The best meme coins to buy in 2026 are the biggest and most traded ones: Dogecoin, Shiba Inu and Pepe, followed by Official Trump, Pudgy Penguins, SPX6900, Bonk and Floki. Size and liquidity are the only real filters in a category with no earnings and no cash flow.
Here is the part most lists leave out. All eight are down over the past year, from 58% for Shiba Inu to 87% for Bonk. Anyone promising the next 100x is selling something.
Prices and market data below are from CoinGecko, checked September 21, 2026.
The 8 Biggest Meme Coins, Ranked
| # | Coin | Price | Market cap | 24h volume | 12-month change | From all-time high |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dogecoin (DOGE) | $0.0892 | $13.91B | $878M | -67% | -88% |
| 2 | Shiba Inu (SHIB) | $0.00000555 | $3.27B | $86M | -58% | -94% |
| 3 | Pepe (PEPE) | $0.00000400 | $1.68B | $315M | -63% | -86% |
| 4 | Official Trump (TRUMP) | $2.06 | $581M | $198M | -75% | -97% |
| 5 | Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) | $0.00800 | $503M | $162M | -77% | -88% |
| 6 | SPX6900 (SPX) | $0.486 | $452M | $12M | -61% | -79% |
| 7 | Bonk (BONK) | $0.00000303 | $267M | $48M | -87% | -95% |
| 8 | Floki (FLOKI) | $0.0000262 | $253M | $21M | -73% | -92% |
We ranked by market cap, then checked daily trading volume. Volume matters because it tells you whether you can actually sell. MemeCore (M) has a bigger market cap than Shiba Inu on paper, about $3.50B, but only around $3M traded in a day. We left it out for that reason. We also skipped Pump.fun (PUMP), which is the token of a meme coin launchpad rather than a meme coin itself.
What Each Coin Actually Is
1. Dogecoin (DOGE)
The original. Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer launched Dogecoin in December 2013 as a joke about Bitcoin. It runs on its own blockchain and has no supply cap, so new coins are created every year.
It is the only meme coin with a market cap above $10 billion, about $13.91B, and it trades on every major US exchange. It still sits 88% below its May 2021 peak of about $0.73.
2. Shiba Inu (SHIB)
Launched in August 2020 by an anonymous founder known as Ryoshi, Shiba Inu is an Ethereum token pitched as the “Dogecoin killer.” The project has since added its own layer-2 network, Shibarium. SHIB is 94% below its October 2021 high.
3. Pepe (PEPE)
Pepe launched on Ethereum in April 2023. Its own website is unusually honest: it calls PEPE a meme coin “with no intrinsic value or expectation of financial return.” It is still one of the most traded meme coins, with about $315M in daily volume.
4. Official Trump (TRUMP)
Launched on Solana on January 17, 2025, three days before the presidential inauguration. It peaked at about $73 two days later and now trades near $2.06, 97% below that high. Most of the supply is held by Trump-affiliated companies and unlocks over time, which adds selling pressure.
5. Pudgy Penguins (PENGU)
PENGU is the token of the Pudgy Penguins NFT brand, launched on Solana in December 2024. The brand sells physical toys through big retailers, which gives it more real-world recognition than most meme coins. The token is still 77% lower than a year ago.
6. SPX6900 (SPX)
A parody of the S&P 500 index that became a real market in its own right. SPX peaked in July 2025 and is 79% below that level. Daily volume is thin at around $12M, so large orders move the price.
7. Bonk (BONK)
Bonk launched on Solana on Christmas Day 2022 and airdropped half its supply to the Solana community. It has fallen harder than anything else on this list: down 87% in 12 months and 95% from its November 2024 peak.
8. Floki (FLOKI)
Named after Elon Musk’s dog, Floki launched in 2021 and has tried to add utility through games and DeFi products. The market has not rewarded it: FLOKI is 92% below its June 2024 high.
Why “Next 100x” Presale Coins Are a Trap
Most “best meme coins” lists online push presales, tokens you pay for before they exist on any exchange. We used to publish those lists too. We stopped, because the pattern repeats.
- Paid promotion. Many presale articles are sponsored, and the site earns money when you buy.
- Launch-day dumps. Presale buyers and insiders often receive tokens at launch and sell immediately.
- Unverifiable teams. Anonymous founders and vague roadmaps make it hard to hold anyone accountable.
- Big raises mean nothing. A presale that “raised $40 million” tells you about marketing spend, not future price.
Our guide to avoiding crypto presale scams covers the warning signs in detail.
How to Buy Meme Coins More Safely
- Stick to the large coins. Dogecoin and Shiba Inu trade on Coinbase and Kraken, so you never need a random website or Telegram link.
- Compare fees first. Trading costs add up fast on small positions. See our breakdowns of Coinbase fees and Kraken fees.
- Check the contract address. If you buy on a decentralized exchange, copy the official contract address from CoinGecko. Copycat tokens with the same name are everywhere.
- Size it like a lottery ticket. Put in only what you can lose completely.
- Plan your exit. Decide in advance at what price you would take profit or cut the position.
The Bottom Line
If you want meme coin exposure, Dogecoin is the most liquid and longest-lived option, with Shiba Inu and Pepe behind it. None of them are investments in the usual sense. They move on attention, and attention has been falling for a year.
For coins with real networks and use cases behind them, see our list of the best cryptocurrencies to invest in.
This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Crypto prices are volatile and you can lose your entire investment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best meme coin to buy right now?
By size and trading activity, Dogecoin is the safest pick in a risky category. It has the largest market cap of any meme coin at about $13.91B and roughly $878M in daily trading volume. That makes it easy to buy and sell, but it is still down 67% over the past year.
Will any meme coin 1000x?
Almost certainly not the big ones. A 1000x move in Dogecoin would require a market cap in the trillions. Tiny new tokens can move that much, but most go to zero, and the pitches promising 1000x usually come from people selling the token.
Are meme coin presales worth it?
Usually not. Presale tokens often unlock onto the market at launch, early holders sell, and heavily promoted presales are frequently paid advertising. If you cannot verify the team, the contract and the unlock schedule, skip it.
Which meme coin will reach $1?
None of the big ones are close. Shiba Inu trades around $0.00000555 and has hundreds of trillions of tokens in circulation, so $1 would require a market cap far larger than the entire crypto market. Dogecoin’s all-time high was about $0.73 in May 2021.
Where can I buy meme coins safely?
Buy the large ones on a major regulated exchange such as Coinbase or Kraken, where Dogecoin and Shiba Inu both trade. Avoid buying through links in Telegram groups or ads, and always check the official contract address on CoinGecko before buying on a decentralized exchange.
How much should I put into meme coins?
Only money you can afford to lose completely. Every major meme coin in our table has fallen at least 79% from its peak, so size your position as if it could go to zero.
