The past week in crypto is likely to be remembered as one of the most high-octane periods of this market cycle. We’ve seen everything from the first-ever spot Dogecoin and XRP ETFs to the first US interest rate cut of 2025, and now the market is bursting with excitement.
The news about the Dogecoin ETF has had a particularly big impact, since it offers Wall Street the first-ever opportunity for regulated meme coin exposure. This not only provides potential for massive capital inflows, but also legitimizes meme coins as reputable financial assets, rather than just jokes.
But while Dogecoin itself is expected to rally in the coming months, its market cap needs to increase by over $40 billion for just a 2x gain – so many investors are looking elsewhere for the biggest returns.
Picking smaller meme coins with strong narratives could offer the chance for outsized returns as the market advances. With that in mind, let’s take a look at three meme coins that analysts are betting on for the most explosive gains in the months ahead.
Maxi Doge (MAXI)
Although Dogecoin started off as a pioneering meme coin project, it’s also part of the wider “dog coin” niche. When Dogecoin rises, other projects that it inspired also start attracting capital, and some can deliver huge returns.
Take Shiba Inu, for example, which made many investors millionaires in the 2021 bull run. More recently, a Dogwifhat investor named Blockgraze retired with millions after buying WIF in 2023.
And this year, Maxi Doge (MAXI) looks to be the next breakout dog coin. Its mascot is a bodybuilding crypto bro who trades on 1000x leverage and no stop loss – a perfect fit for the increasingly degen meme culture. That’s why top analysts like Crypto Tech Gaming consider MAXI among the best meme coins to buy.
The analyst also highlights that the project offers real utility, such as staking rewards (generating APYs estimated at 142%), community giveaways, and plans to integrate into futures trading platforms.
Currently, the project is in a presale, having already raised $2.3 million. It’s showing strong appeal among early investors, which could lead to huge gains if it keeps this momentum into its exchange launch. Visit Maxi Doge.
Pudgy Penguins (PENGU)
One of the standout meme coins to launch this cycle is Pudgy Penguins. The brand emerged from the 2021 NFT scene but entered the joke token space in 2024, capitalizing on evolving market dynamics. Since its launch, PENGU has continued to impress holders with ecosystem developments.
It’s the only meme coin, besides Dogecoin, with a pending ETF application. Meanwhile, the Pudgy Penguins project itself has partnered with major brands like NASCAR and Walmart. It recently launched an iOS game, and its collectible toys are available for purchase in stores worldwide.
But that’s not all – the respected analyst CRG has pointed out that Pudgy Penguins achieved another major milestone when the NYSE-listed crypto exchange Bullish ($8 billion market cap) featured the project in its Q2 earnings report, which CRG sarcastically said is “probably nothing.”
Oh man….
An $8bln publicly traded company just featured $PENGU in their earnings report
Probably nothing https://t.co/2lq0MajFuo
— CRG (@MacroCRG) September 17, 2025
This news not only boosts Pudgy Penguins’ credibility and could potentially expedite its ETF approval, but it also increases visibility and awareness among Wall Street players. This could contribute toward stronger liquidity flows if a PENGU ETF gets approved.
Brett (BRETT)
Brett is the top meme coin on Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain, Base – and this is a big deal right now. That’s because Coinbase recently announced plans to launch a governance token for the Base Layer 2 – a move expected to boost hype, liquidity, and user activity on the network.
The token distribution plans are rumored to include airdrops to Base ecosystem users – and as a result, on-chain transactions on Base are hitting four-month highs, with users competing to maximize their activity this week. At the same time, demand for ecosystem tokens is rising as traders buy them as speculative proxies ahead of the Base token launch.
As the biggest meme coin on Base, Brett is well-positioned to benefit from both the increasing on-chain activity and speculative interest before the token launch. As analyst Raajeev Anand simply puts it, Brett could go higher because it’s the ecosystem leader.
$BASE is beginning to explore a network token.
The interesting part is $BRETT is No.01 Meme Coin on Base.
Leading Project… Go higher pic.twitter.com/PMJopvkU5K
— Raajeev Anand (@rajeevanandspur) September 16, 2025
Unsurprisingly, BRETT’s price is surging right now. However, with the Base token not expected until late Q4 2025 or early 2026, this momentum could continue well into the future.
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