Book of Meme is a project launched by a digital artist with the goal of immutably storing memes on the blockchain.
Meme culture pre-dates the invention of modern cryptocurrencies. However ever since Dogecoin (DOGE) was introduced in 2013. It was immediately a hit in the digital-focused community, and it sparked a revolution of lookalike and novel memecoins alike. SHIB modeled itself in the image of Dogecoin (literally). The PEPE token was released in 2023 and took advantage of an internet meme that originated almost 15 years prior. Although memecoins do not have any inherent value because of functionality, the communities built around them have proven that brand recognition and pure popularity can drive value.
Book of Meme is a Web3 project that aims to immortalize memes on the blockchain, not as individual fungible tokens like DOGE and SHIB, but as files using Arweave and the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), compounded into a digital “book” containing the history of these pieces of art and humor. Its BOME token is native to the Solana blockchain, allowing for relatively fast and cost-efficient transactions.
How was Book of Meme developed?
Book of Meme was created by digital artist and crypto enthusiast Darkfarms (known as *darkfarms1 on social media). *They are most famous for Pepe memes, including an NFT collection of pixelated Pepes released in 2022 called SMOWL.
In March 2024, they announced a new project called Book of Meme, which they described as an “experimental project poised to redefine web3 culture.” At least partially because of their clout within the crypto art world, there was a significant amount of early enthusiasm about the project. The Solana-based BOME token that accompanied release of the project reached a market capitalization of $1 billion in its first few days, fueled only by a simple idea, an even simpler website, and plenty of excitement (including a reference by Beeple on social media). This inspired a slew of low-effort memecoin presales on the Solana blockchain in the ensuing weeks.
Book of Meme’s success also spurred the creation of similarly named tokens on other blockchains like “BOME 2.0”, “BOME AI,” and “BOME 3.0”, none of which are verifiably associated with the original effort by Darkfarms.
How does Book of Meme work?
Book of Meme’s creator originally described it as a memecoin on the “most Degen chain” (Solana). Memecoins are relatively easy to make, since they require little knowledge of coding. However, the project’s real goal of recording memes on the blockchain uses more advanced tools.
Primarily, Book of Meme relies on Arweave and IPFS. Both systems are decentralized storage protocols. While IPFS is primarily a peer-to-peer network for transferring and storing data, Arweave uses an incentive-based process to attempt to ensure permanent file storage. In this way, image (or other) files that are uploaded to the Book are safely stored and can be collated, making the Book an ever-changing, ever-updating resource of meme culture.
The Book also provides tools for perusing and creating memes. This includes a ClipArt-like gallery and a meme “enhancer” for editing pictures to have retro flair.
How is the BOME token used?
The BOME token was used to raise funds for the project (and creator). Of the 69,000,000,420 BOME tokens on the Solana blockchain, 50% were sold as part of a token presale, 30% were promised to liquidity pools, and 20% were dedicated to a community fund with an unlocking schedule. Other than these roles in fundraising and support of the project, BOME is a memecoin itself without any specific function.
Book of Memes essentials
Book of Meme is a project intended to preserve the history of memes through decentralized storage protocols (IPFS and Arweave).
In addition to the long-term documentation of Internet culture, Book of Meme provides tools for users to make and browse memes.
The BOME token is a Solana-based memecoin associated with the Book of Meme, and its token presale was lucrative for the artist-founder of the project.