How to create a meme coin from scratch: a beginner’s guide

Meme coins* have become a real phenomenon in the cryptocurrency industry: despite having no intrinsic value, they rank among the most highly capitalized digital assets. Here are some of the most successful meme tokens by market capitalization:

• Dogecoin (DOGE) — 8th place ($37 billion);
• Shiba Inu (SHIB) — 21st place ($7.2 billion);
• Pepe (PEPE) — 31st place ($4 billion).

Anyone can create a memecoin — even without programming skills or a deep understanding of how blockchain works. This is the biggest advantage of meme tokens.*

* Meme coin is a native asset of its own network and is used to pay transaction fees.

* Meme token — a digital asset created on an existing blockchain using a smart contract.

Note: Users may get confused by the terminology differences. A token is an asset that does not have its own blockchain, so a special smart contract must be created for it on an existing platform, such as Ethereum, BNB Chain, or Solana. Examples of meme tokens include Shiba Inu (SHIB) and Bonk (BONK), which are issued on the Ethereum and Solana blockchains, respectively. Thus, meme tokens do not require developing a blockchain from scratch. An example of a memecoin is Dogecoin (DOGE), which runs on its own network. For convenience, the term "memecoin" will be used as a universal term in this article.

Crypto project creators choose memecoins because they are easy and fast to create, attract attention on their own, and require minimal initial investment. Unlike regular tokens, which require developing a valuable product — a process that takes time, money, and still doesn't guarantee success — a memecoin can be created with minimal risk and investment.

Stage 1 — concept creation

Every project starts with an idea. First, you need to come up with a name for your future memecoin. Most often, popular internet memes are used to create a memecoin. Bright examples include PEPE, FLOKI, dogwifhat (WIF), Brett (BRETT), and Turbo (TURBO).

Using an already popular meme is the easiest way, and it can also help with easier promotion. You can also create an original meme, but there's no guarantee it will become popular. However, there are examples of original meme tokens that became successful:

• Fartcoin (FARTCOIN)
• Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT)
• Notcoin (NOT)

Stage 2 — choosing a platform and wallet

At this stage, you need to decide in which ecosystem your future memecoin will be created. Almost all meme tokens are issued on one specific blockchain, and then support for other networks is added if necessary.

Creating a memecoin on multiple platforms simultaneously can complicate promotion and confuse new users, so developers rarely do so.

To create a memecoin, choose only major platforms with smart contract support, as this increases your chances of attracting more liquidity. Here's a list of the most popular platforms for creating a memecoin:

• Solana
• BNB Chain
• Base
• Ethereum
• Tron

The most popular platforms are Solana and BNB Chain, as they enable the creation of memecoins with the lowest network fee costs and offer high performance. Additionally, both blockchains are leaders in the decentralized finance (DeFi) market, with respect to network activity and liquidity.

To create a memecoin, you will also need to set up a crypto wallet. There are wallets designed for specific ecosystems, such as Phantom for Solana or TronLink for Tron. However, you can also use multi-currency wallets such as Trust Wallet or OKX Wallet, which support multiple networks.

After selecting and creating a wallet, you need to deposit the native cryptocurrency of the chosen network — SOL for Solana, BNB for BNB Chain, ETH for Ethereum, etc. Like any transaction, creating a meme token requires gas fees.

Stage 3 — creating the meme coin

You can create a memecoin in two ways: by manually writing a smart contract or by using specialized platforms such as Pump.fun or Four.meme.

The second option is the simplest and fastest, making it ideal for anyone wanting to create a memecoin. When using a specialized platform, you simply need to connect your wallet and generate the memecoin in just a few easy steps.

The platform will automatically generate the token and smart contract, and you will only need to provide the following information:

• Token name and short ticker — originality is best;
• Number of decimal places (the number of fractions into which the token will be divided). "8" is most commonly used;
• Token description (optional);
• Image to be used as the memecoin logo;
• Supply (total number of tokens).

Specialized platforms usually also support additional features that can be configured before creating the memecoin:

• Burning — irreversible destruction of tokens;
• Minting — the ability to create additional tokens;
• Token freezing — locking tokens in wallets, for example, to prevent malicious actions.

Note: Before creating a memecoin, verify the accuracy of all data and settings to ensure its integrity. Once the smart contract is deployed to the leading network, these actions cannot be undone. You can run a few test launches before final creation to avoid mistakes.

Stage 4 — pre-launch and marketing

Before presenting the token to the public, you need to add it to the asset list so that it appears in your wallet.

It's also essential to monitor the token, including on-chain activity. Popular tools such as DexScreener can help with this. Once preparation is complete, you can move on to the next stage — promotion.

Promotion is the most critical and labor-intensive stage. To reach a market capitalization of at least $1 million at launch, you need to find at least several thousand investors interested in your memecoin's future.

There are several promotion methods:

• Creating and managing your own social media channels such as X (formerly Twitter), Telegram, Reddit, TikTok, and YouTube;
• Advertising on other channels and collaborating with popular influencers;
• Running contests and affiliate programs to attract more active participants;
• Airdrop — rewarding active community members with free tokens.

Each method has its advantages and nuances. For example, advertising requires significant financial investment, while managing social media requires creativity and discipline.

Stage 5 — listing

If you have gathered a sufficient audience, you can proceed to the final stage — listing. The easiest way is to list on decentralized exchanges (DEX) such as Uniswap or Raydium.

Listing on traditional crypto exchanges is expensive. Moreover, the exchange team may reject your application due to internal policies, even if you are willing to pay the required fees. Typically, new memecoins first create liquidity on DEX platforms, and if the launch is successful, they then apply to major centralized exchanges, as was the case with the TRUMP token.

Conclusion

Even if the launch does not meet your expectations, it doesn't mean you should abandon the memecoin. You can improve the situation by developing the community and attracting new audiences after the project launch.

For example, Shiba Inu (SHIB), the second-largest memecoin by market capitalization, was relatively unknown at launch and only gained popularity several months later.