Why the next crypto boom won’t include ADA: these 6 tokens will lead instead

Cardano has been one of crypto’s slow-and-steady horses for years.

But in a market that’s shifting from technical patience to viral momentum, that may no longer cut it.

The truth? While ADA still builds quietly in the background, the next boom will be headlined by coins that break the internet, not just whitepapers.

Here are six tokens that are already sprinting while ADA stretches.

Little Pepe (LILPEPE): the meme chain, not just a meme coin

The presale tells the story better than any pitch. Over $1.82 million has already poured in, and more than 1.66 billion tokens have been claimed in Stage 3.

That’s not a fluke demand. That’s early conviction—especially when you consider the price is still just $0.0012, and the token is locked in to list at $0.003.

For traders doing the math, that’s a 2.5 times head start built in. What’s fueling this surge is a mix of strong fundamentals and genuine community energy.

LILPEPE is being backed by users who don’t just want the next SHIB—they want a smarter launch, fundamental anti-bot protections, and a way to build viral projects without getting dumped on.

That’s where it’s winning hearts.

PEPE: still the king of hype

PEPE made its name in 2023 by turning a joke into a multi-billion-dollar ecosystem.

With a $5.4 billion market cap and massive daily volume, it remains one of the most liquid and closely watched meme coins in the world.

PEPE is a trader’s dream: deflationary tokenomics, insane meme velocity, and a track record of pumping 10x in months.

Its only downside? Volatility. But if the market heats up, only a few tokens are positioned to catch fire faster than PEPE. 

Milady (LADYS): high fashion meets full degeneracy

With a supply gimmick of 888 trillion tokens and massive burns early on, LADYS had no roadmap, no dev team—just vibes and virality.

It’s now listed across major exchanges, meaning entry is easy when the memes get hot again.

LADYS tends to spike when NFTs trend or when Pepe and other meme tokens rally. It’s volatile, it’s risky, and that’s exactly why meme traders love it.

Pudgy Penguins (PENGU): NFTs, IRL toys, and now DeFi

PENGU is an extension of the globally recognized Pudgy Penguins NFT brand.

With a capped supply of 88.88 billion tokens, airdrops to NFT holders, and listings on major exchanges, it’s a slow-burn meme coin with authentic branding.

Unlike many meme tokens, PENGU is less about pump-and-dump and more about brand-driven growth.

As the NFT world revives and cross-branding takes over in crypto merch, Pudgy Penguins will continue to push forward—and so will PENGU.

aixbt (AIXBT): meme coin, meet oracle AI

AIXBT launched in late 2024, leaning hard into the AI narrative.

It’s the governance and rewards token of the “Virtuals Protocol,” a community-led AI oracle project—think Chainlink meets ChatGPT, but with a meme-style twist.

A memecoin with an actual AI use case.

Early momentum has propelled it toward a $ 40 M+ market cap, with solid exchange listings and a tight supply distribution.

If AI coins surge again—and they will—AIXBT could run fast, especially with crypto Twitter poised to ride any AI-branded trend. 

DEGEN: the farcaster meme that refused to die

DEGEN is the rawest meme on this list. It wasn’t launched—it was airdropped as a joke to users of a Farcaster channel called “/degen.”

With a tiny 100M supply and zero expectations, DEGEN experienced explosive growth in early 2025, delivering 10x or more gains in just weeks.

Why include it here? Because DEGEN is pure, uncut meme culture, and culture drives this market.

It thrives when attention peaks. If the memecoin mania hits full speed, DEGEN will rally just because everyone wants to say they hold “the Degen coin.”

Final take: ADA will miss the moment

The next bull run won’t reward slow builders as much as it will high-engagement tokens with viral energy and real-time community traction. LILPEPE is that movement.

PEPE, LADYS, PENGU, AIXBT, and DEGEN are riding the wave.

Don’t sit on the sidelines with ADA when the meme coins are running the show. Less than 30% LILPEPE remains in stage 3—and once it lists at $0.003, this frog’s already halfway to the moon.

For more information about Little Pepe (LILPEPE) visit the links below:

Website: https://littlepepe.com

Whitepaper: https://littlepepe.com/whitepaper.pdf

Telegram: https://t.me/littlepepetoken

Twitter/X: https://x.com/littlepepetoken

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