From Memes to Global Cultural IP: Interpreting the Success Path of Cat Memecoin MEW

The "animal spirits" theory proposed by macroeconomist Keynes suggests that markets are driven by investor confidence and expectations. In crypto assets, MEME is undoubtedly the category with the highest "animal spirits" indicator, greatly influenced by community sentiment. Interestingly, animal-themed MEMEs are the most influential and have the highest market value among all MEMEs, perhaps because the small animals around us can evoke the strongest collective resonance.

Recently, with Bitcoin breaking the $100,000 milestone, the altcoin craze has officially begun. In this wave, a series of animal-themed cultural symbols, known as Memes, have emerged as one of the most noteworthy sectors. Among them, the cat-themed Meme project cat in a dogs world (MEW) has shown particularly outstanding performance.

MEW was launched on the Solana blockchain in March this year, standing out in the crowded Solana ecosystem of memecoins with its unique cat-themed narrative. In just six months, MEW has entered the crypto "unicorn" club (with a market capitalization of over $1 billion) and the "Top 100" of cryptocurrency market capitalization, making its path to success worthy of attention.

Set a new price high twice in a week, market cap breaks 1 billion USD

MEW was listed on a major cryptocurrency exchange this September, supporting two trading pairs: BTC and Tether (USDT). Although its price saw a brief surge at that time, it failed to break through the historical high set in March.

On October 21, a certain exchange announced the launch of MEW fiat trading pairs, making MEW the third memecoin on the platform to support fiat currency. As soon as the news broke, MEW quickly gained a double-digit increase and reached a high point of $0.01, briefly surpassing Bitcoin to become the number one in trading volume on the platform.

MEW has been actively promoting its listing on several mainstream centralized exchanges. On October 24, a certain cryptocurrency exchange also announced the launch of USD and EUR trading pairs for MEW, giving a strong boost to MEW, which has been continuously rising. That night, MEW's market capitalization surged past $1 billion, setting a new record.

In addition, the MEW contract is another indicator worth paying attention to. Besides the fact that major global cryptocurrency exchanges have launched the MEW contract, some decentralized derivatives trading platforms are also actively promoting support for MEW. On October 22, MEW perpetual futures were launched on Kwenta and Synthetix (the Layer 2 chain on Base). Previously, the decentralized on-chain perpetual contract platform Drift Protocol also added support for MEW perpetual futures.

Data shows that since the beginning of October, the daily average position volume of the exchange MEW contracts has remained in the range of 100 million USD (with a peak reaching 215 million USD at one point). Generally speaking, an increase in cryptocurrency contract positions indicates that more traders are opening positions, and an increase in position volume when prices rise often means that market participants have increased confidence in the project.

The Unique Meme Spirit and the Cultural Mission of MEW

MEW has successfully entered the top tier of memecoins. As a new player born this year, how has MEW attracted widespread attention and real financial support from the community in such a short time? This is a question worth considering for other MEME or crypto projects.

In fact, from a fundamental logical perspective, MEW is no longer just a carnival of digital assets; it represents a new cultural phenomenon and business model, connecting cat enthusiasts around the world through blockchain technology, and collectively building a decentralized, open, and inclusive virtual world and a new digital cultural ecosystem.

What is most surprising and unexpected about MEW is that it subverts people's impression of the cuteness of cats, adopting a symbolic "appearance" that rebels against tradition and pursues innovation. This image forms a strong contrast with dog-themed Meme projects such as the silly DOGE and cartoonish SHIB, symbolizing a challenge to traditional authority and protection for marginalized groups, deeply attracting users who pursue individuality and freedom.

Based on its disruptive image, MEW conveys a threefold cultural connotation:

1. Rebellion and Chivalry Spirit (the image of cats fighting against dogs)
2. Humanistic care (focusing on the needs and fairness of a broader user group)
3. Unity and Progress (Creating a Friendly and Supportive Community Atmosphere)

Why are they "rebel" cats? In internet culture, cats often represent independence, mystery, and aloofness, forming a stark contrast to the loyalty and docility of traditional dogs. This contrast not only attracts attention but also gives cats a unique cultural symbol. By opposing the images of cats and dogs, it challenges the inherent meanings of traditional cultural symbols, reflecting a pursuit of innovation and breakthrough, which aligns perfectly with the rebellious image of MEW.

MEW is not merely a rebellion; it embodies a chivalrous spirit that fights for the broader community's interests. This spirit resonates perfectly with subcultural users of the internet age, who pursue personalized expression and question traditional culture. MEW cleverly aligns with this trend by combining the image of cats with the decentralized concept of cryptocurrency, symbolizing both a challenge to the traditional financial system and a desire for a fairer, more open financial system, while protecting the interests of community members by resisting the traditional financial system.

From Memes to Global Cultural IP

MEW has evolved from a simple Meme into a cultural IP phenomenon with a complete story and spiritual core, which is a very interesting transformation.

From a simple Meme image, MEW has gradually evolved into an IP with rich cultural connotations. Unlike the various popular pets, emoticons, and concept Memes currently trending, MEW has its own complete story and spiritual core, leading to a true cultural accumulation, detaching from the market sentiment games caused by social dissemination and price fluctuations in its early stages. The distinct image and spiritual core, along with exposure through various channels, have allowed the community's consensus to solidify.

1. Unique Original IP Storyline: MEW's original IP storyline is very unique, telling the tale of a cat who, in a dog-dominated world, challenges traditional notions with its wisdom and courage, showcasing the journey of a little cat from being rescued to growing into a hero, establishing its own cat community. MEW represents the spirit of rebellion, refusing to be defined by the mainstream, boldly exploring new possibilities, while also emphasizing the importance of community, providing a platform through the establishment of the MEW community where individuals can express themselves freely and support one another.

The complete storyline provides infinite possibilities for the extension of MEW's IP and injects rich cultural connotations into MEW, making it transcend simple digital assets and become a cultural symbol. Whether it is derivative animations, games, or peripheral products, they can all revolve around this story. MEW's growth story is filled with inspiration and hope, capable of resonating emotionally with users, and this emotional connection is an important cornerstone of user loyalty.

In fact, MEW's unique rebellious cat image has gradually developed into a core of the community, and has given rise to a large number of memes, emoticons, and other linguistic symbols in the crypto community. These symbols are widely disseminated among community members, forming a unique cultural context, and have also propelled MEW from a meme network phenomenon into an IP with long-term viability.

2. Strong original IP advantage: Compared to traditional memecoin projects, the design of MEW is entirely original, which is undoubtedly one of its greatest advantages. Originality is the foundation of intellectual property protection, providing legal guarantees for the commercialization and branding of MEW's IP. There is no need to worry about copyright disputes, laying a solid foundation for MEW's journey from Web3 to Web2 in the global cultural IP arena.

Original design gives MEW a unique visual style and memorable image, allowing it to stand out among many memecoins and injecting it with soul, enabling it to carry deeper cultural connotations and values. Moreover, as an original IP, MEW can collaborate more easily with various brands and leverage the power of the internet to achieve a transition from Web3 to Web2, expanding brand influence and providing broader space for future development.

3. Excellent design level: MEW excels in design, and its collaboration with well-known animation studios is a cherry on top. Design is also the core engine of MEW, as creating IP relies on the MEW team's continuous high-quality design delivery capability. The warmth and dedication of the MEW project team can be seen in the high-quality sticker packs, animated short films, and the official website presentation. In addition, the excellent design level further broadens MEW's brand communication channels, as high-quality animated works can intuitively showcase MEW's brand image, quickly reach more audiences, expand brand influence, enhance user awareness and affection for the brand, and vividly tell the MEW story.

In summary, MEW is based on a complete storyline and independent original IP, bringing a rare depth of complete narrative to the crypto market. This meme concept based on cultural sedimentation is unique in the current crypto market, and the value of MEW's IP naturally rises. As the value of the IP continues to increase, it will undoubtedly attract more users to participate, thereby creating a positive development for the project itself, further expanding potential external revenue, and ultimately achieving a positive growth cycle.

It is no exaggeration to say that the MEW case provides us with a great example, demonstrating the importance of not being limited to the Meme concept and actively expanding the value of global cultural IP.

Market Strategy and the Leading of "Cat Track" Culture

MEW adopted a fair launch when it went live, locking 90% of the LP on Solana. On March 27, MEW airdropped 5% of the tokens to holders of WIF and BONK. On April 1, MEW conducted a second airdrop, distributing 37,600 MEW to each user wallet that pre-ordered the second smartphone from Solana Mobile (worth approximately $200 at that time). The MEW project team has conducted multiple airdrop activities for different user groups at various times, reflecting the idea of equal distribution. This approach creates a balanced and sustainable growth model for the MEW token, and better establishes a strong and active community around the MEW token, helping MEW carve out a place in the competitive cryptocurrency market.

It is worth mentioning that MEW's choice to launch on multiple mainstream exchanges is a very shrewd market strategy.

From the trading volume share of major exchanges, it can be seen that MEW's spot trading has not shown an excessively centralized trend, even among some leading cryptocurrency exchanges, the trading volume share has not exceeded 30%. This reduces reliance on a single exchange, so even if a certain exchange encounters problems, it will not have a significant impact on MEW's overall trading. Moreover, the "competition" among multiple exchanges can provide deeper trading depth for MEW, increase liquidity, and facilitate smoother transactions for users. The relatively balanced trading volume also indicates that MEW's user base is quite broad, with no single exchange holding an absolute advantage, which helps maintain market competition and protect user interests.

In addition to the above exchanges, MEW has also been listed on multiple exchanges and gained endorsements, greatly enhancing MEW's credibility. After strict reviews by these compliant exchanges, the project quality and crypto legitimacy of MEW have received authoritative recognition. Through cooperation with various exchanges, MEW can reach investors globally, expand market share, thereby providing deeper trading depth and improving liquidity. Different user groups from different exchanges have distinct characteristics, which will also bring more types of investors to MEW.

MEW plays a leading role in the "cat track" culture. The current memecoin market is showing decentralization, very