CoinClear

Bonk

4.8/10

Solana's OG memecoin -- airdropped during the post-FTX winter, now a top Solana meme token.

Updated: February 16, 2026AI Model: claude-4-opusVersion 1

Overview

BONK launched December 25, 2022, as a community airdrop to Solana users, developers, and NFT holders at Solana's lowest point. FTX had collapsed, SOL was under $10, morale obliterated. BONK's airdrop -- 50% of supply to the community -- reignited trading activity on a chain many considered dead.

The timing gave BONK grassroots credibility money cannot buy. Rather than presale or insider launch, the broad airdrop created wide ownership from day one. BONK became a symbol of Solana's resilience, its trading meaningfully contributing to on-chain volume recovery and demonstrating active users remained.

BONK reached top-5 memecoin by cap, integrated into Solana DeFi, and secured Coinbase/Binance listings. BonkDAO burns removed trillions of tokens. Despite milestones, it remains speculative with limited utility beyond trading and sentiment signaling.

Community

Deeply intertwined with the Solana ecosystem, serving as unofficial mascot of the post-FTX recovery. The airdrop to tens of thousands created organic ownership -- free tokens to participants who stuck through crisis, creating emotional bonds purchases cannot replicate.

Active on Twitter/X, Discord, Telegram. Culture centers on dog memes, Solana loyalty, and resilience. BonkDAO governs treasury, adding governance most memecoins lack. Engagement correlates with SOL -- BONK amplifies Solana sentiment in both directions as leveraged exposure.

Liquidity

Listed on Coinbase, Binance, OKX, plus Raydium, Orca, Jupiter. Volume $100M-$500M daily. SPL token means sub-second, sub-cent trades. Liquidity respectable but less than DOGE/SHIB. Broad exchange support provides multiple exit paths. Jupiter aggregation ensures best execution across fragmented DEX pools.

On-Chain Metrics

Hundreds of thousands of holders from broad airdrop. Relatively decentralized vs most memecoins, though whales accumulated post-launch. Burns removed trillions from ~100T supply but circulating supply enormous. Activity spikes during rallies, modest otherwise. BONKbot Telegram interface generated significant revenue and volume, demonstrating practical trading utility.

Development

Minimal but non-zero. BonkDAO manages treasury and funded DeFi integrations. BONKbot became one of Solana's most popular trading interfaces generating real revenue. BonkSwap and branded products are thin wrappers on existing infra. Above zero-utility memecoins but below genuine protocol innovation.

Risk Profile

High speculative risk. Fair launch reduces rug risk but no fundamental value driver. Price heavily correlated with SOL and memecoin cycles. Massive supply creates sell pressure. DAO treasury potential overhang. Cultural relevance tied to Solana health.

Risk Factors

  • SOL correlation: Directly tied to Solana health and sentiment cycles
  • Massive supply: Trillions remain despite burns, persistent per-token dilution
  • DAO treasury risk: Could be mismanaged through governance capture
  • No fundamental utility: Integrations superficial; demand purely speculative
  • Memecoin competition: WIF, Popcat, daily launches fragment attention
  • Narrative decay: Saving-Solana story loses power as chain recovered long ago

Conclusion

BONK earned its place in Solana history as the token that revived morale. Fair airdrop, genuine engagement, and deep Solana integration give staying power most memecoins cannot replicate. Veteran status provides structural advantages.

Ultimately a memecoin on cultural significance and speculation. Enormous supply, marginal utility, price derivative of Solana momentum. Best-positioned Solana memecoin, contingent on continued appetite and Solana maintaining memecoin chain dominance.

For traders: leveraged beta on Solana sentiment. High-risk trading instrument, not an investment. Position sizing should reflect extreme volatility and memecoin risk.

Sources