SUI meme coins are gaining major traction as the SUI ecosystem continues to strengthen. SUI DEX volume has surged to $3.8 billion over the past seven days, up 74%, making it the fifth-largest chain by decentralized trading volume and surpassing Arbitrum.
As interest in SUI grows, top meme coins like Sonic Snipe Bot (SONIC), LOFI, MEMEFI, MIU, and Fud the Pug (FUD) are showing a mix of strong momentum and key technical tests. The next few days could be crucial in deciding which tokens emerge as leaders in the fast-growing SUI meme coin space.
Sonic Snipe Bot (SONIC)
Sonic Snipe Bot is an automated trading tool built for lightning-fast trade executions. It is fully integrated into the Telegram application and stands out by offering support for 31 blockchain networks, including Sui, Ton, Injective, Solana, and Tron.
Sonic Snipe Bot also supports all major bonding curves, such as Movepump on Sui, making it a flexible and powerful option for traders looking to operate across multiple ecosystems without leaving Telegram.
Over the past seven days, SONIC, the native token tied to the bot, has surged by 27%, pushing its market cap to approximately $1.7 million. If positive momentum continues, SONIC could rise above the $0.40 mark and potentially challenge the $0.426 level.
However, if the trend reverses and selling pressure builds, the token could fall back toward $0.29, and in a stronger downtrend, even $0.24 could be tested.
LOFI
LOFI is one of the biggest meme coins on the SUI blockchain, built around the theme of a Yeti character. Despite its strong brand and visibility, LOFI stands out for a less positive reason this week—it is the only token among the top 10 SUI meme coins that is down over the past seven days.
This relative underperformance could indicate weakening investor interest compared to its peers, or it could present a potential rebound opportunity if sentiment around SUI meme coins remains strong overall.
LOFI continues its push to become one of the most recognized meme projects on the SUI blockchain. If momentum recovers, LOFI could rise above the $0.045 mark and potentially challenge $0.054 in an extended rally.
However, the $0.030 support level remains critical. A break below this zone could trigger a steeper decline toward $0.0158, and if selling pressure accelerates, even $0.0055 could be tested.
MemeFi (MEMEFI)
MEMEFI is a Telegram-based game and Web3 meme universe that claims to have more than 50 million players worldwide. It has quickly climbed the ranks and is now the second-largest SUI meme coin by market cap, currently at $35 million.
This marks a sharp pullback from its peak of $51 million reached just yesterday, reflecting the recent correction underway.
Despite the decline, MEMEFI is still up an impressive 353% over the past seven days.
If MEMEFI can regain its bullish momentum, it could first aim to break above the resistance at $0.0037. A successful breakout would open the path toward $0.0053, potentially extending its rally.
However, if the ongoing correction deepens, the first major support to watch is at $0.0026. A break below that could push the price further to $0.00185; if selling pressure intensifies, even $0.00143 could come into play.
MIU
MIU is currently the biggest meme coin on the SUI network, boasting a market cap of $68 million. Its price has climbed 16.7% over the past seven days, reinforcing its leadership position within the growing SUI meme coin ecosystem.
MIU is by far the largest meme coin in this space, with no close competitors matching its size or visibility. As the broader SUI ecosystem gains momentum and attracts more attention, MIU could continue to benefit from the overall surge in interest.
As the dominant player, it stands in a strong position to ride the next wave of growth if the trend across SUI meme coins remains positive.
If the positive momentum around MIU continues, the token could rise to test the $0.000000080 level, marking a new short-term target.
However, if the trend weakens and selling pressure emerges, MIU could first fall toward support at $0.0000000689. A deeper correction could even push the price down to $0.0000000599.
Fud the Pug (FUD)
This one is another meme coin aiming to carve out a leading spot in the growing SUI meme coin ecosystem. FUD currently holds a market cap of $3.8 million, down from its peak of $5.9 million just two days ago.
Despite a nearly 5% drop over the last 24 hours, FUD remains up an impressive 41% over the past seven days, highlighting strong underlying momentum.
Technically, FUD recently tested the support level at $0.0000000634. If this level is tested again and fails to hold, the next downside target would be around $0.000000050.
On the upside, if the current pullback stabilizes and momentum returns, FUD could rise to challenge resistance at $0.000000075. A breakout above that could pave the way for a push toward $0.00000010.
With dog-based meme coins often attracting outsized attention and hype, FUD could have a strong chance to expand its market presence if broader interest in SUI meme coins continues to grow.
GoPlus Security unveiled the latest playbook employed by a well-coordinated scam network targeting unsuspecting crypto users with promises of effortless USDT earnings.
Meanwhile, deepfake AI is progressively becoming a concern. Bad actors leverage authoritative voices in the industry to target unsuspecting victims. These mark an alarming disclosure that mirrors the growing sophistication of crypto fraud.
These projects entice users with the promise of “zero-cost, stable USDT rewards” in exchange for completing simple, low-effort tasks. Once initial contact is established, scammers send small tokens and minimal USDT over several days to establish legitimacy. But it’s all a calculated ruse.
The ultimate goal is to convince users to grant token approval permissions, often to externally owned accounts (EOAs). Once approvals are in place, the scammers continue sending rewards for days or weeks while monitoring wallets.
When a user’s balance crosses a threshold or revocation activity is detected, high-speed front-running bots swoop in and drain funds in seconds. These trading bots are willing to burn gas at any cost.
“This is a long game to catch big fish,” GoPlus warned in its statement.
Against this backdrop, GoPlus Security cautions against granting unlimited token approvals, especially to EOAs. The firm also urges users to adopt proactive on-chain security tools.
“There’s no such thing as free money — don’t trust projects that claim you can easily earn just by participating,” it added.
As BeInCrypto reported, these range from verifying token contracts and approval histories to using tools that limit permissions or automatically revoke dormant approvals.
Deepfake Deception: The Next Frontier of Crypto Fraud
Beyond blockchain, crypto scams are exploiting artificial intelligence at a dangerous scale. Bad actors also weaponize deepfake technology, which creates convincingly fake videos of public figures, to defraud investors.
In a warning earlier this year, Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) revealed AI-generated clips promoting fake investment platforms falsely endorsed by major crypto personalities.
“There are deepfake videos of me on other social media platforms. Please beware,” CZ stated.
A disturbing example recently emerged in Ghana. The country’s Ashesi University denounced a deepfake impersonation of its president, Patrick Awuah Jr. Reportedly, scammers used him to promote a scam called “Crypto Klutz.”
They embedded the video in a fake news article mimicking Graphic Online. The scammers circulated it alongside doctored X screenshots to manufacture credibility.
“…Neither Patrick Awuah nor Ashesi University is associated with this or any similar platform. Please help protect our community by reporting it as fraudulent when encountered and encourage others who see it to do the same,” the university articulated.
It cited too-good-to-be-true promises, fake celebrity endorsements, and non-existent exchanges or wallets. Other red flags include urgency tactics to rush decisions, and demands for private keys or upfront payments.
A Variety report confirmed that deepfake-assisted fraud surpassed $200 million in losses in Q1 2025 alone. This figure highlights how fast scammers scale operations through generative AI and synthetic media.
As on-chain scams become more patient and AI deepfakes more persuasive, the crypto community faces a dual-threat environment unlike anything seen before.
“AI-powered scams are changing the crypto game. With deepfakes, voice cloning, and AI-generated phishing, scammers are raking in millions,” trader Crypto Frontline remarked.
In 2025, the ecosystems that thrive aren’t the loudest — they’re the most strategic, the most focused, and the ones building lasting value. Ecosystem health today is increasingly measured by the depth of developer engagement, not the size of token airdrops or surface-level metrics. Marketing has evolved too: AI tools, grassroots community operations, and hybrid content strategies are replacing short-lived, high-gloss campaigns.
As crypto becomes a fixture in national policy and economic frameworks, credibility and trust within ecosystems have emerged as the new currencies of growth.
There’s no one-size-fits-all playbook anymore. To uncover what’s actually working today, we spoke with growth leaders from Sui, Avalanche, Syscoin, Manta Network, and others.
This report helps to shed some light on the ongoing trends in the crypto-related marketing and find out which of them are setting the pace for the next wave of sustainable growth.
TL;DR:
In 2025, the ecosystems thriving aren’t the loudest. They’re the most strategic, most focused and most aligned with long-term value.
Ecosystem health is increasingly tied to the depth of developer engagement, not the size of token airdrops or vanity metrics.
Marketing has evolved. AI tools, grassroots community ops, and hybrid content strategies are replacing high-gloss, short-cycle campaigns.
With crypto entering national policy agendas and economic frameworks, credibility and ecosystem trust are new growth currencies.
There’s no one-size-fits-all. We spoke with growth leaders from Sui, Avalanche, Syscoin, Manta Network and others to uncover what’s actually working.
Back in 2024, crypto felt like it was everywhere and nowhere all at once.
Timelines were flooded with debates, L1 vs. L2, monolithic vs. modular, liquidity this, fragmentation that. Almost everyone had a hot take and every project was scrambling for a flash of attention that barely lasted longer than a tweet.
You could launch a project, nail the narrative, get your retweets and podcast mentions and still wake up the next day with no real momentum.
It wasn’t sustainable and deep down, most teams knew it.
And yet, behind the scenes, something foundational shifted.
For the first time, crypto became a serious topic in policy rooms.
The U.S. government announced a strategic crypto reserve.
The SEC greenlit Bitcoin and Ether ETPs, signaling a long-awaited shift in regulatory posture.
Lawmakers started treating blockchain not as a niche asset class, but as infrastructure and a core component of national strategy.
Suddenly, crypto had a seat at the big table. That was the moment the growth playbook started to change.
Fast-forward to 2025, ecosystems that had been optimizing for virality started asking tougher questions:
What does long-term credibility look like?
How do we show up to policymakers and enterprises, not just degens and influencers?
Can we measure our health beyond just wallet counts and discord headcounts?
To find answers, we spoke with ecosystem leaders across 10 blockchain networks, from early-stage innovators to mature platforms. Despite technical and strategic diversity, they shared one common mindset: They’re building like they plan to be here in five, ten, twenty years.
This is post-hype crypto and the rules have changed.
Key highlights and critical findings
Marketing budgets are all over the place: Some teams are grinding with less than $100K a year while others are spending $10 million and up. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but the gap speaks volumes.
Hybrid teams are the new normal: The smartest teams are optimizing for speed, adaptability, and high-context execution. They’re ruthlessly prioritizing talent that moves the needle, not just fills roles.
Builders are the flywheel: Growth teams are channeling most of their energy into developer outreach such as grants, hackathons, ambassador programs, and local language support are common plays.
Audience alignment: In an oversaturated, narrative-heavy market, cutting through the noise to reach the right set of audience is still one of the biggest hurdles.
Tactics are getting sharper: AI-powered marketing, community-based onboarding, and incentive models like “watch-to-earn” are emerging as key differentiators in creating sticky, engaging experiences.
Research Methodology
To understand what’s driving ecosystem growth in 2025, we went straight to the source in conversations with ten executives across active, forward-thinking blockchain networks including Sui, Avalanche, Manta Network, Syscoin, eCash, and CrossFi Chain.
Our findings are structured across five critical themes:
→ Strategic Priorities
→ Growth Challenges
→ Team Structures
→ Marketing Tactics
→ Budget Allocation
These are the pressure points where ecosystems are being tested, where they’re iterating and where the shift from hype to health is most visible.
The answers weren’t surface-level.
They were honest, revealing, and at times, surprisingly candid.
Section 1: The Evolving Landscape of Crypto Ecosystems
1.1 From Noise to Nuance
Not long ago, crypto felt like a winner-takes-all race.
Ethereum and Bitcoin dominated headlines, while new chains clawed for attention with a flashy feature or a viral announcement.
But that playbook has changed.
Today, the landscape is more fragmented and more alive than ever.
Upstart chains can gain real traction in months. Niche ecosystems are finding staying power by serving focused communities with precision: real dev support, localized outreach, unique tooling, and use cases that resonate with people who actually build.
It’s no longer about being the biggest.
It’s about being the most relevant to the audience that matters.
Source: Market share distribution among top ecosystems.
The momentum has shifted from mass appeal to mission-driven growth.
The ecosystems making progress are the ones listening, serving and playing the long game.
1.2 Key growth metrics and benchmarks
Among surveyed ecosystems, developer adoption has become the north star metric.
While TVL remains a benchmark, leading teams are shifting toward engagement depth over vanity counts. Grants, hackathons, and local campaigns outperform short-term airdrops in both onboarding and retention.
1.3 Critical Challenges Facing Ecosystem Growth
Source: Top Barriers to Ecosystem Adoption Identified by Executives
Based on direct feedback, the top challenges for ecosystems today are:
Difficulty reaching the right audience
Oversaturation of the crypto landscape
Budget constraints and limited runway for experimentation
While blockchain infrastructure is improving,especially with L2 scalability and better dev tooling, the biggest challenges aren’t technical anymore.
They’re strategic.
Most teams aren’t struggling with what to build but with how to position, differentiate, and communicate.
“It’s no longer enough to be technically sound. Ecosystem success depends on whether you can communicate value to developers, users and partners in the clearest, most compelling way possible.” – — Matthew Schmenk, Ecosystem Growth Lead, Avalanche
Section 2: Marketing & Growth Strategies
“Marketing in crypto used to be noise. Now it’s systems thinking – who you reach, how you reach them, and why they stay.”- The Lunar Strategy Team
Ecosystem marketing in 2025 isn’t about dropping a flashy campaign, running a paid KOL loop, and hoping it sticks. Today, marketing is infrastructure.
It’s the connective tissue between ecosystem layers: builders, users, tokenholders, institutions driving onboarding, retention, and legitimacy.
Let’s break it down:
2.1 Choosing the Right Growth Model
Source: Percentage of Ecosystems Using External Agencies vs. In-House Teams
According to our survey:
60% use a hybrid model (in-house + agency)
40% operate with fully internal teams
2.2 Analysing the Pros and Cons
Hybrid models allow for speed and flexibility while maintaining institutional knowledge. Fully in-house teams prioritize cohesion but may lack bandwidth or breadth of expertise.
2.3 Marketing Budget Allocation Across Ecosystems
Annual budgets vary widely:
<$500K: Primarily in-house with lean teams
$500K–$1M: Hybrid setups with agency retained for campaigns
$5M+: Full-stack growth teams covering PR, events, KOLs, paid media, SEO and more
What’s changing in 2025 isn’t just how much teams spend, it’s how precisely they deploy capital:
Early-stage: lean, localized execution
Mid-tier: AI tooling, content ops, ambassador focus
Mature: brand systems, KOL pipelines, segmentation
“In 2024, we spent $2M and didn’t know what moved the needle. In 2025, we’re spending half that – with 3x the return – because we track the full funnel.” — Ecosystem CMO
Section 3: Driving Ecosystem Adoption
As ecosystems compete for market share, one truth is becoming increasingly clear: developers are the new power users.
Ecosystem health is now largely measured by the number and quality of developers actively building, contributing, and shipping.
3.1 Developer Acquisition & Retention
Across the board, developer evangelism and hackathons ranked as the most effective levers for attracting high-quality builders. In 2025, 9 out of 10 ecosystem leaders called them “critical” or “highly effective.”
But incentives alone aren’t enough.
The modern developer is motivated by clear value exchange and personal growth, not just payouts.
Here’s what’s working now:
Hackathons with real-world utility
On-chain recognition (e.g., badges, NFTs)
IRL builder meetups with funded follow-through
In short, developer outreach is all about frictionless onboarding, compelling challenges, and a clear value exchange.
Also, programs that combine monetary reward + mentorship + visibility are far outperforming “spray-and-pray” grants.
Case Highlights:
eCash: Turned its internal engineers into public-facing magnets for talent. Builders engage because they trust the humans behind the chain.
Syscoin: Hosts regionally targeted AMAs → feeds directly into localized hackathons → devs connect directly to mentors.
Sui: “Watch-to-Earn” onboarding that rewards learning with gas fee discounts, NFTs, and access to future funding rounds.
Takeaway: Attracting developers is about storytelling. The ecosystems seeing long-term success are those building not just incentives but infrastructure, identity and upward mobility.
3.2 Community Building & Engagement
While developer acquisition drives infrastructure growth, community engagement fuels longevity. Every successful ecosystem in 2025 has one thing in common: a loyal, activated community with a clear identity.
Source: The Most effective community growth tactics
While growth tactics vary, one truth stands out: the most resilient ecosystems pair online engagement with offline connection.
Top tactics driving community growth:
Strategic partnerships and cross-promotion
Ambassador programs built around values, not vanity
Hybrid content strategies that blend memes, education, and culture
In fact, ecosystems like Sui and Syscoin consistently outperform larger chains on key ecosystem health metrics not because they’re bigger, but because they’re tighter:
Higher TVL per wallet
Greater contributor-to-user ratio
More active builders per community member
Case Study: Syscoin’s grassroots events across APAC led to a 30% increase in wallet retention among new users, with ongoing community-led workshops in 5+ cities.
3.3 The Role of Kaito in Ecosystem Brand Building
In 2025, brand strategy has moved beyond logos and Twitter handles.
The Kaito framework, designed to optimize ecosystem mindshare is fast becoming a differentiator for projects seeking credibility and cohesion.
Source: Kaito mindshare metrics across top ecosystems
Adoption Snapshot:
Only 10% of surveyed ecosystems are currently using a structured Kaito strategy
However, 40% are actively exploring adoption in the next cycle
Projects like Berachain that adopted early Kaito brand structuring reports increased developer trust, faster community onboarding and stronger alignment between technical and community narratives.
Strategic Approaches to Kaito Optimization:
Clear “voice pillars” that reflect ecosystem values
Unified messaging across technical, enterprise, and community verticals
Scalable content kits and assets to empower contributors to amplify the brand
Today, ecosystems aren’t asking “How do we go viral?”
Instead, they’re asking “How do we show up with the right message, in the right format and to the right audience consistently?”
The new growth stack includes:
Influencer alignment by audience layer
PR as a funnel driver, not a vanity boost
Social media as ecosystem UX
AI and segmentation to fine-tune delivery
Let’s break down the mechanics behind the ecosystems getting it right.
4.1 Influencer Marketing Effectiveness
Influencer marketing remains effective, only if you get the tier right.
Source: ROI comparison across influencer tiers
Key Takeaway:
Nano Influencers (1K–10K): ~4.2x ROI
Micro Influencers (10K–50K): ~3.9x ROI
Macro/Mega Influencers: Significantly lower returns due to saturation and high CPM
Nano and Micro influencers (1K–50K followers) outperform all others in ROI due to stronger niche focus, higher engagement, and lower cost-per-activation.
Though, the Top-performing influencer strategies in 2025 blend:
Nano creators for authenticity (Twitter threads, walkthroughs)
Mid-tier educators for onboarding and explanation (YouTube, LinkedIn)
Selective mega partnerships for major announcements or enterprise plays
Best for:
Early-stage projects
Ecosystems entering new regions or subcultures
Campaigns focused on developer credibility over hype
The Lunar Amplification Method
Used by select top-tier ecosystems, the Lunar Amplification Method is a multi-tiered distribution system that combines:
AI-driven influencer matching
Creator content kits (assets, talking points, tone guides)
Performance-based tiers (creators earn more by driving on-chain action)
It’s a system where the creator voice becomes a scalable growth vector backed by data, incentives, and trust.
4.2 Public Relations & Media Coverage
Too many ecosystems view PR as a vanity move.
The most effective teams treat it as distribution infrastructure.
This dual-axis chart illustrates how media coverage intensity correlates with:
Average Developer Sign-ups
Total Value Locked (TVL) Growth
Investing in PR campaigns and consistent media exposure can significantly accelerate ecosystem adoption both in developer participation and capital inflow (TVL).
Key Takeaways:
Developer sign-ups scale from ~50 (Low coverage) to ~400 (Very High coverage).
TVL growth jumps from 5% under low coverage to an impressive 45% with very high media presence.
Higher media coverage directly correlates with a sharp rise in both developer sign-ups and TVL growth.
Example: Manta Network launched its dev-focused ZK SDK and timed the announcement with coordinated earned media + regional hackathons = 3.2x increase in sign-ups over 14 days.
4.3 Social Media Strategy
In 2025, ecosystems aren’t asking “should we be on [platform]?”
They’re asking how do we show up with the right content, for the right moment, on each platform?
This bar chart displays how frequently various social media platforms are mentioned as part of crypto ecosystem growth strategies.
Platform Highlights:
Twitter dominates as the most commonly used platform
Telegram and Discord follow closely, suggesting strong emphasis on community interaction and support hubs.
Lesser-used platforms like Reddit, YouTube and Facebook play a niche role in ecosystem marketing.
However, crypto ecosystems should create platform-specific content:
Twitter: Memes, threads, real-time updates
Telegram/Discord: Community health, AMAs, governance
Ecosystems are moving beyond flat airdrops and short-term incentives, and instead architecting behaviorally intelligent tokenomics that reward commitment, skill and genuine contribution.
The question is no longer “What do we give?” but “What are we reinforcing?”
5.1 Effective Incentive Structures
Incentives were once a shortcut for growth.
Now, they’re shaping everything from user retention to governance alignment to ecosystem stickiness.
Source: This bar chart compares the perceived effectiveness of two major types of incentive mechanisms used in crypto ecosystems.
These often tie directly to network growth metrics such as TVL, active wallets, and user retention.
Off-chain rewards can still be useful for short-term engagement, brand visibility, and community culture.
Projects that tie incentives to measurable contributions and future value (e.g., governance power, access tiers) retain users longer than those offering flat token grants.
Case Examples:
Syscoin offers tiered rewards for contributor milestones
Manta Network combines token drops with future airdrop eligibility tied to participation
5.2 Local Developer Hubs
Ecosystem growth is global by default and regional by design.
Local developer hubs are now a critical piece of post-hype strategy.
Source: Geographic distribution of developer hubs
This chart highlights the regional presence of developer hubs across the globe, indicating where ecosystems are establishing a physical or community-driven footprint to support builders.
Regional presence is shaping ecosystem strength:
Asia-Pacific leads in number of hubs, driven by fast-growing developer ecosystems
North America/Europe hold steady with mature infrastructure and funding access
Latin America, MENA, and Africa show rapid interest but remain early-stage
More consistent retention through community anchoring
Best Practices:
Launch hybrid events (online + local)
Create language-specific docs and support
Offer region-based grant programs tied to local needs
Conclusion
Crypto in 2025 is quieter, deeper, and more intentional.
The ecosystems winning today are building context, culture, and trust, rooted in purpose where meaningful value, thoughtful execution, and trusted communities are taking center stage.
Our deep-dive conversations with builders, marketers and ecosystem leaders across ten blockchain networks uncovered three core principles that are setting the pace for the next wave of sustainable growth:
Developer-First, Always: The thriving ecosystems treat developers with genuine support, visibility, and growth paths. They’ve recognized that every successful builder brings ten more, creating a powerful flywheel effect and it’s the foundation everything else builds upon.
Communities Over Crowds: The most dynamic ecosystems are building tight-knit, purpose-driven communities where members feel ownership and identity. They’re creating spaces where online connections lead to offline relationships and where shared values matter more than token price.
Strategic Over Tactical: Leading teams build comprehensive growth systems where every channel, message, and touchpoint works together. They’re tracking full-funnel metrics and optimizing for lasting engagement, not just initial attention.
We’re past the era of chasing “what’s working.”
The real question is: What’s worth building and who’s staying to build it with you?
So, focus on creating real value for the people who matter most to your ecosystem. Build with intention, authenticity and remember that in a market still finding its footing and the strongest position isn’t being the loudest voice but the most trusted one.
Because ecosystems aren’t websites.
They’re living systems.
About Lunar Strategy’s Ecosystem Launchpad Accelerator
Lunar Strategy’s Ecosystem Launchpad Accelerator combines deep expertise in go-to-market strategy, ecosystem growth, and strategic advisory to help innovative Layer 1 and Layer 2 projects capitalize on the historic crypto market shift.
With 25+ years of combined experience across top ecosystems like Solana, Cardano, Mantle, Polkadot, and ICP, our team brings proven frameworks for:
