Top 10 Meme Coins in 2024

Started as online jokes, meme coins became very serious, very quickly. As their market cap and relevance keep increasing, it’s becoming more important than ever to understand the legality of meme coins.

If you’re currently thinking about launching your own meme coin, regulatory compliance is essential, especially if you want to avoid legal issues in the future. Not respecting regulations when creating a meme coin could result in fines, sanctions, legal action, or -worst case scenario- imprisonment. Thankfully, a solid legal foundation will allow you to avoid all risks, while building trust among your community.

Curious to know if your favorite meme coins are legally compliant? LegalBison chose 10 of the most popular meme coins in 2024 and analyzed their legal structures, background, and compliance with regulatory standards.

DOGE

Although Dogecoin (DOGE) was originally created to make fun of Bitcoin, it quickly reached an impressive market cap of over 17 billion dollars in 2024.

On the legal side, Dogecoin has registered intellectual property and is supported by several entities worldwide. Specifically, it has two Ltd. companies in the UK, a company and a foundation in the USA, as well as a foundation in Australia. The Dogecoin Foundation handles trademark protection and legal compliance.

SHIB

Also called “the Dogecoin killer”, Shiba Inu (SHIB) is another dog-themed coin that remains one of the most popular meme coins in 2024. Regarding the legality of this meme coin, The Shiba Inu project is supported by several DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations), as well as a Cayman foundation.

PEPE

Inspired by the success of Dogecoin, Pepe (PEPE) is a funny humanoid frog. When it comes to this meme coin’s regulation, Pepe’s legal structure and compliance details are not clearly outlined. Its team is anonymous, operates in a decentralized manner, and has not disclosed any specific licenses, which could suggest an offshore setup.

WIF

Dogwifhat (WIF) is literally a dog with a hat but misspelled. As is often the case with meme coins’ regulation, this cynical version of Dogecoin doesn’t specify its legal compliance or licensing details. As a decentralized coin, WIF is governed by its community and is listed on most major exchanges such as Binance, OKX, Kraken, and Bybit.

FLOKI

Named after Elon Musk’s dog, Floki (FLOKI) mixes both internet culture and utility. It operates with compliance measures including audits by CertiK and Solidity Finance. The legal pages of Floki’s whitepaper show a solid legal disclaimer, up to the same standards as the ones drafted by our FinTech lawyers. Floki also supports several DApps, including the Valhalla NFT Metaverse, FlokiFi, and Floki University.

BONK

Bonk (BONK) is the first dog coin created for the Solana community, by the Solana community. From a legal perspective, BONK registered a marketing company in Canada and hasn’t publicly disclosed the legal details of its token issue. BONK operates with a DAO framework and the project has over 350 on-chain integrations built by its community.

BRETT

Brett (BRETT) is the official mascot of the Base Chain. Regarding this meme coin’s legality, the Brett project doesn’t list any licenses or registrations. However, BrettCoin is operated by BRETT BROS – FZCO, based in Dubai Silicon Oasis, and is available on all major exchanges.

MEW

Cat in a dogs world (MEW) is a unique cat-themed coin meant to save the world from the domination of dog coins. Operating on the Solana blockchain, this meme coin’s regulation information is not disclosed. However, MEW is associated with DappRadar, where users can participate in airdrops to acquire MEW tokens, enhancing community involvement and awareness.

MAGA

Inspired by ex-US President Donald J. Trump, the meme coin MAGA (TRUMP) is a coin that aims to “Make crypto great again”. This politically-themed meme coin’s regulation is not explicitly disclosed and is most likely structured to avoid regulatory scrutiny. The project is 100% community-driven, with low transaction taxes.

MOTHER

MOTHER (MOTHER) is a Solana meme coin launched by Iggy Azalea. The project emphasizes anti-scam measures, with Azalea promising to burn her own coins to maintain trust. There is no public legal information, but the project can be used within Azalea’s telecommunications company.

How to launch your own meme coin?

If you want to launch a meme coin safely and protect yourself from any legal implications, you first need to understand the legality of meme coins, as well as the regulation it entails. Thankfully, with the right advice, you can easily launch a meme coin that’s legally compliant and trustworthy. At LegalBison, we provide legal assistance through each stage of your project.

Need some help understanding the legality of meme coins? Have a look at our MemeCoins Solution Page and contact us to make sure your project meets all legal standards.