7 Ways to Find New Meme Coins Early Before They Go Viral
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Early investors make the biggest gains when meme coins blow up. They get in before the broader markets, often meaning a small market cap and the lowest price possible. And with the bear market still hanging around in early 2026, this could be the perfect time to spot meme coins early, before hype and liquidity rush in. The key issue is knowing which meme coins have high potential before they go viral.
This guide explains how to find meme coins early, covering proven methods, best practices, and beginner-friendly tips. For example, presales and crypto launchpads allow you to find meme coins before they list. In contrast, tools such as aggregators and whale trackers provide opportunities to see newly listed coins flying under the radar.
- In This Article
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- 1. Find New Meme Coins Early in Crypto Presales
- 2. Find Upcoming Meme Coins on Crypto Launchpads
- 3. Check Popular Coin Aggregators for Trending Meme Coins
- 4. Follow Crypto Influencers and KOLs
- 5. Use Crypto Whale Trackers
- 6. Join Discord and Telegram Alpha Groups
- 7. Look at Popular Crypto Subreddits
- In This Article
-
- 1. Find New Meme Coins Early in Crypto Presales
- 2. Find Upcoming Meme Coins on Crypto Launchpads
- 3. Check Popular Coin Aggregators for Trending Meme Coins
- 4. Follow Crypto Influencers and KOLs
- 5. Use Crypto Whale Trackers
- 6. Join Discord and Telegram Alpha Groups
- 7. Look at Popular Crypto Subreddits
- Show Full Guide
Finding Meme Coins Early: 7 Methods
There are different ways you can find meme coins early, before they launch. Let’s quickly list them:
- Get exposure to new meme coins through token presales
- Find upcoming meme coins on crypto launchpads
- Check popular coin aggregators and liquidity pool trackers for trending meme coins
- Follow crypto influencers and KOLs
- Use crypto whale trackers and blockchain explorers
- Join Discord and Telegram alpha groups
- Look at popular crypto subreddits
How to Find New Meme Coins Early – Top Methods Compared
Buying new meme coins early offers a potentially high upside, especially because they typically launch with low valuations. However, the challenging part is knowing how to find them and avoid scams while doing so reliably.
Here are the top seven methods for finding high-quality meme coins early with high upside potential.
1. Find New Meme Coins Early in Crypto Presales
Finding top crypto presales is one of the most effective ways to find new meme coins early, as they allow you to buy coins before they have been listed on any exchanges.
Presales usually offer discounted pricing, incentivizing buyers to enter the market early. Naturally, this increases the risk, as presales have no trading history.
Investors generally receive the meme coins they purchased after the presale ends. Then, often a few days or weeks later, the project lists its meme coin on exchanges. Most opt for new listings on PancakeSwap/Uniswap or other decentralized exchanges (DEXs). However, presales raising significant amounts often secure centralized tier-one listings from the get-go.
Recommended Meme Coin Presales:
- Introducing the first Bitcoin L2 solution
- Allows users to trade BTC almost instantaneously
- Enhanced transaction security with ZK-proofs
USDC- ETH
- usdt
- Meme-powered Dogecoin derivative with the focus on 1,000x leverage trading
- Maxi Doge will feature community contests and partner events to engage with its audience
- The project offers high staking rewards to its early supporters
- ETH
- usdt
- USDC
- +2 more
- Infrastructure token built to withstand quantum-powered attacks
- BMIC is burned to create credits for quantum computing
- Extra holder utility through staking and governance
- ETH
- usdt
- USDC
2. Find Upcoming Meme Coins on Crypto Launchpads
Crypto launchpads are one way to find meme coins early, but they’re not all built for this goal. Centralized launchpads such as Binance Launchpad, which remains the most popular launchpad in 2026, prioritize compliance and security and rarely list meme coins, so they’re better suited to larger, more established projects than to early-stage, high-upside plays.
Decentralized launchpads like Pump.fun, an example of the best launchpads on Solana, take the opposite approach: anyone can launch a token quickly, which fuels viral trends but also invites unaudited contracts, rug pulls, and countless low-effort projects. Here, the burden of research falls almost entirely on the investor.
3. Check Popular Coin Aggregators for Trending Meme Coins
Data aggregation websites are another top method for finding meme coins early. These platforms aggregate data from exchanges, yielding a variety of interesting trends and insights. CoinMarketCap is the most popular and is considered the gold standard for crypto pricing data.
However, CoinMarketCap is limited compared to DEXTools and DEX Screener. These aggregation sites specialize in DEXs, where new meme coins often trade before they explode. This research method requires analytical skills and time dedication. Even so, the rewards can be significant. Coin aggregators such as DEXTools allow you to:
- Filter coins by blockchain
- Assess available liquidity and whether it is locked
- Market capitalization
- Trading volume
- Number of transactions
However, the main drawback of using data aggregation sites is the sheer number of meme coins available. DEX Screener initially lists over 175,000 pairs, while DEXTools has over 24 million tokens. This is a significant amount of data, so you might consider using third-party tools to streamline the process.
4. Follow Crypto Influencers and KOLs
Follow crypto experts like Jacob Crypto Bury. He’s one of the top crypto influencers on YouTube and Discord. Jacob analyzes Bitcoin, altcoins, and presale projects, especially meme coins. His track record gives you reliable insights. Think of him as a guide in the noisy crypto space.
Jacob’s advice helps in two ways. First, his presale and meme coin expertise offers a precise analysis. Second, his recommendations often start a ‘herd effect’ — followers invest early. You might catch tokens before significant gains.
Unlike some crypto influencers and KOLs who chase 100x moonshots, Jacob balances new presales with established coins. You get both emerging gems and Bitcoin updates. His Discord and YouTube work together. Ultimately, Jacob helps you find potential 100x projects through research, not luck. It’s a smarter way to navigate crypto.
5. Use Crypto Whale Trackers
This final method is one of the easiest ways to find new meme coins early – tracking ‘crypto whales‘. Put simply, whales are successful investors who allocate substantial funds when buying cryptocurrencies. They have strong investment convictions and can often influence the broader market.
For example, suppose a whale has built a crypto fortune, and they’ve just invested $250,000 into a new meme coin. This provides the meme coin with validity and a stamp of approval. Other traders will see that the whale has invested in the project, so they might consider investing themselves.
This can create a domino effect, encouraging more and more people to buy into the project. However, as with any crypto niche, it’s best to follow meme coin whales as early as possible. This ensures you get the lowest entry price before the project blows up. This is where the best crypto whale trackers can streamline the process.
6. Join Discord and Telegram Alpha Groups
Alpha groups on Discord and Telegram are frontline hubs for meme coin hunters. Members share unverified tips, contract addresses, and launch updates minutes after projects go live.
For example, someone might drop a new coin’s contract in one of the best Telegram groups 30 minutes before DEX listing, giving you a head start before pumps.
These groups and some of the best Discord servers thrive on real-time chatter, but timing is critical. Coins mentioned here may surge dramatically within hours, then crash just as fast. However, blind trust risks ruin.
Here are some tips to stay safe while using these groups:
- Always cross-check contracts: paste them into DEXTools to confirm liquidity locks and renounce ownership.
- Ignore anonymous “influencers” shilling coins – they often hold pre-mined bags.
- Diversify across 5-10 vetted groups to filter noise.
- Prioritize servers with active moderators and strict anti-spam rules.
- If 3+ trusted groups mention the same coin unprompted, investigate.
- Never make decisions based on hype alone.
7. Look at Popular Crypto Subreddits
This method taps into hidden gem finder communities on Reddit. Think of subreddits as crowded water cooler chats where early buzz often sparks coin momentum. You jump in, listen, and spot patterns that hint at rising tokens. For example, r/memecoins usually highlights trending coins like UNDERDOGS or Powsche, which means you can spot early moves.
Say you join r/CryptoCurrency and r/MemeCoins. You see a post about a new meme token gathering upvotes and comments – people are talking, and that chatter matters. You don’t follow mindlessly, but it’s a good signal. That’s your cue to dig deeper – check contract, liquidity, and team transparency.
Reddit moves fast, and manual tracking takes time. To stay ahead, set up notifications or use tools like Pushshift or Nansen to catch mentions early. Subscribing alone isn’t enough; you need to engage or monitor threads regularly.
Subreddits give you that grassroots edge; sometimes, the crowd sees value before price charts do. But always back up community hype with fundamental research.
The Advantages of Finding New Meme Coins Early
You now know how to find new meme coins. Next, we’ll discuss the benefits of investing in meme projects early.
📉 Invest at a Lower Market Cap
Like most new cryptocurrencies, new meme coins often begin life with a small market capitalization. This is because they’re a brand-new launch, so visibility in the broader markets is limited. Crucially, this provides the most likely way of finding a 100x project.
This contrasts with large-cap meme coins like Dogecoin and Pepe, which are already valued at multiple billions of dollars. Conversely, new meme coins are often worth a few million dollars, providing plenty of room for growth.
- For example, suppose you buy a meme coin valued at $3 million.
- That meme coin would be worth $300 million if it increased by 100x.
- Now consider the same example but with Dogecoin, which is currently valued at $23 billion.
- 100x growth would require a market capitalization of $2.3 trillion.
- Such a high valuation is unlikely, especially considering Bitcoin is currently worth $1.3 trillion.
Ultimately, investing in low-cap crypto is risky, but they provide the possibility of explosive growth.
🎁 Potential for Huge ROI
Buying new meme coins early can yield an unprecedented return on investment (ROI), especially if the meme coin project blows up.
- For example, according to Business Insider, an early investor bought $8,000 worth of Shiba Inu when it first launched.
- Shiba Inu increased by over 7 million percent, providing that investor with life-changing gains.
- That $8,000 investment was worth $5.7 billion when the Business Insider article was published.
Another example is dogwifhat, which is now the ninth-largest meme coin by market capitalization.
- Dogwifhat was worth just $0.0677 after it launched in January 2024.
- About four months later, dogwifhat hit an all-time high of $4.85.
- This means that those buying dogwifhat early recorded gains of over 7,000%
🤏 Small Initial Investment
Investing in new meme coins with a low market capitalization, such as early-stage projects like HexyDog, is ideal for those on a budget. This is because investors aren’t required to risk a lot of money to make significant gains.
- For example, we mentioned above that an early investor made 7 million percent on their Shiba Inu purchase. Investing just $100 at the time would have yielded a $7 million profit.
- Similarly, suppose you invested $100 when dogwifhat was worth just $0.0677. Your investment would have been worth over $7,000 just four months later.
In contrast, investing $100 into a large-cap meme coin like Dogecoin might not be worth it. For instance, Dogecoin would require a market capitalization of $230 billion just to increase by 10x.
While unlikely in this crypto cycle, a $100 investment at 10x would return $1,000. While this is still an attractive gain, higher ROIs are available when buying new meme coins.
The Risks of Trying to Find Meme Coins Early
Meme coins, in general, are risky investments. Those without any track record are significantly riskier, meaning you could lose substantial money.
Consider the following risks before buying new meme coins early.
⚠️ Large Risk of Failure
We mentioned earlier that DEXTools lists over 24 million tokens. Most are meme coins without value, use cases, or recognition in the wider crypto space. Crucially, this means the odds of finding successful meme coins are minimal.
Many tokens on DEXTools have decreased by over 99%. So, if you originally invested $1,000, it would now be worth just $10. This is why you should never invest money in meme coins that you can’t afford to lose. The meme coin niche is often described as a ‘casino’ for this very reason.
🤥 Prevalence of Scams and Rug Pulls
Some meme coins are created to scam investors. This is increasingly becoming simple for scammers, as the tokens are listed on DEXs, which don’t have a listing application process.
Instead, DEXs enable anyone to list tokens by adding the contract address with some liquidity. One of the most common scams is a ‘rug pull.’ The founders raise funds from investors, building the project up as the ‘next big meme coin.’ The founders then disappear, keeping the funds raised, leaving investors with worthless meme coins.
⛔ Limited Liquidity in Early Stages
When explaining how to find meme coins early, we mentioned that low-cap projects offer the highest ROI potential. However, this also means that ‘liquidity’ will be limited during the early stages. This is the amount of funds available for trading on the chosen DEX.
It’s often only 5-10% of the market capitalization.
- For example, suppose you’ve invested in a meme coin with a $1 million valuation.
- It might only have $50,000 – $100,000 in the liquidity pool.
- This means that a small token sale can see the price drop significantly.
Insufficient liquidity can also make it unfavorable to cash out. You might need to accept a much lower price, known as ‘slippage’.
How to Find Meme Coins Early Without Getting Scammed
We’ve discussed the potential rewards and risks of buying new meme coins early. Next, we’ll cover some important best practices to follow. This will give you the best chance to build a profitable meme coin portfolio.
Check for a Verified Smart Contract Audit
The first best practice is to ensure the meme coin’s ‘smart contract‘ has been audited. This address determines the project’s key functions, such as its total supply. However, scammers are known to insert nefarious terms in the smart contract, preventing anyone but the founders from selling the tokens.
Reputable smart contract auditors, such as Consensys and SolidProof, alleviate these risks. They audit the underlying code to ensure free and transparent trading conditions. Visiting a data aggregation site like DEX Screener can quickly check whether a smart contract has been audited.
Here’s how:
- First, get the contract address from the meme coin’s website
- If it’s not provided, this is a major red flag
- Next, visit Dex Screener and paste the contract address in the search bar
- Scroll down to the right of the pricing chart
- Look for the ‘Audit’ button and click it
- It should display whether the contract has been audited and by whom
- DEX Screener will also display whether or not the audit found any issues.
If any issues are highlighted, avoiding that meme coin is best.
Look for Locked Liquidity Pools
The next best practice is to ensure the liquidity pool is locked. We mentioned liquidity pools earlier, which are required when meme coins trade on DEXs.
Having a ‘locked’ pool ensures the founders can’t withdraw the funds. It also ensures smooth trading conditions, enabling buyers and sellers to trade without fearing being scammed.
You can also use the DEX Screener to check this. Toward the top of the data panel (to the right of the chart), you’ll see the ‘Liquidity’ button (next to FDV). If there’s a lock icon next to the figure, liquidity is locked.
Assess Community Engagement
Many new Ethereum meme coins and meme cryptos on other blockchains claim to have a large community. A substantial number of Telegram members or X followers often back this. However, these figures can be artificial, meaning they’re bots rather than actual community members or investors.
- The first thing to check is how much engagement the social pages get.
- For example, suppose the X page has 100,000 followers, but recent posts average less than 10 likes. This likely highlights that the followers aren’t real.
- Additionally, check how active the Telegram group is. Make a judgment about whether comments are real or a sign of automated bots.
Another method is to manually check the number of unique token holders. Once again, DEX Tools can help. A tiny number of holders compared to the project’s social following is a red flag.
Invest in KYC-ed Projects
Plenty of meme coins launch with anonymous founders and still turn into real, lasting projects. The problem in 2026 isn’t anonymity itself. It’s the wave of scams and low-effort launches. So your priority should be due diligence. KYC adds reputational and legal consequences, but it doesn’t guarantee success or honest execution.
Most meme coins also have zero utility. If a project makes zero promises and still launches cleanly and distributes tokens fairly, it can’t really “scam” you just because the price drops. Price losses happen for normal reasons like weak demand or heavy sell pressure. A scam needs fraud.
For example, if a team promises staking yield paid in another token and then doesn’t pay, that’s a scam. In that case, knowing who’s behind it creates real accountability.
Here’s the quick rulebook to keep your checks consistent:
- No promises + fair launch: No KYC required, even if price dumps.
- Promises made: Only consider KYC-ed, doxxed teams.
- Advisor KYC isn’t enough: Key decision-makers must be doxxed with social proof.
- Skip “KYC audits”: They rarely hold bad actors accountable.
The bottom line is to align your KYC standards with the project’s promises and treat transparency as a risk control.
Using Sniper Bots to Buy Meme Coins at Launch in 2026
Sniper bots like BonkBot, Trojan, and Maestro let you buy new Solana meme coins in seconds through Telegram. That speed matters on Pump.fun or Raydium, where launches move fast, and manual traders often arrive late. Here is how to use them:
- Quick setup: Open the bot in Telegram, connect Phantom, fund it with SOL (often 0.1–1 SOL), and enable 2FA. A legit bot asks you to sign transactions, not share your seed phrase.
- Pick a bot: BonkBot focuses on fast entries and trailing stops. Trojan adds filters, MEV protection, and copy-trade tools. Maestro supports multiple chains and includes basic anti-rug checks. Fees are usually about 1%.
- Trade workflow: Track new pairs (age $50k, holders >100, LP locked). Place a buy like /buy $TICKER 0.5 and add a priority fee (example: 0.01 SOL tip). Set exits with /sellat 2x or a 10–20% trailing stop.
- Safety: Revoke approvals after you’re done. Run a small test trade first (example: 0.01 SOL) to confirm settings and slippage.
The upside is getting in early when price discovery is still messy. The downside is real, too: fees, failed transactions, and sudden drops. Keep your bet size small, and don’t let a bot turn your wallet into a slot machine.
Conclusion
Finding meme coins early can lead to big gains, but the odds are stacked against most projects. Many never gain traction, and even promising ones often rely more on social media hype than fundamentals.
Track trends on X, Reddit, and Telegram to improve your chances. Use tools like Dexscreener, Poocoin, and Etherscan to catch new token launches. CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap’s “Trending” sections can surface momentum plays. Follow launchpads, blockchain explorers, and influencers—critically. Or, if you like, create your own meme coin.
Always check liquidity, tokenomics, and dev activity before jumping in. Diversify, stay cautious, and don’t invest more than you can afford to lose. In this space, solid research matters more than hype.
👉 Don’t Miss: How to Trade Meme Coins in 2026 – A Full Guide
FAQs
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References
- DEXScreener (DEXScreener)
- A crypto wallet shows an investor made an $8,000 shiba inu coin purchase last year. Today, it is worth $5.7 billion. (Business Insider)
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