Binance Research Reveals 97% of Memecoins Are Dead

A November research conducted by the Binance Research team disclosed that a staggering 97% of meme coins deployed into the crypto market are literally dead. Meme coins, an integral part of the cryptocurrency sector, have gained popularity due to their community-driven, intense price swing features. These tokens have become an alternative investment for quick returns and adventurous liquidity, engaging a wide range of investors. A report from Binance Research, headed by Joshua Wong, discussed the dynamic role meme coins play in the crypto industry and how the sector can survive the emerging mainstream curve digital assets are taking. The report further disclosed the current state of the joke-driven industry, including some shocking data and analyses. Research Shows Memecoin Deployment Has Surged Extensively The recently released report reveals that the rate of meme coin deployment into the crypto market has surged exponentially in the past year. Per the data, 75% of meme coins with non-zero trading volumes in the market were created between 2023 and 2024. Notably, the trend is understandable following the development of protocols that make meme coin creation and deployment easy. For context, platforms like Solana’s Pump.fun, Tron’s SunPump, and Cardano’s Snek. fun was introduced this year, making meme token creation stress-free and cheap for intending users.

However, as creation and deployment became more straightforward, the sector became saturated with bad actors and unneeded tokens, with each creator angling for traction among the crypto community. Notably, the report shows that the survival rate of meme coins has dropped drastically, as they are unable to stand the test of time. According to the report, 97% of meme coins are dead. Notably, dead in this context means they have $0 in trading volume. The report shows that only the top two meme coins by market cap, Dogecoin, and Shiba Inu, have sustainably maintained traction in their 10 and 4 years of existence, respectively. Growing Meme Cabals and Scams The Binance researchers also uncovered a disturbing trend in the meme sector: the growth of “cabals.” The report referred to cabals as groups that create pump-and-dump tokens and use retail as exit liquidity. While blockchain technology allows you to see token concentrations and on-chain activities, it is still impossible to determine who owns an address. Hence, exploiters could still create meme coins, promote them across social media platforms, and sell their liquidity provider or a large chunk of the minted token when they gain traction. This trend has recently been seen among meme coins. For context, the WALDO token creator leveraged Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson’s mention to rug-pull investors of thousands of dollars. Also, famous footballer Kylian Mbappe’s X account was compromised and used to promote a Solana-based meme coin, MBAPPE. While investors flocked to the tokens, the creators dumped them and made off with substantial gains. Research Shares Future Outlook for Memecoins Meanwhile, Binance researchers noted that meme coins will continue to thrive in the industry. However, the next generation of successful memes would have to create tokens with “unique narratives and ideas that have long-term appeal” to their users. This point proves valid, as tokens that moved past the long-standing dog-themed narratives to other niches gained immense traction. For instance, Pepecoin and POPCAT created monkey-themed and feline-themed narratives, surging significantly upon their market debut. Furthermore, the reports disclosed that enhancing meme coin use cases would ensure their long-term relevance. The researchers encouraged the creation of memes with innovative technologies and ideological advancement so that the hype around the token would outlast short-term trends and traction.