“Bro, which meme coin should I buy for the next bull run?”
I get this question all the time. Let’s be honest: most meme coins are designed for short-term hype rather than long-term investment. They often rise and fall based purely on social media buzz rather than fundamentals.
But if you’re determined to hold a meme coin for months or years hoping for that life-changing pump, here are the criteria I personally use before putting any serious money into a meme coin.
Quick Reality Check: What Are Meme Coins?
Meme coins are like viral TikTok trends. They go up because people like them, talk about them, and share them, not because they solve a real problem. Meme coins are cryptocurrencies created around internet jokes or viral memes. Unlike Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other utility-based tokens, meme coins rarely solve real-world problems. Their value comes from community hype and pop culture relevance.
- Shiba Inu (SHIB) reached a market cap of over $40 billion USD in late 2021 purely on community power, later building utility like ShibaSwap and NFTs.
- Dogecoin (DOGE), launched in 2013 as a joke, became a top 10 crypto in 2021 with a market cap exceeding $88 billion USD at its peak, driven by Elon Musk tweets.
Some memes live longer than others. If you want to find that rare meme coin to hold long term, these are the key filters:
1. Strong and Active Community
Meme coins = community-driven assets.
If the Telegram or Discord is dead, and Twitter engagement is low, it’s like a nightclub with no DJ. No matter how beautiful the club is, no one will come.
What to check:
- Twitter/X engagement: likes, comments, reposts per post.
- Telegram or Discord activity: real conversations, not just bot replies.
- Meme creation frequency: are people making memes, fan art, and viral content regularly?
Without an active community, meme coins fade into oblivion. According to CoinGecko, over 95% of launched meme tokens eventually die out due to lack of social momentum.
2. Clear Meme Identity
Is it just another dog-themed token, or does it have a unique story and brand people can rally behind?
Examples of strong identities:
- Dogecoin: first meme coin ever, humorous brand, Elon Musk’s tweets keep reviving it.
- Shiba Inu: “Dogecoin killer” narrative, now with DeFi and NFT utilities.
- PEPE: based on the iconic internet meme frog, instantly recognisable.
Red flag: If you choose coin that called New Doge Shiba PEPE Inu 2.0 with no clear identity, it probably won’t survive the next market cycle.
3. Dev Transparency
Who are the developers behind it? Are they doxxed (public identity known) or fully anonymous?
While many meme coin devs remain anonymous, at minimum check:
- Is liquidity locked? Prevents rug pulls where devs drain liquidity pools.
- Are contracts renounced? Devs can’t modify the smart contract after deployment.
- Do devs communicate? Telegram AMAs, Twitter posts, and GitHub updates are green flags.
Lack of transparency has led to countless rug pulls in the meme coin space. According to SolidProof, over $2 billion USD was lost to crypto scams in 2023, often involving tokens with anonymous teams and unlocked liquidity.
4. Liquidity & Market Cap
Imagine trying to sell a rare collectible in a tiny village market — no buyers.
What to check:
- Liquidity pool depth: safer entry usually starts from $500k+ liquidity.
- Market cap:
- Under $5M = microcap gem but high risk
- $5M-$50M = mid-cap meme coin
- Over $50M = established meme coin, less room for explosive growth but safer
Always compare liquidity to market cap. A coin with $20M market cap but only $100k liquidity is risky for big buys or sells.
5. Longevity of Hype
Some memes trend for a week and disappear, while others resurface over and over.
Check:
- Google Trends: search interest spikes and consistency over time.
- Twitter/X trends history: is it a one-time trend or a recurring theme?
Example: Doge memes and Pepe memes have been popular for over a year, giving their related coins recurring hype potential.
6. Utility (Optional Bonus)
Most meme coins don’t need utility to pump, but those that later build:
- NFT collections
- Games
- Merchandise brands
…tend to extend their lifespan. Example: Shiba Inu created ShibaSwap, NFTs, and is working on SHIB The Metaverse.
Should You Buy Meme Coins?
Meme coins are not like BTC or ETH. They are high-risk speculative bets, like casino chips, but if chosen wisely, the returns can be life-changing.
Before buying any meme coin, ask yourself:
- What is its current market cap?
- How much of its supply is circulating?
- Does it still have meme power to grow further?
- Is its liquidity healthy for exits later?
- Am I buying after a massive pump or during early accumulation?
If you master these basics, you’ll avoid becoming exit liquidity for early buyers and choose meme coins with better upside-to-risk ratios.
Always remember:
- Never invest money you can’t afford to lose.
- Treat meme coins as speculative side bets, not your core crypto portfolio.
- Diversify your meme coin plays and track them actively.
What’s your meme coin watchlist for the next bull run?
Drop it in the comments. Let’s discuss and learn from each other.
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