- 1 The coins based on some internet memes are called meme coins and are used as other cryptocurrencies.
- 2 Meme coins are highly volatile and risky among the crypto asset class.
- 3 The popularity and growth of the coin depend on the virality of the underlying meme.
Meme coins refer to cryptocurrencies named after individuals, characters, animals, artwork, or anything else that can be imitated. Most of these coins get support from online crypto enthusiasts and followers. These followers and enthusiasts are generally intended to be light-hearted and fun. These cryptos are highly risky investments, but some users find them entertaining.
In other words, meme coins are cryptocurrencies developed out of some internet meme or humorous characteristic.
These meme coins may hold little or no intrinsic value. Some examples are Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, Kishu Inu, and others. These meme coins have made a significant impact on the cryptocurrency market and have become an inseparable part of the crypto space.
Dogecoin is perceived to have given birth to this category of cryptocurrencies. All the meme coins are cryptocurrencies, but not all the cryptocurrencies need to be meme coins. There are different categories of cryptos, such as meme coins, stablecoins, and altcoins.
General Perceptions Around Meme Coins
The very first perception of meme coins is that they are a part of cryptocurrencies; thus, the whole world of cryptos is not a part of meme coins. The overall design of these coins has some meme culture embedded in it.
Some developers are also trying to incorporate memes into the technical design of their tokens.
Meme coins are considered to be as real as other cryptos. They are built on the popular L1 blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, and Polygon. However, Dogecoin has its own network designed for them.
Most of these coins tend to carry some utility; they generally go viral through the explosive nature of memes and how quickly they spread.
Memecoins are volatile and risky, like other cryptocurrencies.
Working of Meme Coins
The workings of meme coins are very similar to those of other regular tokens that are also built on top of layer-one blockchains, with a few exceptions. Most of these coins are built on Ethereum using the ERC-20 smart contract standard. Exceptions include the Dogecoin, as it has its own native blockchain based on the proof-of-work consensus mechanism algorithm and has an unlimited inflationary supply.
Characteristics of Meme Coin
- Some of the common characteristics of Meme coins include
- These are built on Top layer 1 blockchain networks such as Solana, Ethereum, etc.
- The meme coins are based on popular internet memes or some humorous incident.
- They mainly focus on social growth.
- The biggest meme coins have highly dedicated user communities.
- The prices of meme coins are highly volatile and are very risky investments.
Pros and Cons of Meme Coin
Pros | Cons |
It can be used as fun asset type to learn about cryptocurrency and blockchain technology | These assets are high-risk and volatile. |
It provides an opportunity to earn a profit if the value rises | They have been accused of being pump-and-dump scams |
It provides potential participation in an active investing and trading community | Some of the users have found the technology complex. |
Safety of Meme Coins
These are based on the capacity and virality of the meme they are based on, and they also tend to be a lot more volatile compared to traditional altcoins.
Some of the meme coins have experienced tremendous growth in 2023. The growth of some of the meme coins is even harder to imitate. However, some coins could not sustain that growth and fell again. It represents the volatility and risks involved.
Looking at their technological safety, they should be considered similar to the other altcoins. Investors should ensure sufficient due diligence to ensure the safety of their investments, as they have invested their hard-earned money in a risky asset class.
Conclusion: Creation of Meme Coins
Anyone who has the necessary technical knowledge can easily create a cryptocurrency. However, converting a coin or token into a popular meme coin is complex, and a meme coin can only be successful if it gains popularity and can be achieved a few dozen times.
Created meme coins can be bought from a cryptocurrency exchange, including centralized and decentralized crypto exchanges.
FAQs
Which centralized crypto exchanges list meme coins?
The centralized crypto exchanges include Coinbase, Gemini, Binance, FTX, and Kraken.
Does a decentralized crypto exchange list meme coins?
Yes, but they require a cryptocurrency wallet to maintain custody of the currency outside of an exchange. For example, PancakeSwap.
What is the use of the meme coin?
They don’t have specific use cases, like altcoins. However, they are used to create communities.