meme coin
noun
A digital currency based on an Internet meme, usually thought to be of limited value.
What does meme coin mean?
A meme coin (also spelled memecoin) is a form of cryptocurrency, generally based on an Internet meme (or a joke or cultural phenomenon). Easy to create, meme coins are highly volatile, popular on social media, usually of extremely limited worth, and tend to have a short lifespan.
Examples of meme coin
Unlike traditional crypto-currencies that are “mined” and used in a blockchain, meme coins cannot be used as electronic currency and are generally regarded as having no enduring value. They are “minted” to exploit a viral moment.
—J Oliver Conroy, The Guardian, 31 Jan. 2025
But the currency, despite the pejorative label of “meme coin,” endured. It bubbled along for years at well under a penny, but in 2018 leaped to a high of nearly 2 cents as part of a larger cryptocurrency bubble.
—Dimos and CryptoWendyO stay away from meme coins, which tend to be online jokes that are turned into cryptocurrencies, like Dogecoin.
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Where does meme coin come from?
Meme coin combines meme (“an amusing or interesting item or genre of items that is spread widely online especially through social media”) with coin (“a unit of a cryptocurrency”). The word has been in use since the 2010s, initially used to describe cryptocurrencies such as dogecoin, named after the doge meme. Dogecoin, created in December 2013, was originally intended to parody the burgeoning trend of decentralized digital currency—and is widely viewed as the first meme coin.
How is meme coin used?
Meme coin is often used in a dismissive way, but the word is not considered offensive. The dismissive manner that meme coin is used comes from this type of cryptocurrency being seen as risky, associated with scammers, and lacking seriousness. It has much the same meaning as shitcoin, which is generally considered offensive.
