The next major crypto breakthrough won’t emerge from technical whitepapers or promises to revolutionize finance. Instead, it will come from something far more human—social engagement, emotional connection, and cultural relevance.
Like NFTs, gaming, and DeFi, which surged in retail popularity during 2021-22, the current bull market is waiting for its next killer app. Surprisingly, one of the most controversial use cases—memecoins—provides a blueprint for mainstream crypto adoption.
Forget Utility—Think Cultural Phenomenon
For any crypto use case to gain mass adoption, it needs to transcend its technical origins and become part of popular culture.
Bitcoin, for example, started as a peer-to-peer payment system, but it became widely embraced as a symbol of financial sovereignty and a hedge against inflation. Similarly, $TRUMP and $MELANIA tokens have become more than just memecoins—they are cultural assets driven by their namesake’s popularity.
How Memecoins Onboarded New Crypto Users
A survey revealed that 14% of Americans—one in seven—invested in $TRUMP, a staggering number for a token often dismissed as “frivolous.” Moreover, blockchain analysis from Chainalysis showed that:
- 50% of $TRUMP and $MELANIA holders had never previously bought a Solana altcoin.
- 83% of users held less than $1,000 in Solana assets, proving that these tokens introduced new retail investors to crypto.
This mirrors past trends: Bitcoin, NFTs, and DeFi were once ridiculed but later became major adoption drivers. The lesson? Cultural significance is just as important as technical innovation.
The TON-Telegram Model: A Potential Game Changer
Beyond memecoins, the TON blockchain and Telegram’s ecosystem show huge potential. Telegram has 950M+ users, providing a built-in audience for Web3 mini-apps like GameFi and payments.
If TON can replicate the social and emotional engagement seen in major gaming franchises like Grand Theft Auto, it could become crypto’s next killer use case. The key for developers is to tap into what makes products viral and socially compelling rather than just focusing on infrastructure.
Simplicity: The Key to Retail Adoption
A killer use case must be easy to understand and use. Buying $TRUMP doesn’t require knowledge of liquidity pools or smart contracts—it’s as simple as downloading a wallet, swapping SOL, and participating.
Polymarket: How Betting Simplified Crypto Onboarding
During the 2024 U.S. presidential race, Polymarket—a prediction market where users bet on real-world events—became extremely popular. Nearly 1 million new users onboarded because the process was straightforward:
- Download the app
- Sign up with Google
- Deposit USDC
- Place a bet (e.g., ‘Will Candidate X win?’)
By designing experiences that feel familiar and intuitive, crypto companies can lower the barrier to entry for everyday users.
Base and Hyperliquid: Simplifying Crypto Trading
Projects like Base and Hyperliquid are leading this shift toward user-friendly experiences:
- Base (by Coinbase) introduced one-click transfers from exchanges to blockchains, onboarding millions of new users.
- Hyperliquid, a decentralized exchange (DEX), mimics the trading experience of centralized exchanges (CEXs) like Binance, making on-chain trading as seamless as Web2 platforms.
This trend suggests that DEX adoption could explode in this cycle as platforms become more accessible.
Network Effects: The Bigger, the Better
The strongest crypto use cases grow exponentially as more users join. Bitcoin’s value as a store of wealth increases with each new adopter, and the memecoin sector surged from $20B to $120B in 2024 alone.
Stablecoins: The Next Killer Use Case?
Stablecoins are redefining the payments industry by offering cheaper, faster, and more accessible alternatives to traditional finance.
- In 2024 alone, over 28.5 million users completed 600 million stablecoin transactions.
- U.S. policy is shifting toward embracing stablecoins as an alternative to a central bank digital currency (CBDC).
If stablecoins become the dominant digital dollar, they could transform global payments, making them crypto’s next mainstream breakthrough.
The Blueprint for Retail Adoption
Despite challenges like regulatory uncertainty and social skepticism, projects aiming for mass adoption must focus on three things:
- Tap into cultural and emotional drivers – Make crypto a social phenomenon, not just a financial product.
- Prioritize simplicity – Reduce friction so anyone can participate without technical knowledge.
