Is Meme Coin Season Over? What To Expect Next

The cryptocurrency market has been a roller coaster ride, characterized by thrilling highs and nerve-wracking lows. Meme coins, riding the wave of social media influence, have been a significant part of this journey. As investors mature and seek more stable and promising avenues, we may see a shift toward more established projects. One such ecosystem attracting attention is Solana thriving NFT marketplace.

The Meme Coin Phenomenon

Meme coins, like BONK, have delivered staggering profits for early investors, fueled largely by social media hype and influencers' endorsements. However, the inherent volatility and lack of intrinsic value in these coins pose substantial risks.

Back at the start of 2023, we saw a meteoric rise of Solana's meme coin BONK, which was initially airdropped to artists, developers, NFT holders & communities within the Solana ecosystem in an attempt to raise morals as the FTX collapse left Solana users in a state of despair.

The token quickly rose ~36,200% in only 3 weeks and subsequently fell 81% even faster. However, liquidity from the BONK craze was continuously being moved back into Solana's NFT blue chips and the ecosystem saw a mini NFT run following the meme coin craze.

BONK's Successors

A new wave of meme coins recently took Solana by storm, primarily led by tokens KING, GUAC, & SWTS. KING saw a rise of 22,000% in a mere 6 days, with tokens GUAC and SWTS seeing similar returns. As the rise of these tokens was much quicker than BONK, similarly, their first corrections were too. All of these coins are trading at -60% from their all-time highs.

Unlike the BONK frenzy though, there is little to no evidence that any of the profits are being rotated to NFTs. Does this mean it was a cash grab? Or could there be a potential NFT run on the horizon as investors move away from speculative hype-driven meme coins and move back into stronger, more established projects? Only time will tell.

Why a Transition Could Occur

A couple factors could contribute to meme coin investors transitioning to Solana's NFTs:

• Greater Stability: Unlike meme coins, many NFTs derive value from the digital art, brand, and/or utility they represent, providing a more tangible value proposition. Additionally, most NFTs on Solana have a long history of delivering value or engagement for their holders, retaining the entertainment value that meme coins have without comparable volatility.
• Potential for Profits: The NFT market has witnessed a decline in volume, traders, and prices as investors chased gains within meme coins. Due to the highly reflexive nature of crypto, the sentiment towards NFTs could quickly change and see a rise in the trio; resulting in profits for early buyers.

Conclusion

As the crypto market evolves, we may see a trend where profits from meme coins are channeled into more established projects like NFTs. However, it's crucial to remember that while the potential for high returns exists, so does the risk. Investors must perform their due diligence before jumping on any bandwagon. It's better to be early than to chase profits.