The rise of meme coins is not just an entertainment symbol in the crypto market; it has become a paradise for speculators. This article explores how meme coins redefine their value boundaries through cultural, emotional, and technological narratives, looking ahead to the future in 2025. This article is sourced from a Nomos Labs piece, organized and translated by PANews. (Background: Elon Musk becomes the new godfather of PEPE, the rebranding and avatar change on X ignites the surge of Pepe Frog and Kekius Maximus meme coins. Are people falling out of love with Dogecoin?) (Context: A review of the crypto frenzy in 2024: kids making a fortune from meme coins, Ko Wen-je being accused of hiding 1,500 bitcoins... What bizarre moments have we seen in the past year?) Few have thought about the birth of meme coins; perhaps it is a 'cultural experiment' in the crypto world: how much can a joke be worth? How many waves and ripples in the financial world can a humorous quip create? From $DOGE to $SHIB, and then to this year's skyrocketing $Neiro, these seemingly 'absurd' coins repeatedly reshape people's perceptions of meme coins' narrative abilities. In 2024, the meme coin market remains lively amidst uncertainty. It is not just an entertainment symbol in the crypto circle; it has also become a haven for speculators and a barometer of market sentiment. But if we peel away the stories behind the price surges, we will find a familiar yet strange logic driving this carnival: meme culture, market sentiment, and technological narratives are redefining the value boundaries of meme coins. 1. How do meme coins tell a compelling 'good story' about emotions? On the surface, meme coins are a continuation of internet meme culture, but their true charm lies in their ability to quickly gather emotions through storytelling, shaping short-term 'group fervor.' However, no one has yet been able to clear the fog surrounding the long-term value of meme coins to find the certainty and connotation composed of countless stories within that 'bubble.' A joke, yet a cultural resonance The earliest $DOGE Dogecoin can be described as a thorough 'parody.' It lacks complex technical support and ambitious application plans, yet it became the spokesperson for internet meme culture due to a Shiba Inu meme. In 2024, this meme narrative was further amplified, with new players not only attracting attention through 'jokes' and 'humor' but also starting to play the cultural emotional card. For instance, $Pepe's sad frog already represents a classic figure in internet culture; its popularity does not rely on technological highlights but on community dissemination and cultural identity. Within a short time, the community scale of $Pepe exploded, becoming the biggest meme coin dark horse of the year. It is clear that as long as one can grasp the 'emotional points' within internet meme culture, meme coins can quickly tell good stories and garner consensus. Community-driven: more like an emotional game The popularity of a meme coin is always backed by a crazy community. Elon Musk's support for Dogecoin, the 'Frog Legion' of $Pepe—these community members are not just investors but also active 'content creators' propagating the coin. They are enthusiastic about creating memes on social platforms, attracting people, and even turning meme coins from a 'joke' into a 'trend.' The example of $SHIB is very typical. In 2024, it not only maintained its popularity through meme culture but also tried to attract long-term users through technological narratives, such as its metaverse project Shibaverse, which, although still in its early stages, has provided the community with a new 'bragging point.' We can see that, for meme coins, meme culture is the base color, but their true charm lies in their community-driven narrative ability—telling a story that resonates emotionally, prompting people to 'want to buy, dare to buy.' 2. A magnifying glass for market sentiment, a safe haven for speculators However, no matter what, the underlying logic of a 'good story' that can influence market changes requires 'profit-driven' motives. Meme coins can continue to be popular not only because they are 'fun' but also because they have become a high-volatility safe haven for speculators during downturns in the crypto market. Price surges, the 'wealth myths' that speculators love to tell Looking back at 2024, the most eye-catching market trend was undoubtedly the surge of $Pepe. From the beginning of the year to mid-year, the price of this sad yet hilarious frog achieved over a hundredfold increase—the market is attracted to these types of coins not because of their strong technology or applications but because they are easy to 'hype up.' The low issuance threshold and extremely low unit price of meme coins seem to create infinite room for price increases. This feature is particularly friendly to retail investors: even with just a few hundred dollars, one can dream of a '10 times or 100 times' return. For those 'entering late,' this high-risk, high-reward speculative variety has become their best choice to chase wealth effects. Market fluctuations, an 'emotional outlet' in a bear market Interestingly, when the overall crypto market enters a period of volatility, the popularity of meme coins rises against the trend. This is not because meme coins have a solid fundamental basis but because speculative capital needs a new 'emotional outlet.' Unlike mainstream coins, meme coins do not have complex valuation logic or rely on strong ecological support; they rely on market sentiment. When other assets struggle to stir retail emotions, meme coins become a 'stronghold' for emotional trading. Thus, it is clear that behind the price fluctuations of meme coins lies the amplification and reflection of market sentiment: for speculators, they are the low-cost, high-volatility choice; for the market, they are a true 'emotional mirror.' Therefore, it is not surprising that everyone is starting to enjoy listening to their stories, even more so as they begin to create a series of close yet fantastical 'wealth creation stories.' 3. Can meme coins score points with technological upgrades? While we understand the changes in market sentiment, we must also clearly recognize that relying on cultural narratives and speculative emotions can provide temporary success, but for meme coins to go further and find the underlying logic that can support long-term value compounding, they must rely on technological innovations to create new narratives and application scenarios. AI 'new memes' empower technological narratives This year, AI technology has become a hot topic in the crypto circle, and some meme coin projects have seized the opportunity to launch AI-enabled gameplay. For example, AI-generated content allows meme coin projects to provide ongoing interaction and entertainment experiences for a wide array of investors and community members quickly and at low cost. Additionally, AI trading strategies enable project teams to more precisely predict market trends, analyze trading data, and optimize investment decisions. Although early performance may not have met expectations, it is undeniable that the introduction of AI technology has injected new vitality and narrative clues into meme coins. NFT linkage, the continuation of cultural narratives At the same time, NFTs remain an important 'partner' for meme coins, continuing to showcase their unique charm and potential in 2024. Especially in projects like $Pepe, investors can not only profit by purchasing and holding Pepe coins but also showcase their identity and status through unique NFTs. The integration of NFTs and meme coins is no longer just a simple exchange of digital assets; it is a profound embodiment of identity.

#SHIB #AI #DOGE #NFT