3 Meme Coins Big Investors Are Backing in 2025 as They Look Beyond Shiba Inu (SHIB)

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Shiba Inu (SHIB) still boasts one of the most loyal crypto communities, but the market is evolving rapidly. Shiba Inu is trading around $0.0000131 with a market cap of roughly $7.7B. That is still impressive, but its growth curve has slowed. Despite the launch of Shibarium, many investors feel SHIB relies too heavily on community and branding rather than technology. Investors who once only looked at SHIB or Dogecoin are now exploring other options that bring more than memes. The conversation in 2025 has shifted to coins that mix culture with real innovation.  Three projects stand out right now: Little Pepe (LILPEPE), Bonk (BONK), and ApeCoin (APE). Among them, Little Pepe is attracting the most significant buzz, with early investors already sitting on gains of 120% and stage 13 buyers still looking at a projected 36.36% upside before launch.

Little Pepe (LILPEPE) — Meme Meets Layer 2 Innovation

Little Pepe has quickly gone from being another meme coin to one of the most talked-about projects in crypto. What makes it different is that it is not just running on hype. It can process transactions faster and at much lower cost than older networks. The presale has already raised over $25.4M and sold over 15.7 billion tokens. At the time of writing, the presale is in stage 13 with each token selling for $0.0022. That price is up from $0.001 in stage 1, meaning early buyers are already up by about 120%. Stage 13 investors are not too late, though. With the launch price of $0.0030, they could still secure a 36.36% return before trading begins. The project has been listed on CoinMarketCap and successfully passed an audit from Certik, which adds confidence for those concerned about security and transparency. Community interest is also strong. The project hit number one on the ChatGPT 5 memecoin search trend between June and August, topping SHIB, Dogecoin, and PEPE. 

Add in the ongoing presale with 19 stages, the $777K giveaway, and a new Mega Giveaway rewarding top presale buyers with over 15 ETH in prizes, and it is clear that Little Pepe is setting itself apart as more than just another internet joke.

Bonk (BONK) — Solana’s Meme With Institutional Backing

Bonk has carved its place as Solana’s flagship meme coin. Unlike many coins that rely only on community hype, BONK has started attracting institutional money. Reports earlier this year revealed a $25M investment from Safety Shot, a move that brought new attention to the token. At the time of writing, BONK is trading around $0.0000255 with a market cap nearing the multi-billion mark according to CoinMarketCap. Performance has been volatile, though, which is not unusual for meme coins. Analysts suggest BONK could trade between $0.000018 and $0.000028 throughout 2025, depending on Solana’s momentum. 

ApeCoin (APE) — Culture Meets Liquidity

ApeCoin continues to ride its association with Bored Ape Yacht Club and other NFT projects. While it may not have the same meme energy as SHIB or BONK, it makes up for it with its position in NFT culture and governance. APE trades between $0.60 and $0.70 with steady liquidity and trading volumes that keep it relevant among mid-cap tokens.

Conclusion: The Meme Coin Evolution

Meme coins are no longer just jokes. They are turning into real projects with infrastructure, governance, and cross-chain ambitions. BONK is Solana’s proof of concept. APE is a culture with liquidity. However, Little Pepe (LILPEPE) is the one that may define the next generation of meme coins by fusing technology with the community.

Its Layer 2 approach, CoinMarketCap listing, Certik audit, and presale gains of 120% suggest it is built differently. Stage 13 buyers still have a projected 36.36% upside before launch, which is rare in a market where most easy gains are gone. For anyone thinking about meme coins in 2025, the real story is no longer just about SHIB. It is about where meme coins go next, and right now, all signs point to Little Pepe leading that charge.

For more information about Little Pepe (LILPEPE) visit the links below:

Website: https://littlepepe.com

Whitepaper: https://littlepepe.com/whitepaper.pdf

Telegram: https://t.me/littlepepetoken

Twitter/X: https://x.com/littlepepetoken