POPCAT is a Solana-based meme coin based on the "popcat" internet meme — a short loop of a cat opening its mouth very wide, originally popularized through a browser clicking game. The coin launched in 2022 but gained its most significant traction during the 2024 Solana memecoin season, eventually reaching a market cap exceeding $1 billion and establishing itself as one of the most successful cat-themed meme coins on any chain.
The source meme
The popcat source image — a photograph of a tabby cat named Oatmeal with its mouth open wide — became a popular reaction meme starting around 2020. The clicking game "Popcat" briefly went massively viral in 2021, with countries competing on a global leaderboard for most clicks. The combination of the cat's distinctive expression and the game's viral moment made it one of the more recognizable internet reference images.
2024 performance
POPCAT's run to $1B market cap during 2024 demonstrated that cat memes could compete with dog memes in the meme coin category. The coin benefited from the broader Solana memecoin narrative, a recognizable and widely loved source image, and the general bull market conditions of the period.