The original source: Don't confuse memecoin and shitcoin

Original author: Mannay

Compiled by: Azuma, Odaily Planet Daily

Let's get straight to the topic, memecoin and shitcoin are two completely different things.

m emecoin ——The collective resonance of freedom and unruly originated from the Internet culture;

shitcoin — short-lived, speculative, lack of soul;

Confusing the two is not only a semantic error, but also a cultural disorder. To call tokens like TRUMP or LIBRA m emecoin is like mistakenly thinking of the moon.

meme spreads from one brain to another like a virus - Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene (1976)

From Dawkins defining meme as a "cultural unit" to the birth of DOGE in 2013, memecoin has become the intersection of Internet culture and decentralized finance. The most important thing now is to distinguish those real memecoins—cultural products derived from community humor, shared values ​​and organic communication—from shitcoins that aim to leverage speculative craze. Confusing the two is not just a semantic error, it also undermines the cultural foundation that makes memecoin so fascinating. memecoin is a story that can be traded as an asset, and its value is only a byproduct of collective belief.

memes are not static images or jokes: they are cultural genes that can mutate and spread through human interactions. Dawkins' 1976 metaphor describes meme as a "selfish replica" fighting for dominance in the attention economy. Memecoins like DOGE or PEPE also reflect this evolutionary process:

• A meme (such as DOGE) mutates into a token, gaining financial benefits while retaining its cultural DNA.

• Community, as an ecosystem, amplifies memes that resonate with shared values ​​(humor, rebellion, nostalgia).

• Blockchain infrastructure accelerates the replication process, which can generate more than 40,000 memecoins per day.

Unlike shitcoin which lacks cultural adaptability, memecoin flourishes by embedding collective memory. They also connect two eras of Internet culture: Web2 and Web3.

In Web2, meme is a centralized product. Platforms like Reddit and Twitter monetize viral content through advertising, but creators rarely get financial benefits from it. It spreads through platforms such as Reddit or Twitter, but its monetization process is isolated—such as the platform earns advertising revenue rather than creators. DOGE's rise in 2013 is an example of its community funding charity but lacks ownership of meme's financial value.

Web3 transforms meme into an asset of self-sovereignty, and communities monetize their cultural labor. meme has also become a tradable "equity" governed by decentralized communities rather than controlled by corporate algorithms. This transformation is actually revolutionary, as meme has transformed from a transient content to a lasting cultural capital. For example, PEPE retakes Pepe theme meme from Web2 appropriation, allowing holders to “own” a part of the internet history.

Real memecoin will follow a Darwinian development trajectory :

• Birth: A meme is tokenized, usually as a kind of irony;

• Growth: The community uses humor and nostalgia to build social capital;

• Maturity: Successful memecoin develops quasi-social utility (holders invest not only for profit but also for identity);

• Legacy: memecoin either fades away (mostly) or evolves into a cultural symbol/community legend. For example, DOGE's persistence stems from its myth of charity.

shitcoin bypasses this life cycle. They are financial zombies – lack of narratives and only harvest through predatory strategies and pulling shipments. They lack cultural support and are doomed to the transient nature of their life cycle.

memecoin can actually archive the Internet subculture into blockchain and play a role as a 21st century folklore. In turn, shitcoin lacks this emotional resonance and fails to generate community loyalty. They exploit trends without contributing to cultural narratives, leaving cryptocurrencies out of their “countercultural” roots. They are parasites of meme, and there is a fundamental difference between them and meme.

The real challenge at the moment is to maintain the integrity of the culture. The confusion between memecoin and shitcoin has threatened the cultural foundation of cryptocurrencies – exploitative tokens lead to trust being eroded, low-quality replicas stifle innovation and dilute creativity, volatility and scams have led to severe regulation, thus endangering creation free……

Let's look back on history. DOGE was created in 2013 by Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer, and was originally a parody of Bitcoin and a tribute to the Doge-themed meme. The entire project is full of self-deprecating humor. Yet it is this irony that helps it stand out in the increasingly serious and competitive crypto space. Within months, a loyal community (what you might call a “cult”) has risen rapidly, funding the Jamaican sled team for the 2014 Winter Olympics, and sponsoring causes such as the Clean Water Program. These early philanthropy reveal a community spirit that transcends speculation.

Susan Blackmore wrote in Meme Machine (1999) that meme’s success depends largely on its ability to resonate with shared cultural context. memecoin accomplishes this by using humor as a Trojan horse; people gather around humor, but they stay because of a sense of belonging. Whether it’s publishing ridiculous memes or raising funds for quirky causes, these communities translate the “attention economy” into tangible economic value. Community exchanges, activities, and creation amplified the cultural momentum, and digital cross-dissemination occurred so quickly that the value of memecoin soared not because of its inherent practicality, but because of endless humor. Over time, if meme can resonate widely (as DOGE does), the token can go beyond its initial jokes and become an independent cultural symbol.

In contrast, shitcoin lacks any meaningful cultural basis. They exist purely as speculative tools, and their creators leverage viral marketing and FOMO (miss-phobia) sentiment without contributing anything real to the wider cryptocurrency or cultural ecosystem. The value of memecoin is emotional; the value of shitcoin is transactional.

Cryptocurrency markets – especially on chains like Solana, where transactions are fast and inexpensive – may be flooded with tokens that surge on platforms like pump.fun like mushrooms after rain, but not all fungi are Edible.

As Coindesk reporter Brady Dale wrote in a 2021 article about DOGE: “The real difference is not code, but narrative.”

shitcoin lacks narrative depth. They have no comedy sparks, no charity, and no sense of collective participation beyond speculation. Last year’s so-called wave of PolitiFi tokens, such as MAGA coins, BODEN or KAMA, showed how shitcoin attaches to the topic of cultural division (in this case political theme) to accelerate speculation. Instead of connecting communities, they use political sentiment to make quick profits. They don’t have a shareable internal joke, but just a bargaining chip in a digital casino, and from beginning to end it is just a carefully planned disc control plot.

Back in 2022, a reporter wrote in the New York Times: “Tokens with political labels take advantage of real-world tensions to gain short-lived market momentum, leaving behind a string of disillusioned investors.”

We've all seen how it evolved this year. A token can spread virally does not mean that it naturally has the status of memecoin. memecoin exploits cultural consensus or collective resonance, shitcoin simply parasitizes on the same viral mechanism and lacks any more in-depth story. So they burn out soon.

"They are the economic equivalents of the 'Flash'...this wonder disappears as quickly as it forms without leaving any lasting cultural imprint," Noelle Acheson said in a 2021 Decrypt interview.

meme is the DNA of our culture. They are spreading, ever-changing codes through collective imitation and recreation. ——Susan Blackmore, "meme Machine" (1999)

Confusing memecoin with shitcoin poses a real threat to the legitimacy and artistic charm that real memecoin brings to the cryptocurrency space. memecoin has always been a convenient entrance for newcomers to access complex financial instruments. When viewers see this field diluted by exploitative tokens without cultural souls, their trust and enthusiasm will also be eroded.

memecoin 反映了互联网亚文化的集体心理—— Reddit 帖子、Twitter 动态、Discord 频道。 shitcoin 掏空了meme 的概念，将其简化为“病毒性”。结果就是一个充斥着数字垃圾的市场，掩盖了真正有创意的项目。 真正的memecoin 赋予互联网文化以活力，并在全球社区中建立情感共鸣。 DOGE 最初之所以成功，是因为它有趣、包容，并反映了互联网幽默的核心。 Tokens like PEPE continue this tradition. shitcoin lacks this kind of community magic.它们由个人推出，它们只是在利用meme。

这就是为什么把shitcoin 称为memecoin，就好比把广告牌标语称为高级艺术。 Surface similarity masks the huge gap between authenticity and purpose. memecoin is not just a joke, they are mirrors that reflect the essence of Internet culture, while shitcoin is a haha ​​mirror - it is all surface, no substance. Confusing the two is a misunderstanding of the two. Culture is fragile, don't let it fall.

In Richard Dawkins' words, meme is a "cultural unit." Let us respect this definition and remember why we stepped into the cryptocurrency world—not just for making money, but for belonging.