Research: Crypto Sector Profitably Dominated by Memes in the Year 2025
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In the first half of 2025, the meme category has emerged as a vibrant frontier within the crypto market, defying preconceptions and signalling a profound shift in investment dynamics. According to a study by NFTEvening, memecoins have recorded an average profit and loss (PnL) of +33.08%, making them the only category with positive returns[1].
The study, which utilized Coingecko's market data across 10 key sectors for PnL calculations, found that memecoins had a lower failure rate than AI, Layer 1, DEX, Lending, Restaking, and GameFi sectors[1]. Despite 81.18% of meme projects experiencing losses, this represented the second-lowest failure rate across all sectors, only behind Real World Asset (RWA)[1].
The daily creation rate of meme tokens on platforms like Pump.fun has grown 3.5 times compared to 2024's average, with a staggering 5,897,541 new meme tokens launched as of June 11, 2025[1]. This rapid growth is evident in January alone, where 1.7 million meme tokens were launched on Pump.fun[1].
Despite the high failure rate, several meme projects have achieved impressive returns. Tokens like Gorbagana, Useless Coin, and Startup Coin have delivered rapid gains, with Startup Coin yielding nearly 9x returns in a month[1].
The meme coin ecosystem in 2025 is flourishing particularly on blockchains like Solana, favoured for its low fees and fast transactions, which support the rapid creation and trading of new meme tokens[2]. Memecoins such as DOGE, PEPE, APU, and newer entrants like the politically controversial TRUMP token have achieved viral status and high market caps, further fueling sector growth[2].
Top meme coins in mid-2025 include emerging projects with sophisticated mechanisms like Arctic Pablo Coin, which offers deflationary tokenomics, staking rewards, and staged presales, showing ROI potentials above 1800%[3]. Other notable coins such as Gigachad leverage meme culture, NFTs, and Web3 satire to attract investment and community engagement[3].
Across the first half of 2025, meme token creation consistently surpassed 800,000 per month[1]. When compared to Layer 2 and Restaking, memecoins performed better in terms of failure rates[1]. It's worth noting that the study applied a default -100% PnL for tokens without an end price[1].
The meme category had a lower loss rate than RWA and NFT sectors[1]. However, the second-closest performer in terms of profitability, RWA, still recorded a negative PnL of -7.95%[1].
In conclusion, the findings challenge preconceptions about memecoin investments and signal a profound shift in crypto investment dynamics. Far from being dead, memecoins in 2025 represent a vibrant frontier where speculative interest, community engagement, and the allure of outsized returns continue to drive significant market activity.
[1] NFTEvening, (2025). Study examines key data from early 2025 to assess the activity, profitability, and comparative performance of memecoins. Retrieved from https://www.nftevening.com/memecoin-study-2025
[2] ChainPlay, (2024). 97% of memecoins died in 2024, with 9,900 tokens becoming defunct daily on Pump.fun. Retrieved from https://chainplay.io/97-of-memecoins-died-in-2024/
[3] CoinMarketCap, (2025). Top meme coins in mid-2025. Retrieved from https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/top-meme-coins-in-mid-2025
Cryptocurrency exchanges are witnessing increased trading activity in the meme category, as investors seek opportunities within this vibrant frontier. The market data suggests that memecoins have a lower failure rate compared to AI, Layer 1, DEX, Lending, Restaking, GameFi, and Real World Asset (RWA) sectors, making them an attractive option for investing in the finance industry.
