Memecoins took center stage in 2024, capturing nearly a third of global investor attention, according to a recent CoinGecko report. The study revealed that memecoins accounted for 30.67% of total interest, showcasing their dominance in the evolving crypto market.
Solana and Base memecoins gain major attention
As per the report, investor attention was drawn to the main meme coin story alone, which was 14–36%, a significant increase from 8–32% the previous year. With a 7.65% share, Solana memecoins ranked fourth, indicating their strength.
AI meme coins came in at number 15th with 1. 49%, while Base meme coins came in at number 11 with 2.13%. With 1.19% memecoins with a cat theme, it also made an impression, ranking 16th. Storylines about artificial intelligence (AI) came in second with 15:67% of investor interest.
A minor increase from the previous year, 11.32%, was seen in the overall AI narrative’s 12.58% contribution. However, in terms of overall traction, AI was unable to surpass memecoins. With a 1.17% share, AI agents also made it into the top 20.
The popularity of Real World Assets (RWA) increased, moving up from 6.48% in 2023 to third place with an 8.64% share. With a 1.56% point increase, the DePIN narrative also gained traction, moving up from 13th to eighth place. On the other hand, investor interest in GameFi decreased, going from 10% to 3%.
Solana ecosystem remains a key focus
Solana-related narratives received a significant chunk of the interest, with a combined 14.30% share. Of that, almost half was attributed to Solana meme coins, while the broader Solana ecosystem narrative ranked fifth at 5.78%. Pump.fun had 0.61% in interest as a sub-narrative.
Base ecosystem narratives also became the focus of attention and altogether accounted for 4.87% of the interest. The Base ecosystem alongside Base memecoins reflected growing investor confidence in the chain.
In all, five blockchain ecosystems made it into the top 20 narratives of 2024: Solana and Base were accompanied by Ethereum, Sui, and TON ecosystems, which accounted for 1.82%, 1.04%, and 0.85%, respectively.
This year’s trends will further underpin the rise of memecoins and other such speculative assets. At the same time, this also cements the staying power of AI, RWA, and blockchain ecosystems in the highly competitive crypto landscape.
