In the cryptocurrency space, meme coins have become one of the most talked-about assets. Despite being criticized as 'air coins', their popularity and market position remain strong.
The total market capitalization of meme coins has exceeded $140 billion, attracting increasing attention from non-cryptocurrency investors. As Bitcoin broke through $100,000, meme coins also rose sharply, with Dogecoin once reaching $0.47, up over 400% since the beginning of the year.
Meme coins represented by Dogecoin and Shiba Inu (SHIB) account for 3.16% of the cryptocurrency market's total market capitalization.
From January to December, the total market capitalization of meme coins grew by 330%, and trading volume surged by 950%. However, some analysts point out that the rapid rise of meme coins may indicate an intensification of speculative bubbles, which could amplify the short-term gains of the bull market but may also shorten its duration.
In 2024, alongside Dogecoin and Shiba Inu, emerging meme coins like WIF, BRETT, PNUT, and POPCAT are gradually coming to prominence and approaching the top 100 by market capitalization. Many new meme coins are themed around dogs, but there are also tokens inspired by cats and AI chatbots emerging. While politically themed meme coins were active during the U.S. election period, trading volume subsequently saw a significant decline.