The ongoing market rally is generating a lot of excitement among traders. With tokens reaching all-time highs and the crypto market cap at $3.76 trillion, more and more traders are entering the market. However, deciding what to invest in is not easy.
The most basic choice for traders is between memecoins or utility tokens. While memecoins offer a viral aspect, with potential wild swings in prices, utility tokens offer more stability and predictable growth. Notably, the most recent cycle is clearly favoring one over the other.
Shiba Inu: Memecoin Giant
“Dogekiller” Shiba Inu (SHIB) has retained its dominance as the second-largest memecoin after Dogecoin. As such, any trader that is looking into memecoins should consider Shiba Inu. Its strong community and large ecosystem have continued to boost its price.
Shiba Inu is not just a memecoin. For years, Shiba Inu has been developing utility-based features, hoping its viral status will help them gain traction. This includes several platforms, including a Layer-2 for Ethereum called Shibarium, its own DEX Shibaswap, and more.
Still, Shiba Inu’s memecoin aspect, that of virality and scarcity, dominates the narrative. This is especially true because of the frequent token burns that create excitement in the community. The recent event saw 17 million SHIB tokens burned, reducing the overall supply.
The continued scarcity has driven Shiba Inu’s rise over the years. So far, the token was up 156.05% last year, outperforming many memecoins. However, the token has since stabilized at $0.0000273, recording just a 9.46% increase in the last 30 days.
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What is more, memecoins have underperformed utility tokens in the last cycle. Most memecoins, including Shiba Inu, saw their yearly peaks in March during the memecoin bull market. By contrast, many utility tokens, including Solana and XRP, saw all-time highs in December. Thanks to the current market narrative, they are expected to grow even further.
Elluminex Set to Supercharge TON’s Ecosystem
TON offers a great deal of utility thanks to its integration with Telegram. With over a billion daily users, the messenger app is a great onboarding platform for Web3. However, so far, it has suffered due to a lack of a complete DeFi hub. It is something that Elluminex (ELX) is trying to change.
The upcoming TON-based DEX aims to provide liquidity to the network, helping it catch up with major chains. The effects of this added utility can be expected to be similar to when Uniswap launched on Ethereum or PacakeSwap on BNB. Both chains saw an almost immediate rise in trading volumes and TVL. That’s what Elluminex can do for TON, which is currently the fastest-growing network.
Still, it is also important to note that the distinction between utility tokens and memecoins is not always clear-cut. For instance, Uniswap and PancakeSwap benefited from the rise of memecoins on their respective platforms.
It will also go for Elluminex. The rise of TON-based memecoins like Notcoin, Dogs, and MoonRabbits will boost DEX volume on TON. It will have a significant impact on Elluminex’s potential.
At the same time, memecoins benefit from the availability of a high-quality DEX on their platform. The launch of Elluminex might boost TON memecoins, just like Pump.fun created an explosion of memecoins on Solana.
Elluminex (ELX), visit the links below:
Website: https://elluminex.com/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/elluminex
Telegram: https://t.me/Elluminex
Source: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2025/01/17/utility-tokens-or-meme-the-battle-between-shiba-inu-and-elluminex/