In this week's episode of Untangling Web3, we dive into the booming yet controversial world of memecoins—tokens built on blockchain but driven primarily by internet memes and social media virality.

From the iconic rise of Dogecoin to the latest meme-based tokens, this episode unpacks the hype, the risks, and whether memecoins offer any meaningful value or are just a speculative frenzy.

Key highlights:

• The Origins and Evolution of Memecoins: Memecoins trace their roots to Dogecoin, created in 2013 as a parody of the crypto world but unexpectedly evolving into a multibillion-dollar asset. The episode explains how memes, originally shared as images or videos, have extended their influence into financial instruments through memecoins, leveraging internet culture and online communities to create viral economic ecosystems.
• Community, Virality, and the Get-Rich-Quick Mentality: We explore the dual nature of memecoins, highlighting their appeal to communities while also acknowledging the speculative dangers. Memecoins thrive on the shared humor, narratives, and stories propagated by internet communities, but this virality often leads to speculative bubbles. Examples include Dogecoin, Hailey Welch’s controversial Hawk token, and some notable "others", which shot to billions in valuation before dramatic crashes.
• Risks, Scams, and Regulation: While some see memecoins as fun community projects, others view them as dangerous speculative traps. The discussion covers the risks of rug pulls and financial losses when inexperienced investors get caught up in viral hype. The episode emphasizes the need for better education, potential regulation, and distinguishing between genuine community-driven projects and bad-faith actors exploiting meme culture for profit.

Memecoins encapsulate both the power and pitfalls of internet culture when mixed with financial incentives. While some projects may foster genuine community engagement, many pose significant risks for investors seeking quick gains.

The key takeaway: Always DYOR, and be careful out there.

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This episode is sponsored by the VeChain foundation. Learn more about VeBetterDAO here:

https://vebetterdao.org/

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Learn more about Web3 at:

https://untanglingweb3.com/

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Untangling Web3 is brought to you by hosts Jack Davies and Alec Burns, with music by Daniel Paigge. Got a question or topic suggestion? Send us an email at [email protected].

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The views we express here are our own, and do not represent the views of our employers. Nothing discussed or stated in the show should be considered advice.