout feature is the Click-to-Fart game, where players tap their screens to make digital characters “let one rip” and climb a global leaderboard. Every click contributes to the total fart count, and top performers can earn rewards in $GASSED. It is silly, fun, and perfectly suited for the degen energy. 

With 50% of tokens going to the community Fart Fund, 20% for marketing, and additional allocations for staking and liquidity, $GASSED shows it’s built for both growth and engagement. The roadmap teases NFT “Fart Skins,” meme collaborations, and even real-life “Gassed Parties” powered by beans.

Find out more about meme coins:

• What Is a Meme Coin?
• Best Dog Meme Coins to Buy
• Best Solana Meme Coins to Buy
• Best Meme Coins to Invest in Now

Visit Gassed Token Presale

7. Dogecoin ($DOGE) – The Original Meme Coin That Started It All

Dogecoin is the original meme project. Dedicated to a Shiba Inu dog called Kabosu, it launched in 2013 as a “joke”. Dogecoin had little traction in its early years. It was used as a tipping currency on Reddit, but struggled in the price performance department. That all changed during the 2020/21 bull cycle.

One of the world’s most influential people, Elon Musk, took a significant public interest in Dogecoin, labeling it the “People’s Currency”. Musk mentioned Dogecoin in multiple tweets and real-world appearances, causing hype and fear of missing out (FOMO) in the broader markets.

Today, Dogecoin is the de facto meme coin. It has the largest market capitalization and the most unique token holders. While Dogecoin has no utility, this could change with Musk’s front-seat position in the Trump administration. For instance, some experts predict that Dogecoin could be the primary currency backing an X “super app”.

Find out more about Dogecoin:

• Dogecoin Website
• Dogecoin Whitepaper

8. Shiba Inu ($SHIB) – Second-Largest Meme Crypto and Doge’s “Biggest Rival”

It’s the second-largest by market cap, surpassing a $40 billion valuation at its peak. As the name suggests, this meme is based on the Shiba Inu dog breed, just like Dogecoin. It also boasts several million holders, from casual investors to fully-fledged crypto whales.

Like most meme projects, Shiba Inu was initially launched without any use cases. It relied on aggressive marketing and hype, claiming to offer a second chance for those missing Dogecoin’s pricing rally. However, Shiba Inu’s development team has created many benefits for long-term holders.

For example, Shiba Inu’s metaverse allows holders to buy virtual land. Purchased land is backed by Ethereum NFTs, ensuring private and secure ownership on the blockchain. ShibaSwap is another utility-driven feature, allowing holders to trade Shiba Inu via decentralized pools. Not to mention earn competitive yields when providing liquidity.

Find out more about Shiba Inu:

• Shiba Inu Website
• Shiba Inu Whitepaper

8. Pepe ($PEPE) – From Comic Book Character to $9 Billion Phenomenon

Pepe is based on Pepe the Frog, a popular character from the Boy’s Club comic series. It launched in early 2023 when the wider meme markets were bearish. Even so, Pepe was an instant hit with crypto communities.

Pepe has witnessed extreme volatility since its inception. It enjoyed a prolonged upside in late 2024, with retail-centric trading platforms like Robinhood and Coinbase listing Pepe for trading. This resulted in Pepe hitting a market capitalization of over $9 billion.

Today, Pepe trades at a significant discount, like most meme coins. In terms of use cases, Pepe is a conventional meme coin, meaning it was created purely for hype and speculation. Its tokenomics is, however, notable. The entire supply of over 420 trillion tokens is in the public float. The supply is also capped, ensuring new tokens can’t be created.

Find out more about Pepe:

• Pepe Website

9. OFFICIAL TRUMP ($TRUMP) – The First Official Presidential Meme Coin

OFFICIAL TRUMP is one of the most popular shitcoins and the official meme coin backed by Donald Trump, the 47th President of the United States. Trump’s meme coin was launched just days before his 2025 Inauguration, leading to criticism in some circles. The announcement was made on Truth Social and X, with the markets responding immediately.

Within hours, OFFICIAL TRUMP went from about $7 to over $70, meaning significant gains for those getting in early. However, built on the Solana blockchain, OFFICIAL TRUMP has highly unfavorable tokenomics. 80% of the total supply is controlled by the Trump team, including insiders and developers.

Although those tokens are locked in various vesting schedules, the first batch was released in April 2025. The likelihood is substantial selling pressure, with insiders cashing out their proceeds. This could lead to a much broader sell-off, even if OFFICIAL TRUMP is backed by a sitting President.

Find out more about OFFICIAL TRUMP:

• Official Trump Website

10. Pudgy Penguins ($PENGU) – The Native Token Behind One of the Most Successful NFT Collections

Pudgy Penguins was one of a handful of pioneering NFT collections that helped kick off NFT summer, popularizing the entire asset class. It’s a simple collection of 8,888 generative NFTs featuring adorable and quirky penguins, but it is still one of the most valuable and popular collections in the world. 

The project has been extremely ambitious, with incredibly successful physical toys and even major deals with Walmart and Amazon. Perhaps its most difficult project was launching $PENGU, its very own meme coin that is designed to power an entire ecosystem around the NFTs: Pudgy World. In fact, it seems to be the very first attempt to build such a system, which has since taken the NFT market by storm.

In Pudgy World, players can interact with their Pudgy Penguins to earn rewards. $PENGU token is built to unlock various perks, rewards, and experiences, including merch drops. But the idea isn’t just to reward their NFT holders. It wants to bring in a much larger community to experience Pudgy World.

The token’s supply is hard-capped at 88 billion, and a whopping 25.9% is allocated to rewarding the Pudgy community. Another 24.12% is set aside to increase adoption by rewarding cross-community engagement through collabs with all kinds of different projects on multiple blockchains.

Find out more about Pudgy Penguins:

• Pudgy Penguins Website
• Pudgy Penguins on X

What Are Meme Coins?

Meme coins are cryptocurrencies that typically have little to no use cases. They’re often based on popular or trending internet memes, topics, animals, and, more recently, political figures. The original meme project, Dogecoin, is the largest project in this space. It boasts millions of loyal holders and a multi-billion dollar market capitalization.

Meme tokens are highly speculative, with most people buying them just to make money. This makes them extremely volatile. Even so, they are the best-performing niche within the crypto markets, and can explode by significant amounts in a short time frame.

There’s a lot to consider when choosing the best meme coins to buy. For a start, seasoned investors look for strong communities, solid price performance, and sustainable tokenomics. Risk management strategies are also important when investing in these coins, such as diversification and stop-loss orders.

How Do Meme Coins Work?

Now that we’ve covered the top coins in this space, let’s take a closer look at how meme tokens work and how this speculative market functions.

Based on Meme Culture, Animals, or Popular Trends

First, meme coins are based on a specific narrative rather than anything innovative or technical. For instance, some of the best meme coins to buy are based on dogs. Examples include Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, Bonk, dogwifhat, FLOKI, and Ski Mask Dog. Cat-themed coins are also becoming popular, such as Popcat, Mochi, Toshi, and Mog Coin.

Meme coins are frequently dedicated to popular trends and political figures, too. In addition to OFFICIAL TRUMP, political meme coins include Melania Meme, Department of Government Efficiency, and MAGA. Ultimately, there are no limitations when launching meme coins, with millions created this year alone.

Meme Coins Are Launched on Existing Blockchains

Next, it’s important to know that anyone can create a meme coin. User-friendly platforms (like Pump.Fun) make the process fast, cost-effective, and seamless. No coding or programming knowledge is needed – meme ICO creators simply need to provide the name, ticker symbol, and total supply. The newly created coin is then added to an existing blockchain ecosystem.

The most popular blockchain for meme coins is Solana, considering its low-fee structure. However, Ethereum meme coins are also popular. Up-and-coming meme crypto networks include Base, TON, and Arbitrum. Either way, anyone can buy and sell coins once they’re launched.

Trading and Meme Coin Price Performance

Meme coins are traded on crypto exchanges, with prices determined by demand and supply. Similar principles can be found in the traditional stock market. Increasing buying pressure means higher demand, allowing the price to appreciate. Conversely, enhanced selling pressure means weakened demand, resulting in declining prices.

Almost all meme cryptos are initially launched on decentralized exchanges (DEX). No formal application or approval is needed – anyone can add a new coin to a DEX by providing liquidity. The best cryptocurrencies to buy, however, trade on centralized exchanges (CEX) like Binance, Kraken, and Coinbase.

These platforms not only boast millions of active users but also significant liquidity and trading volumes. As such, meme cryptos securing major CEX listings often perform well. They have access to a much wider audience, including retail clients wishing to invest with credit cards, e-wallets, and other convenient methods.

Making Money From Meme Coins

Unlike Bitcoin, which is best viewed as a long-term investment, meme coins are typically traded in the short term. The best ones can produce massive returns for days or weeks before losing momentum. Prices can then capitulate quickly, with investment capital shifting into other meme projects.

This highlights that meme coin investors should actively monitor and research the markets. It’s often about getting in early and locking in profits before a major reversal. Popcat, for instance, enjoyed a sizable rally in 2024, peaking with a market capitalization of about $1.9 billion. The Popcat price has since declined by almost 90%.

Why Are Meme Coins Popular?

Meme coins are traded 24/7 globally, with millions of market participants looking for the next 1000x gem. But why are they so popular with crypto holders?

Low Barrier to Entry

Meme coins have a very low barrier to entry, meaning they’re highly accessible. Unlike regulated securities, anyone can buy and sell meme coins online. All that’s needed is some cryptocurrency and a self-custody wallet. Traders can then connect to a DEX like Uniswap, PancakeSwap, or Raydium, with no identifying documents needed to open an account.

Purchased meme coins are deposited straight into the trader’s wallet for safekeeping. Selling is also seamless – the same DEX trading process is used but in reverse. Meme markets are inclusive, with no restrictions on nationality, investor status, or budget.

Community-Driven

Communities sit at the heart of successful meme coin projects. Projects like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu have millions of loyal holders. Communities help them become mainstream, typically through social media engagement and hype; for instance, by sharing and liking posts on X and Reddit.

Holders often feel part of a bigger movement, defending their coins from so-called FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt). Similar concepts can’t be found in the traditional investing scene. Holding a blue-chip stock like Microsoft or IBM provides no emotional connection to these companies.

High Profit Potential

Some meme coins can produce tremendous returns. This is especially true when buying a meme coin early, with new launches often possessing small market capitalizations. Not only does this provide a first-mover advantage, but small-cap coins have plenty of growth potential.

• For example, when Pepe launched in April 2023, it was trading at just $0.000000005514.
• Let’s suppose you invested just $500. This would have converted to about 90 billion Pepe tokens.
• Fast forward to December 2024, and Pepe hit an all-time high of $0.00002825.
• Those 90 billion Pepe tokens would have been worth over $2.5 million at their peak.
• This represents a solid return for a $500 outlay.

Pepe is just one example of many. Investing in meme coins before they explode can be highly profitable, and is the key reason why they are so popular. Everyone wants the next Pepe or Shiba Inu, allowing them to achieve substantial gains without risking a large amount of money.

Affordable for All Budgets

Meme coins are affordable for all budgets. Whether you’re looking to risk a few or thousands of dollars, meme coin trading is financially inclusive. The best crypto exchanges come without minimum trading requirements, so investors can risk amounts they’re comfortable losing.

What’s more, unlike Bitcoin, budget-conscious investors don’t need to buy a small fraction of a meme crypto. Most projects have huge supplies, often at least a billion tokens. For instance, consider a $10 purchase in Shiba Inu. Based on current prices, that would yield over 800,000 tokens.

Short-Term Appeal

Another reason why these coins are so popular is their short-term appeal. Investors don’t need to hold for multiple years to witness notable profits. In contrast, traditional investors often hold S&P 500 index funds for several decades, hoping to average annualized returns of 10%.

In meme coin trading, 10% returns can be achieved in hours or even minutes. Similarly, explosive gains of 1,000% or more can be secured in days or weeks. This short-term mindset is why meme participation continues to rise, even with the high risk of financial losses.

24/7 Trading

These tokens trade on crypto exchanges 24 hours per day, seven days per week. This is unlike the traditional financial markets, which typically operate during standard business hours. As such, stock investors can’t buy or sell until the markets reopen, potentially causing liquidity issues or missed opportunities.

Conversely, meme coin investors simply need to connect to an online exchange to place orders, no matter the time or day. However, do note that meme coin trading volumes decline substantially over the weekend. The result is often enhanced volatility and lower liquidity, so keep this in mind before trading.

How We Selected the Best Meme Coins

Let’s move on to our research methods. Read on to learn how to find meme coin projects before they explode.

Community Engagement

One of the most important metrics when choosing meme coins to watch is the project’s community. Irrespective of use cases, strong and loyal communities can help these coins become mainstream. Just look at Shiba Inu’s journey. It went from a newly launched token to a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse in months.

A similar path was seen with FLOKI, Bonk, and Pepe. Several steps can be taken when analyzing a meme coin community. A good starting point is to check its core socials – Telegram and X.

• Telegram: Telegram is typically used for day-to-day communication. Not only between like-minded holders but also in discussions with the team. Assess how many members the Telegram group has, and whether this figure is rising or falling. Importantly, ensure membership numbers aren’t artificially inflated by bots. You’ll know whether this is the case by seeing how active and natural the discussions are. Limited conversations mean the group is likely dominated by bots.
• X: X is the most active place for meme engagement. Known as “CT” or “Crypto Twitter”, X attracts millions of investors daily. Similar to Telegram, check how many subscribers the project has. Evaluate engagement, including how many views and comments each post gets. You should also see if accounts with large followings have engaged with the project, such as sharing or mentioning it.

Another method is to explore how many unique token holders the token has – the more, the better. Look for trends, too. For instance, it’s a good sign if token holders consistently increase.

Market Capitalization

Market capitalization is another important factor when assessing projects. Projects with a large market cap are the most popular, such as Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and Pepe. These meme coins benefit from significant trading volumes and liquidity, making them easy to trade.

However, large-cap meme cryptocurrency offers a lower upside. Similar to blue-chip stocks like Apple and NVIDIA, higher growth requires substantial capital inflows. This also means lower volatility levels, which will appeal to more risk-averse traders. Conversely, most meme cryptocurrencies have a small market capitalization.

While more volatile and risky, small-cap meme cryptocurrency can produce unprecedented returns.

• For example, suppose you purchase a coin that’s valued at $500,000.
• It could easily increase by 10x with modest buying pressure.
• Even so, that project would be worth just $5 million, meaning further upside opportunities.

Although not entirely impossible, large-cap memes like Shiba Inu will struggle to achieve 10x gains. Shiba Inu was valued at about $40 billion at its peak. 10x growth would require a mega-cap valuation of $400 billion. This is considerably more difficult to achieve than a $500,000 project hitting $5 million.

Exchange Listings

We mentioned that the best meme coins to buy today generally trade on tier-one CEXs, such as Binance and Coinbase. Conversely, new and small-cap meme coins trade on DEXs, which have limited volumes and liquidity. Therefore, exchange listings should be considered when selecting meme coins to purchase.

For instance, if you’re looking for undervalued gems with 100x potential, DEXs are the way to go. However, if you prefer more stable trading conditions with sufficient liquidity, look for coins on CEXs. It’s also wise to keep an eye on new exchange listings from the leading platforms. This can cause an immediate price rally, especially if it’s a major CEX.

Price Performance

Seasoned investors will analyze pricing data when searching for meme coins that will explode. The best practice is to compare price trends with wider market conditions. For instance, suppose the total value of all meme coins has increased by 15% in the past week. You’ve discovered a coin with 90% gains over the same period.

This is a good sign, as that coin has vastly outperformed the market. Researching other time frames is also wise. Consider the 1-hour and daily charts for short-term trends. Monthly and quarterly trends are better for longer-term analysis. Either way, it’s best to focus on coins that consistently outperform the industry benchmarks.

Ecosystem Trends

Capital flows often move from one blockchain to the next. Being aware of existing and future trends is crucial to maximizing coin profits. For example, Solana meme coins enjoyed a prolonged rally in 2024. Popcat, Bonk, and dogwifhat are just some examples. OFFICIAL TRUMP, Melania Meme, and other public figure coins also opted for Solana.

However, it’s also worth exploring Sui meme coins or even XRP meme coins. These blockchains aren’t known for meme culture, but increased trading activity has been witnessed recently. Base, the ecosystem backed by Coinbase, is another narrative to keep an eye on. Base meme coins like Brett, Toshi, and Mochi are increasing their holder numbers rapidly.

Tokenomics

We also analyzed the tokenomics when choosing where to invest. First, we only considered projects that have been audited by reputable smart contract firms. The underlying contract should be evaluated for its legitimacy, ensuring no malicious vulnerabilities.

After that, we analyzed the supply dynamics, such as:

• Supply Cap: Meme coins with a limited token supply are preferred. The founders can’t create new tokens, protecting holders from inflationary pressures.
• Circulating Supply: Another important metric, the circulating supply, is the percentage of tokens in the public float. For instance, if 90% is already in circulation, just 10% is held by the team. While not ideal, dumping 10% of the supply wouldn’t be overly catastrophic. However, more than 50% of the supply being held by the team is high risk, considering the consequences of a dump.
• Token Distribution: Experienced meme coin traders will also explore the token distribution. For example, if 80% of the supply is held by just 10 wallets, this is a major red flag. Those 10 wallets could be controlled by insiders. Alternatively, it could be crypto whales, meaning market manipulation is possible.

The best way to research tokenomics, including supply and distribution, is through on-chain data. These platforms extract information from the blockchain, such as wallet balances, transactions, and smart contract deployment. Consider DexTools or DexScreener – both offer free plans.

Latest Trading News

What Are the Risks of Investing in Meme Coins?

This section explores the risks of meme coin investing in more detail. Read on for the core drawbacks and how to mitigate them.

Extreme Volatility

This speculative market won’t be suitable if you can’t handle wild pricing swings. Consider that many meme coins have declined by over 80% from their all-time highs in recent months. These are substantial losses, and you can easily lose all the money you invest in a project that goes nowhere.

For instance, suppose you bought dogwifhat in March 2024 when it peaked at $4.85. Today, that investment would be worth 87% less. That said, these volatility levels don’t point to a failed project. On the contrary, many successful meme coins have witnessed similar declines. They’re often just market corrections responding to broader sentiment.

Potential for Serious Losses

According to research, 97% of meme coins end up “dead”. This means investors are left holding worthless tokens, with no means to recoup their investment losses. The most important factor is that meme cryptocurrency investments are only made with capital you’re prepared to lose.

Put otherwise, these coins should be viewed similarly to gambling. This means never risking funds required for core expenses, such as rent, taxes, fuel, and food. Unfortunately, many market participants do the exact opposite, leading to reckless and emotion-driven decisions.  This is the worst way to approach any kind of investment.

Liquidity Issues

Not all meme coins boast large market capitalizations. Sure, the likes of Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and Pepe are still valued at several billion dollars, even though they trade at a small fraction of their all-time high. The result is that large-cap meme coins benefit from vast liquidity, making it seamless to enter and exit the market.

However, this is the exception to the rule. The vast majority of them have small market capitalizations and limited trading volumes. Especially those that trade solely on DEXs. The issue is that weak liquidity can make it difficult to cash out. After all, sellers require buyers who are willing to pay their asking price.

Meme Coins Scams

The biggest risk with these tokens is that they can be outright crypto scams. This will invariably mean you’re left holding worthless tokens.

Common scams can include:

Honeypots

A honeypot scam is where the founder creates a malicious smart contract. In simple terms, the underlying code enables the scammer to perform certain functions that will disadvantage investors. For instance, it could prevent anyone but the founder from selling.

This would mean the coin’s price constantly increases, considering only buy orders are permitted. The scammer will eventually cash out, leaving victims with serious losses. According to the BBC, one of the most infamous honeypot scams was Squid Game Token, which netted millions of dollars in criminal proceeds.

Rug Pulls

Another common scam is a rug pull. In this scam, the founders promote the project as the next big thing, often with aggressive marketing tactics and even influencer partnerships. The rug pull happens when the liquidity pool is removed from a DEX, with the scammers disappearing with the funds.

Ultimately, stopping scams is increasingly becoming challenging. Not only can meme coins be launched and added to exchanges anonymously, but the market is unregulated. We discuss risk mitigation strategies later in this guide.

Do Meme Coins Have Any Utility?

When a cryptocurrency has utility, it means that people have a reason to buy and hold the tokens beyond just financial speculation. So that begs the question: Do meme coins have utility and use cases, or are they intrinsically worthless?

Our research shows that the vast majority of meme coins don’t have utility, let alone a functioning website, whitepaper, or roadmap targets. Again, the key issue is that anyone can create them. Neither blockchain knowledge nor developer skills are needed. “Creators” simply need to choose a meme coin name and narrative, and pay a small fee to launch.

However, we should mention that some meme cryptocurrencies have built use cases for their communities. A good example is FLOKI. This meme coin has developed a play-to-earn game called Valhalla. It doubles as a metaverse with open-world experiences, earning opportunities, and land ownership via NFTs.

Another example is Shiba Inu, the world’s second-largest meme coin by market capitalization. Shiba Inu’s ecosystem includes a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), metaverse, and decentralized finance (DeFi) products. While utility offers increased value for long-term holders, just remember that most people still only buy meme coins to make a profit.

How to Buy Meme Coins

Most meme coins don’t trade on major exchanges like Binance or Coinbase, so you’ll need to use decentralized exchanges (DEXs) to buy them. This step-by-step guide walks you through the entire process from start to finish.

Step 1: Set Up a Self-Custody Wallet

You can’t use DEXs without a self-custody wallet since these platforms don’t accept credit cards or bank transfers. Download a trusted wallet like MetaMask for desktop or Best Wallet for mobile devices.

Create your account and write down your seed phrase in a safe place – losing this means losing access to your funds forever. Never share your seed phrase with anyone, and never store it digitally.

Step 2: Add Base Cryptocurrency to Your Wallet

You need the blockchain’s native currency to buy meme coins on that network. For Ethereum meme coins, buy ETH. For Solana meme coins, buy SOL. You can purchase these directly through most wallet apps using your credit or debit card.

Best Wallet accepts Visa, MasterCard, and Google/Apple Pay for instant purchases. Alternatively, buy on a centralized exchange like Coinbase and transfer to your wallet.

Step 3: Find the Right DEX for Your Meme Coin

Different blockchains use different DEXs. Ethereum meme coins typically trade on Uniswap, while Solana meme coins use Raydium or Jupiter.

Visit the appropriate DEX website and connect your wallet by clicking the “Connect Wallet” button. Your wallet app will ask you to approve the connection, so you should confirm it to proceed.

Step 4: Locate the Meme Coin Contract Address

Most meme coins aren’t listed by name on DEXs due to the sheer number of tokens. Find the official contract address from the project’s website, Twitter, or verified sources like CoinMarketCap. Copy this address exactly – one wrong character means you could buy a fake token or lose your money entirely.

Step 5: Set Up Your Trade

Paste the contract address into the DEX’s token search field. The meme coin should appear with its name and symbol. Enter the amount you want to spend in the “from” field (your base crypto like ETH or SOL). The DEX will show how many meme coins you’ll receive. Check the slippage tolerance and set it between 5-15% for most meme coins since they can be volatile.

Step 6: Review and Confirm the Transaction

Double-check all details before confirming: the token name, contract address, amount, and estimated gas fees. Gas fees can be high during network congestion, so consider timing your purchase during off-peak hours. Click “Swap” or “Buy” and approve the transaction in your wallet. The trade usually completes within 1-2 minutes.

Step 7: Verify Your Purchase

Check your wallet to confirm the coins arrived. They should appear in your token list, though you might need to add the token manually using the contract address. Keep track of your purchase price and set up price alerts if you plan to trade actively.

Important Safety Tips:

• Always verify contract addresses from official sources
• Start with small amounts until you’re comfortable with the process
• Keep some base cryptocurrency for gas fees when selling
• Never connect your wallet to suspicious websites

Where to Find New Meme Coins

To find new coins before they explode, you need to know where the crypto community actually discovers and discusses these projects. Most successful traders don’t rely on traditional news sources, but they dig deeper into the places where trends start.

Social media platforms:

• Twitter/X – Follow crypto influencers, meme accounts, and search hashtags like #memecoin, #solana, or #ethereum. Many projects launch with Twitter announcements and build communities there first.
• Telegram groups – Join active trading groups where members share new discoveries. Popular groups like “Meme Alerts” and “Solana Gems” often spot projects early.
• Discord servers – Many blockchain communities have dedicated channels for discussing new tokens. Solana’s Discord and Ethereum developer servers frequently promote new projects.
• Reddit communities – r/CryptoMoonShots, r/SatoshiStreetBets, and blockchain-specific subreddits regularly feature new launches.

Crypto discovery tools:

• DEX screening websites – Platforms like DexScreener, DexTools, and PooCoin track new token pairs as they launch on decentralized exchanges. Sort by “newest” to find fresh projects.
• Token launch platforms – Pump.fun (Solana) and similar launchpads showcase new coins as they deploy. These platforms often feature the earliest-stage projects.
• CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko – Check their “Recently Added” sections, though coins listed here are typically past the earliest opportunity.

Direct from projects:

• Project websites and official announcements – Follow blockchain foundation accounts and developer updates for hints about upcoming trends.
• Community votes and proposals – Some exchanges announce upcoming listings through community voting, giving you advance notice.

The best discoveries happen during market volatility or after major crypto events. New coins often launch during bull runs or in response to viral internet trends. Set up Google Alerts for terms like “new meme coin launch” and follow the most active discovery channels daily rather than checking sporadically.

How to Avoid Meme Coin Scams

Meme coin scams are now a billion-dollar industry. Many scams can be avoided by knowing what factors to look for. Read on to protect your trading capital from rug pulls, honeypots, and other fraudulent activities.

Verify That the Smart Contract Has Been Audited

The first and most important step is verifying the smart contract. All meme projects have a unique contract that dictates key factors, such as the initial supply and whether tax is charged on transactions. Scammers will often insert malicious terms into the smart contract, allowing them to profit from existing holders.

For example, the smart contract might prevent anyone but the founder from selling. It could also enable the founder to create an unlimited number of tokens. These will be dumped on the markets accordingly. Another strategy is to implement a massive transaction tax, such as 99%. That tax would be transferred to the scammer’s wallet.

Fortunately, blockchain security firms like CertiK Coinsult specialize in smart contract audits. They analyze the respective contract and publish their findings for public viewing. Therefore, if you’re looking at a meme coin that hasn’t been audited, there’s a very good chance it’s a scam.

Verify Whether the Liquidity Pool has Been Locked

The next step is to verify the liquidity pool. As mentioned, new coins typically trade on DEXs until they gain traction. These projects must add liquidity to the DEX, enabling buyers and sellers to trade without needing other market participants. This will be an equal balance of the respective coin and a major crypto like ETH or SOL.

Now, if the liquidity pool isn’t locked, the meme coin founder can withdraw it at any time. They’ll often do this once enough traders have purchased the meme coin, meaning the pool contains sufficient ETH, SOL, or whatever major crypto it’s paired with. Once the liquidity is withdrawn, existing holders will be left with worthless tokens that can’t ever be sold.

The good news is that it takes seconds to check whether the liquidity has been locked.

• First, get the coin’s unique smart contract address (usually available on the project’s website or social media page).
• Then, go to DexTools and paste the copied contract address in the search bar.
• Click the coin that appears and look for the “Liquidity” field from the left-hand sidebar.

If the liquidity has a lock icon, this means it’s locked. Clicking the icon shows how long it’s locked for. No lock icon means the founder can withdraw the liquidity at any point, meaning a rug pull.

Review the Total and Circulating Supplies

Analyzing the coin supply will also help you avoid scams. There are two important metrics here.

• First, check the “total” supply. This is the total number of tokens that have been created. Let’s say it’s 1 billion tokens.
• Next, check the “circulating” supply. This is the number of tokens that are in the public float. This means they trade on exchanges or are held in wallets (non-insiders).

The best meme coins have the vast majority of their tokens in circulation. For example, Bonk’s total supply is about 88.8 trillion tokens. Currently, about 77.7 trillion tokens are circulating. This amounts to approximately 87% in public hands.

Now, compare this with Foxy, one of the most popular coins on the Linea network. Its total and circulating supplies are 10 billion and 3 billion, respectively. This means just 33% is in circulation, with the balance held by the founders and early backers (vesting).

Conclusion

As we’ve explored in this comprehensive guide to meme coin investing, the best meme coins to buy in 2025 are established giants like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu, and less-known projects like Bitcoin Hyper and Maxi Doge.

From community-driven tokens with real utility to political meme coins backed by sitting presidents, each project in our ranking has genuine momentum and potential for huge returns. 

Whether you’re hunting for the next 1000x gem on DEXs or playing it safer with exchange-listed tokens, this guide gives you the framework to spot winners before they explode.

Meme Coins FAQ