The Rise of MEME Tokens: Shapers of a New Landscape in the Crypto Market

In 2024, the explosion of the MEME Token market marks a significant shift in investment logic. These types of tokens have become the mainstream investment variety favored by investment institutions and market funds.

Product of Internet Culture

The origin of MEME can be traced back to the internet era. Currently, most of the well-performing MEME projects stem from internet social culture. These projects reflect the unique cultural phenomena generated by global online communication, referred to as "grassroots culture."

The charm of MEME lies in its ubiquitous nature, with each MEME having an intriguing story behind it. These stories spread globally through the internet, resonating with people and becoming a key factor in the popularity of MEME. Social platforms, chat applications, and online forums are the main battlegrounds for the emergence and dissemination of MEME, as well as important channels for people to express their views and emotions.

MEME conveys ideas in specific scenarios through concise means (such as short text, innovative vocabulary, images, and emojis). Its ability to spread is powerful, attracting even those who do not understand MEME to learn about and participate. A sense of identity is the core value of MEME and the main driving force behind the rise in the price of MEME Token.

The Integration of Blockchain and MEME

Blockchain technology has assigned value to intangible assets, and MEME is no exception. The early Bitcoin can also be seen as a kind of MEME to some extent. After the popularity of Bitcoin, a large number of worthless altcoins emerged, causing chaos in the market. The birth of Dogecoin (DOGE) was meant to satirize this phenomenon, marking the arrival of the MEME 1.0 era.

The proliferation of altcoins during the bull market of 2017 laid the foundation for the second rise of DOGE. In 2021, DOGE gained market recognition once again, and dog-themed MEME projects like SHIB began to emerge, marking the entry of MEME into the 2.0 era.

In the market rise of 2024, MEME begins to enter the 3.0 era. The sluggishness of the mainstream market somewhat reflects investors' resistance to overvalued projects, while MEME's fair distribution and price performance precisely meet market demand, gaining widespread attention.

Characteristics of Successful MEME Projects

Not all MEME have investment value. By analyzing successful MEME projects, we can summarize some key characteristics:

1. DOGE: Acquired through mining, with a large early supply and low price, suitable for online tipping. Supports multiple social platforms and sponsors sports events.

2. SHIB: Themed around Shiba Inu, it adopts a fair distribution method. Continuously evolving, it has launched a DEX and other tokens, dedicated to becoming a "value coin".

3. PEPE: Issued based on the internet-famous Pepe the Frog comics. In addition to memes and animations, it also introduces a deflationary mechanism and a redistribution mechanism.

4. WIF: A dog-themed MEME Token on the Solana chain. It features low costs and fast transfers, with the founding team holding zero to ensure decentralization.

5. PUFF: A MEME project on the Mantle chain aimed at the mETH community. Users obtain PUFF by minting mETH and establish AMM pools for free exchange.

Common Points of Successful MEME

1. Fair distribution and low threshold participation
2. Shift from the cultural use of the internet to the value aspect
3. Gain support from celebrities or KOLs
4. Price increases attract retail investors

Successful MEME projects often attract the attention of institutions and exchanges, creating a flow of funds from retail investors to institutions.

The Development Direction of MEME Token

For long-term development, the MEME project needs to consider its economic model and application scenarios. For example, the PUFF project has attracted a large amount of funds through mETH incentives, becoming a leading DeFi project in the Mantle ecosystem. In addition, PUFF also plans to introduce GameFi elements to attract more investors.

MEME, as an early promotional tool, can quickly gather popularity and funds, but long-term development requires reasonable planning and practical application. Similar projects like AIDoge have also brought huge traffic and trading volume to Arbitrum.

Conclusion

MEME tokens have gained widespread recognition, attracting users through internet culture. However, projects that solely rely on the MEME concept struggle to sustain development. Mid-term technological follow-up is crucial for attracting institutional investors and exchanges. As the project progresses, chips may shift from retail investors to institutions, driving project transformation and growth. After retail investors profit, their sense of identity with MEME culture strengthens, creating a positive cycle that helps MEME gain more exposure.