Memecoins are covered in full under meme coins, which sets out their history, how they are launched and traded, and their risks. This page explains the single-word spelling and a few related entries.
"Memecoin" and "meme coin" mean the same thing: a cryptocurrency inspired by an internet joke, an animal, a cartoon or a public figure, usually with little or no practical use beyond trading and community identity. The best-known early example is Dogecoin, launched in 2013 as a parody, followed by tokens such as Shiba Inu and many thousands of newer launches. Both spellings are common, and data sites and exchanges use them interchangeably.
Memecoins are typically launched with very large supplies and low unit prices, and their value depends almost entirely on attention, social-media momentum and community belief. That makes them extremely volatile. Many new memecoins are abandoned within days, and the category has been used for rug pulls and pump-and-dump schemes. Tokens tied to famous people are covered under celebrity memecoins, and the legal question of whether such tokens can be securities is discussed under the Howey test for the memecoin. The wider culture behind them is sometimes called the meme economy.