Historically, investments have been the domain of institutions and wealthy individuals. Investment opportunities for ordinary people gradually increased in the 20th century, and accessibility has grown further in the 21st century. Democratizing investing includes a variety of approaches, such as offering low-cost investment options, lowering the minimum investment required to enter the stock market, and providing resources such as education to help people make informed decisions.

Notably, the 21st century has seen the rise of cryptocurrency, an asset class that previously did not exist. Not everyone is a fan: Warren Buffett, who tends to favor established companies with strong financials, a product or service with a ready customer base, and a talented management team, has famously referred to it as "rat poison." 

While traditional assets like precious metals and real estate remain lucrative and safe-haven investments, many lament having missed out on Bitcoin in hindsight, whether because they doubted it when it emerged or succumbed to others' dismissive views. Bitcoin has proven many naysayers wrong. It's now a solid asset that has reached an all-time high in terms of monetary value.

The key to memecoin staying power

Some people who regret missing out on BTC and ETH would consider investing in memecoins. They are altcoins named after trends, fun or humorous topics, etc., typically designed for community engagement, and used for trading, speculative investments, or peer-to-peer payments. They tend to have websites with comical themes, and their creators market a sense of community to attract investors.

Memecoins like DOGE, SHIB, and PEPE have enjoyed staying power, currently accounting for more than 67% of the total memecoin market cap. Notably, PEPE survived despite being launched without an initial coin offering or an airdrop. To account for this seemingly perplexing fact, it's important to consider that memecoins are closer to a sociocultural phenomenon than to a pure financial asset. Instead of being treated like traditional investments, they are considered speculative bets tied to community sentiment, internet culture, and collective humor. Virality, narrative, and attention cycles drive their value more than tokenomics and other fundamentals. This makes them akin to digital pop collectibles, where one is essentially buying into a trend or subculture. The line between a financial product and a meme movement becomes increasingly blurred. What is the community actually investing in?

Cultural callback and a sense of belonging underlie the appeal of the $ZEUS token, launched on May 21. Its creators hold full IP rights to Zeus, the dog inspired by Matt Furie's Boy's Club comics. Zeus is based on Pepe's Dog, the deep-cut character at the heart of Pepe lore and the secret guardian of the swamp, who finally stepped out of the background. Zeus is more than a memecoin: it's a narrative play, a resurrection, and a return to the inception of memes. The original artist, ND Haus, is an active collaborator, and another core team member is "Jagged," the owner of the actual dog. Zeus CC8 INC recently received trademark protection and full IP rights over the Zeus name and visual identity, and IP owner "Jagged" officially transferred all IP rights to the company, whose structure was updated accordingly.

What you stand to gain – or lose 

Memecoin investors can profit from many small trades, have thousands of coins to choose from, and will pay less than they would for Bitcoin and other altcoins. Most relevantly, they join communities of like-minded enthusiasts, and memecoins are a vantage point to learn more about the technologies behind blockchain and cryptocurrency. On the other hand, memecoins can be highly volatile and risky, with less-than-ideal long-term investment prospects. There is a higher chance of scams or projects being abandoned.

There are different theories as to how some memecoins enjoy demand and staying power. The gas fees can be higher than a memecoin's actual value, including any profit, so people tend to wait it out. During this period, it appears that no one is selling, which raises the demand signal, and this continues until actual momentum develops. Another view is that whales are behind all market movements. Whales have the majority of the supply, allowing them to set demand and manipulate prices. 

From dismissal to investment: Not even Buffett can ignore crypto

Even though most meme coins don't have actual use cases, their popularity with cryptocurrency traders on exchanges does not cease. As of mid-June 2025, the meme market cap was $60.8 billion. Ultimately, Buffett ended up investing $500 million in Nu Holdings, a Brazilian financial institution with a cryptocurrency platform. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, later invested another $250 million.

Still, he claims he wouldn't take "all of the Bitcoin in the world" because he wouldn't know what to do with it. That is not an issue for a growing number of firms worldwide, however. According to a report by Deloitte, they use it for various operational, investment, and transactional purposes. Merchants are embracing crypto payments with the hope of gaining an edge over market competitors and that the use of crypto will keep growing.

The changed perceptions of investments are irreversible

Ambitious predictions suggest that Bitcoin will become a cornerstone of the global financial system by 2045, with the US potentially at the forefront of this transformation. The cryptocurrency industry has created thousands of jobs in the country, from crypto analysts to blockchain developers, and it could rival traditional financial industries in terms of economic impact and employment by 2045. New blockchain use cases in healthcare, supply chain management, and government services could drive job creation further.

The changes in how people approach investments are irreversible. There is a prevalent sense of belonging, communities have more influence, and individuals are making independent investment decisions rather than turning to brokers. The burgeoning memecoin market is evidence of that.