What is the Next Pepe Coin? Top 5 Meme Contenders in 2024

Pepe Coin is a meme coin that has seen exponential growth since its launch during the meme coin rally of April 2023. Having grown by over 38,000% since launch, it’s now time to find the next Pepe coin.

Meme coins are currently enjoying the spotlight, with financial institutions such as VanEck – an ETF issuer – recognizing them as a distinct asset class within crypto. In May 2024, VanEck launched the first MEMECOIN index, which brought further attention and legitimacy to the sector. 

In this guide, we will cover some of the latest meme coins with similarities to Pepe, discuss the project features, and assess the likelihood of them growing in price and becoming the next Pepe Coin in 2024.

Our top 5 meme coin contenders for the next Pepe in 2024

PlayDoge ($PLAY): Play-to-earn meets crypto’s beloved Doge meme. This Tamagotchi-style game turns the Shiba-inu dog into a virtual pet. Powered by its native BNB Smart Chain token, $PLAY, that boasts in-game rewards and staking utility.

WienerAI ($WAI): AI-enhanced crypto trading assistant to help traders better navigate the crypto markets. The project offers over 190% staking rewards.

Sealana ($SEAL): South-park-inspired meme coin flaunting a chubby seal that is “splashing its way into the Solana sea”. This meme coin presale has raised over $5 million with no roadmap or whitepaper.

Base Dawgz ($DAWGZ): Base Dawgz is a new crypto project that boasts multi-chain mechanics spanning five popular blockchain networks. $DAWGZ is built on Coinbase’s BASE Chain with interoperability features, aiming to make cross-chain bridging more efficient.

Sponge ($SPONGE): Sponge was among the 100x meme coins in 2023. The Sponge is back with new and improved cost-efficient staking on Polygon and development of the Sponge P2E Runner game.

The Success of Pepe so far

Pepe Coin has seen an incredible price run since its launch last year, although the major rally has occurred since March 2024, when meme coin mania started during the Bitcoin bull run.

History of Pepe Coin in 2023

• Pepe Coin officially launched on April 17, 2023, for a price of $0.00000002764.
• Within two days of launch, a number of centralized exchanges, including Gate.io, Houbi, MEXC, and OKX, listed the token.
• On May 05, 2023, $PEPE hit an all-time high of $0.00000378, representing a 136x price growth. Its market cap reached $1.48b
• Major controversy on 24 August 2023, when three ex-team members stole 16 trillion Pepe Coin tokens from the multi-sig wallet, valued at $16 million. 
• $PEPE experienced downward price stagnation until 24 October 2023, when the project team burned 6.9 trillion $PEPE valued at $6 million at the time.

Pepe vs Doge: Pepe Coin surpassed a $1 billion market capitalization within three weeks of launching. Meanwhile, Dogecoin ($DOGE) took almost four years to reach over a $1 billion market cap.

Fast-forward to Pepe Coin in 2024

• March 02, 2024, $PEPE reaches a new all-time high price of $0.000003996, with a market cap of $1.7 billion.
• Pepe Coin continues an exponential price rally until March 15, 2024, when it reaches a new all-time high of $0.000009977. $PEPE has nearly $2 billion daily trading volumes and hit a $4.2 billion market cap.
• $PEPE continues another price rally, and just over a month later, on May 27, it reaches a new all-time high of 0.00001718, roughly 38,000% higher than when it launched a little over a year ago.

A Closer Look at the Possible Next Pepe Cryptos

Below, we will examine some of the latest cryptocurrency presales and low-value tokens, typically under a penny, that have the potential to be the next Pepe Coin.

It is important to note that cryptocurrencies are riskier than traditional investments, and you should always do your own research and assess your own risk appetite before investing.

PlayDoge (PLAY) – Play-to-earn retro 90’s style game with token staking and in-game rewards

PlayDoge is a new GameFi project that aims to take the crypto community back to the 90’s. This crypto meme coin project is launching a play-to-earn (P2E) game powered by $PLAY, a Binance BNB Chain token. 

The project aims to bring back the nostalgia of the 90s with its Tamagotchi-style game. Moreover, the project captures the attention of the meme crypto community, with the beloved Shiba Inu at the heart of this Doge-inspired P2E game.

During its ongoing presale, PlayDoge has raised over $4 million within two weeks of launch, experiencing a vested interest from the crypto community. You can buy $PLAY in the presale by swapping $ETH, $BNB, $USDT, or alternatively via card payment. PlayDoge also offers presale staking, allowing you to accumulate more tokens while awaiting the token launch. 

The project team has ensured there is no shortage of token utility for its native token. $PLAY has multi-chain features, whereby users can stake tokens on both Ethereum and BNB Chain. Staking $PLAY on Ethereum currently offers over 150% annual rewards, while staking on BNB Chain offers over 80% rewards. Using BNB Chain will cost significantly less as the transaction fees are cheaper than on the Ethereum network.

Moreover, $PLAY will serve as an in-game currency for transactions and can be used to unlock special features. Going further, $PLAY also functions as a reward token for achieving success in the game. The reward system is directly tied to the player’s progress in caring for their virtual pet. By staying attentive and nurturing the virtual 2d Doge, you can maximize $PLAY rewards, while neglecting the pet can make it flee away or perish.

PlayDoge boasts a wide range of utility and project features, such as the game’s earning potential, which qualify it as a potential Pepe alternative. In phase 3 of its roadmap, the project outlines the first CEX listings and states further CEX listings in phase 4. If $PLAY can achieve the same caliber of listings as Pepe Coin when it launched, it could potentially follow similar price action.

WienerAI (WAI) – AI-enhanced trading assistant combined with a fun-filled Dashaund meme

WienerAI ($WAI) is a new crypto meme coin that connects three primary sectors: web3 technology, crypto memes, and artificial intelligence. The project stands out as more than just a meme coin, with AI-enhanced trading integration giving traders a guardian assistant when navigating the crypto markets. 

The website explains that WienerAI “is not just a bot, nor a simple sausage–but an AI-powered crypto trading partner”.

This statement is supported by a range of features, as WienerAI actually has a range of utility.

• AI-enhanced trading: An instant, predictive, and noob-friendly AI interface with functional UI/UX features.
• Seamless swaps: Never miss a golden opportunity with swaps that actually go through and don’t get frozen.
• Zero fees: WienerAI does not charge any fees.
• MEV protection: The AI trading assistant provides protection against MEV bots, preventing traders from being front-run.

The project’s native ERC20 token is built on the Ethereum network. However, you can buy $WAI in the presale by swapping $ETH, $USDT, or $BNB. A card payment option is also available. In any instance, you will need an ERC20-compatible crypto wallet to receive $WAI at the token distribution.

Looking at the recent successes of other AI cryptos such as ScottytheAI, NEAR Protocol, and Render, $WAI has the potential to become the next Pepe Coin and is hopeful of experiencing similar price runs.

Sealana (SEAL) – Solana meme coin that raised over $5 million since its launch

Sealana ($SEAL) is a Solana network meme coin that is currently holding an ongoing presale. This crypto project kicked off its launch without a whitepaper or roadmap, reaching its current popularity and success through simple guerilla marketing across social media. The project started out as a send-to-wallet style presale, whereby many community members became skeptical about its credibility.

The project started to become more active on social media, frequently posting South Park-inspired memes to build community and raise awareness. Since then, the project has also integrated with Ethereum and BNB Chain, allowing presale participants to buy $WAI using $BNB, $ETH, $SOL, and $USDT. There is also a card payment option, which will require KYC.

Rumors had circulated online among the crypto meme community, claiming that the founders of Sealana could be connected to the popular meme coin, $SLERF. If this is true, our analysts spotlighted that $SLERF listed on several top-tier crypto exchanges such as BitGet, HTX, Gate.io, and MEXC. Should Sealana follow a similar listing structure, it has the potential to grow its market cap significantly in a short timespan, similar to Pepe Coin during its initial centralized exchange listings.

However, our analysts also highlighted the lack of utility that Sealana’s project team has given the token, which could obstruct or hinder its progress in the long term. While initial exchange listings could increase interest in $SEAL, without a valid token utility, the project longevity is questionable

Base Dawgz (DAWGZ) – Crypto meme coin with cross-chain mechanics hopping from BASE to 4 other blockchains

Base Dawgz ($DAWGZ) is a crypto meme coin built on Coinbase’s BASE blockchain. This project boasts unique token utility as it is one of the first crypto meme coins launched on the BASE network and is interoperable across four other widely used blockchain networks: Ethereum, BNB Chain, Solana, and Avalanche.

The project has implemented Wormhole and PortalBridge technology within its smart contracts, which enables cost-efficient bridging to other blockchain networks. In a crypto world where more users are onboarding to Web3 and utilizing DeFi, saving costs on transactions is crucial, as it can be tedious to transfer tokens across different networks. 

Enabling reduced costs provides a more stable, cost-efficient trading environment. Cheaper costs may also encourage traders to experience trading on other blockchains using their respective decentralized exchanges and other dApp protocols.

What makes $DAWGZ stand out is that it brings inclusive accessibility, uniting various meme coin communities across five major blockchains. It also offers a diverse range of crypto to participate within the presale.

Sponge (SPONGE): Community meme coin which skyrockets in price by 100x in 2023

Sponge (SPONGE) is one of the highlight meme coins of 2023. Last year, this project experienced an immense price run, with its token price skyrocketing by 100x. Sponge is now back, better than ever, with added staking features, cost-efficient transactions, and the announcement of a play-to-earn game, giving further utility to $SPONGE.

At the end of 2023, the Sponge team announced that they would be bridging the contracts to the Polygon network, which would ultimately lower transaction fees. This was paired with added staking on the Polygon network, which currently offers over 50% annual rewards.

At the peak of its price run, Sponge reached a market cap of $100 million and 10+ centralized exchange listings. The project’s new launch of a play-to-earn game could ignite another $SPONGE price rally in 2024. According to the source, one analyst asked Chat GPT about the price prediction of $SPONGE. 

The response made waves in the crypto space, as ChatGPT foresight that if Sponge successfully capitalizes on its token integration with community support for the launch of its P2E game, then the token could be poised to reach a price range of $0.002 to $0.005.

At the current time, the $SPONGE price is 0.0001126, which means that if ChatGPT’s hypothesis proves correct, Sponge’s token price could grow from anywhere between 1700% and 4400%. The official Sponge website also mentions “bigger and better exchanges,” which has the potential to further increase its public demand and market cap following the similar patterns of Pepe Coin.

How to Find the Next Pepe?

You may wonder how to find the next Pepe Coin. Below, we will cover a few key tips on how to navigate the crypto markets and try to find the next Pepe alternative with the potential to make gains.

Trending Cryptos on Social Media

Scouting social media applications is a good start to navigating the world of cryptocurrencies. Crypto projects are community-centric, and project teams ensure their presence among social media apps widely used by crypto traders. X (formerly Twitter) has been referred to unofficially by the Web3 community for many years as ‘Crypto Twitter’.

Telegram is also another credible social communication app where a variety of crypto projects, analysts and communities share information and insights on cryptos. You can explore some of the best telegram groups to find some of the latest active ICOs, potential crypto gems, GameFi, and DeFi projects.

Low-Cost Tokens

Finding undervalued cryptos is another way to find the next Pepe Coin, which can explode in price. Check out our coverage on some of the best under-a-penny cryptos that have the potential for big gains due to their low token price and market caps.

Alternatively, using a variety of web3 tools, such as price tracking sites, will assist you in finding low-price cryptos. You can use popular price trackers such as CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko. For slightly more advanced users experienced in DeFi, you can scout on DeFi analytics trackers such as DexTools and DexScreener.

Invest in Quality Presales Early

One of the primary ways to get the best token entry price, giving optimum entry with the potential for big gains, is to participate in crypto presales. You can check out some of the best active ICOs or use websites such as ICODrops, which provides a calendar for the latest upcoming crypto presales. 

Focus on Tokens With a Use Case

The token utility is one of the main features of a blockchain project’s underlying token. Without viable utility, the token is simply another crypto without any function or application to real-life industries. Cryptocurrencies with credible utility tend to have technologically advanced features and trustless architecture, which has the potential to disrupt a given industry sector.

Without a credible token utility, the project’s longevity is questionable, and it will prove difficult to survive amongst other tokens that have a practical use case.

FAQs

What coin will be the next Pepe?

Looking at our expert analysts’ selection, we feel that the most viable contenders for the next Pepe Coin are PlayDoge ($PLAY) or Base Dawgz ($DAWGZ). Both projects outline a clear roadmap with milestone phases to achieve, and both projects’ tokens boast a wide range of utility.

Will Pepe coin reach $1?

We can never give investment advice, and previous price action is never indicative of future results. However, our recent coverage on How to Buy Pepe Coin gave a price prediction for $PEPE.

Which coin has potential like Pepe?

All of the above cryptos have the potential to repeat the price runs of $PEPE; however, this is fully dependent on the crypto community’s reception on launch. Several factors must also be considered, such as successful launches of their games or future product features that have yet to be built out.