Exchanges' Rise to Prominence Amidst the Meme Wave: Deciphering the "Three-Dimensional Engine" of LBank's Structural Leap.

Over the past two years, the narrative focus of the crypto market has been repeatedly rewritten by memecoins: from PEPE and SLERF in 2023, to the "Dog Universe" and "Frog Universe" on public chains like Solana and Base in 2024-2025, meme assets are no longer just a fringe culture, but have genuinely dominated sentiment, liquidity, and the direction of new funds. The newly released "2025 State of Memecoins Report" shows that memes have become one of the most talked-about sectors in the entire spot trading ecosystem, with leading memes contributing a significant proportion of CEX spot trading volume in multiple quarters, a trend that continues to amplify in 2025.

In this report, CoinGecko systematically analyzed the changes in market share of major CEXs in Meme trading for the first time. One of the most noteworthy names is LBank, founded in 2015: its market share in mainstream Meme spot trading pairs increased from 11.2% in January 2025 to a peak of 28.9% in September, making it the only centralized exchange to double its Meme spot market share in 2025. Its Meme spot trading volume remained consistently among the top three CEXs throughout the year.

Furthermore, on November 26, LBank's 24-hour spot trading volume approached $3.8 billion (Messari data), with a market share of 4.6%, ranking fourth globally.

How could a trading platform that has maintained steady growth over the past few years achieve such a significant and structural leap in less than a year? Behind the impressive data in the CoinGecko report lies LBank's simultaneous efforts across three main areas: spot trading, futures trading, and its global market position. The following analysis further dissects the core driving factors behind this leap from three dimensions.

Analysis of LBank H2's Rise: A "3D Engine"

Spot Trading – Precise Meme Hunting: A Complete Link from Entry Barrier to Explosive Growth: First, in terms of listing speed, LBank has built arguably the fastest meme capture system in the industry: in Q2-Q3 alone, the platform listed over 240 meme assets, with many projects experiencing explosive trading volume within 24 hours of listing, and a single sector contributing 20%-30% to the overall spot trading volume on the CEX. Second, in terms of liquidity, LBank uses a combination of zero-fee policies, liquidity detection mechanisms, and dedicated support pools to create a positive feedback loop between funds, market making, and user behavior. In Q3 2025, its average daily spot trading volume increased from $3.397 billion in Q2 to $6.87 billion, forming a structural leap across quarters. At the same time, the AI intelligent screening system introduced by the platform plays a role in identifying "100× potential assets". This complete link "from listing speed to liquidity depth" makes LBank the first entry point for the new cycle of Meme liquidity and achieves a leapfrog growth in market share statistics in CoinGecko in nearly a year.

Contracts – A High-Leverage "Magnifying Glass": A Game of Balancing Risk and Opportunity: In Q3 2025, the platform's average daily derivatives trading volume reached $6.87 billion, a 102% increase quarter-over-quarter, ranking among the top four globally during multiple volatile periods. In terms of product structure, LBank launched an industry-leading Meme Contract Zone: covering 60+ high-volatility Meme assets with leverage up to 200x. During extreme market conditions in Q3 (such as after the Bybit hack), Meme Contract trading volume rose from 25% to 40% of the platform's total derivatives volume, becoming a key driver of growth. Meanwhile, the growth of the contract business did not come at the cost of excessive risk. In 2025, LBank completed a comprehensive upgrade of its multi-layered risk control, real-time hedging, and fund protection mechanisms, reducing the overall liquidation rate and significantly improving the user experience. Registered users also surpassed 20 million by the end of Q3. Messari data indicates that LBank's average daily derivatives trading volume during volatile periods once exceeded $8.5 billion, solidifying its position among the world's leading companies.

Market Position – Endorsements and Globalization: The Path to Rebuilding Consensus: In terms of external evaluation, multiple mainstream media outlets have provided positive endorsements.

• UToday has included LBank in its list of "Top Crypto Exchanges of 2025";
• Bitcoin.com news ranked it as one of the "top three Bitcoin trading platforms";
• CoinGape ranks LBank among the "Top Three Global Exchanges";
• Forbes specifically mentioned LBank's innovative model of reshaping the user engagement path using meme culture.

Meanwhile, LBank's global brand strategy was clearly demonstrated in 2025: a combination of initiatives including sports ecosystem partnerships, pilot programs for tokenized assets, and multi-regional growth plans, which increased its overall market share from 3.2% to 4.6% in Q3-Q4. In terms of community governance, LBank further promoted transparency and participation mechanisms, allowing the platform to build a more solid foundation of trust among its global user base. From an industry perspective, LBank's rise was not based on a one-off narrative or short-term hype, but rather on a structural consensus formed through continuous innovation, sound execution, and ecosystem expansion. The long-term evolution of the crypto industry always requires the power of "good," and LBank's performance in 2025 shows that in this highly competitive new cycle, what truly wins global consensus is not speculation, but construction.

The Rise of the Meme Sector: From Potential Newcomer to Industry Leader

CoinGecko recognized the potential of Meme coins early on. When Meme coin prices began to emerge, LBank promptly formulated a differentiated strategy. In an exchange review article published in April 2025, the CoinGecko team pointed out that LBank's strategic focus for 2025 was on three key words: "Fastest listings," "Top Meme liquidity," and "Pioneering pre-market support." At that time, LBank distinguished itself by offering "the fastest altcoin listings and the deepest Meme coin liquidity," making it a representative of "Meme market potential exchanges." This forward-looking positioning laid the foundation for its subsequent rapid development.

LBank's spot market share more than doubled. As we entered the second half of 2025, LBank's leading advantage in the Meme coin trading sector became increasingly apparent. CoinGecko's "2025 Meme Coin Status Report" analyzed the trading volume of popular Meme trading pairs on major centralized exchanges (CEXs): In January 2025, LBank's market share in selected Meme coin trading was only about 11.2%, but it surged to 28.9% by September, achieving a "doubling" growth. This increase far exceeded that of other exchanges—the report pointed out that in the first half of 2025, MEXC and Gate were more popular for Meme trading, but LBank caught up in the second half, becoming the fastest-growing Meme coin trading platform. In contrast, established giants like Binance, despite their large total market capitalization, did not achieve such growth in the Meme coin niche market. LBank's ability to increase its spot market share of Meme coins to nearly 30% within a year fully demonstrates the effectiveness of its deep cultivation and efforts in this field.

Meme trading share and returns. LBank's own trading data also validates its success in the Meme sector. In the first quarter of 2025, 7.42% of the average daily trading volume came from Meme coin trading, an increase of over 50% compared to Q1 2024. LBank excels at listing trending Meme projects early on, generating substantial returns for users. Statistics show that early-listed Meme coins such as GOAT, Trump, and RFC brought returns ranging from 50 to 299 times to the first batch of traders. In April 2025, LBank reported that the top five Meme coins on the platform had an average increase of 3166%. Subsequently, LAUNCHCOIN saw an astonishing 15194% increase after listing on LBank, at one point accounting for 36.69% of LBank's spot trading volume, and GOONC also saw a remarkable 2199% increase. It can be said that by deeply exploring the Meme market and quickly introducing blockbuster products, LBank has successfully attracted a large number of profit-seeking traders and gradually secured its position as a leading Meme coin trader.

From data to reputation, LBank's market position continued to rise in 2024-2025. On the one hand, in the rankings of data platforms such as Messari and CoinGecko, LBank's spot and futures trading volumes continued to climb: the average daily total trading volume in the third quarter of 2025 had risen to $8.5 billion, a 71% increase quarter-on-quarter, and its spot market share reached 4.6% by the end of November, quickly ranking among the top global CEXs. On the other hand, its deep cultivation around the Meme and 100x coin sectors also brought it intensive industry recognition.

In the 2024 Crypto.News annual awards, LBank was named "Best Centralized Exchange (CEX)". That same year, at the Hong Kong Wiki Finance Expo, it won the "Best Crypto Exchange for Altcoins and Memes" award. CoinGape called LBank the "Best Meme Investment Platform". In 2025, CoinGecko dedicated a chapter to LBank in its "Top 10 Popular Crypto Exchanges for 2025", highlighting its "Driving the Memecoin Market With Fast Altcoin Listings and Deepest Memecoin Liquidity". Subsequently, in the "2025 State of Memecoins Report", LBank was prominently featured for its Meme spot market share surging from 11.2% to 28.9%. It can be said that LBank has grown from being seen as an "exchange with Meme potential" to becoming one of the leading players in the Meme market, recognized by mainstream data platforms and industry media.

Core product innovation drives growth

LBank's ability to break through the fierce competition among exchanges hinges on its unique product mechanisms and strategies, which offer users a differentiated value proposition. These innovative initiatives have capitalized on the emerging crypto asset boom while enhancing user stickiness through risk control and incentive measures, becoming a powerful engine for LBank's trading volume and user growth.

• 100x Gem Zone – LBANK EDGE: Discovering High-Potential Assets. In 2025, LBank launched a brand-new high-yield token zone, “LBank EDGE.” Leveraging LBank’s deep liquidity as a global derivatives exchange, the EDGE zone aims to discover high-potential “100x gem” projects and provide multi-layered user protection. The platform utilizes decentralized trading data and AI-powered intelligent analysis to screen assets with strong growth potential, listing them in the dedicated “100x Gem Zone,” and providing each new coin with an independent USDT trading pair to ensure ample liquidity. More innovatively, EDGE has set up a downside protection mechanism for users: during the promotion period, users who incur a net loss in the EDGE zone will automatically receive compensation equivalent to $100 USDT, supported by a $5 million ecosystem fund. This “trade compensation” initiative is the first of its kind in the industry, significantly reducing the risk for users participating in early-stage projects. In practice, the EDGE zone has achieved remarkable results since its launch—as of December 16th, 11 tokens have been listed, with an average increase of over 8.5 times and a maximum increase of 207 times. Such impressive returns prove that EDGE provides users with an effective channel to capture early-stage profits and has also attracted a large number of traders who prefer high-risk, high-return strategies to LBank.
• LBmeme Launch: An Innovative IDO Model. To further develop its Meme ecosystem, LBank launched LBmeme Launch, a "Meme Coin Issuance Platform," in 2025. It adopts a new AMM-based IDO model, simplifying the Meme coin issuance process and making it easier for users to create and participate in Meme projects. LBmeme Launch's biggest feature is its full refund mechanism: if a user's initial Meme token performs poorly, they can receive a refund according to the rules. This mechanism alleviates investors' concerns about losing everything and encourages more people to participate in new Meme coin launches. Since its launch, LBmeme Launch has helped several Meme projects achieve remarkable gains. For example, LDOG, launched through the platform, saw a maximum increase of 12,129%, and another project, LRATS, saw a maximum increase of nearly 5,942%, bringing hundreds or even thousands of times the returns to early participants. These success stories have quickly built LBmeme Launch's reputation, attracting high-quality new projects to launch on LBank and consolidating LBank's leading position in the Meme coin launch field.
• Pre-Market Trading and Price Guarantee: Pioneering Pre-Market Mechanism. Beyond gaining an early advantage in the secondary market, LBank has also pioneered a front-line strategy in the primary market, introducing a "Pre-Markets" model. This feature allows users to subscribe to tokens before a project's official listing, giving them a chance to capitalize on the initial listing and reap substantial profits. LBank offers pre-market participants an industry-first price guarantee : if the price of a new coin drops significantly below the subscription price after listing, the platform will provide a price difference subsidy of up to 100 USDT. This mechanism significantly reduces the downside risk for users participating in new projects. According to LBank data, in the first quarter of 2025, the platform launched 10 pre-market subscription projects (such as PAIN, IP, and KAITO), of which 90% saw their prices rise above the subscription price after listing, with the highest return on investment reaching 206 times. In particular, the RED token generated a return of over 20,000% for users after pre-market subscription, demonstrating the enormous potential of the pre-market channel. Through pre-market trading and price protection mechanisms, LBank has successfully attracted a user base that prefers early-stage speculation. In the first half of 2025 alone, several projects launched pre-market, such as HMSTR, CATI, and LAYER, recorded peak returns of 99x, 71x, and 46x respectively. The recently launched pre-market token STABLE also saw a maximum increase of 689% after its launch. With its structure of "opportunities for high returns and subsidies for downside risks," LBank has gradually established a unique reputation among users that "new projects launch on LBank, and there's a safety net for losses from pre-market subscriptions."
• Airdrops and Community Incentives: Enhancing User Engagement. LBank understands that user growth stems not only from project revenue but also from ongoing operational incentives. Therefore, the platform regularly conducts airdrop events and other reward programs to strengthen user loyalty. On LBank, users holding tokens can register to participate in project airdrops and share new tokens based on their holdings. Statistics show that in the second quarter of 2025, LBank conducted 35 airdrop events with a total value of approximately $6 million; in the third quarter, it further distributed 25 airdrops and event rewards, totaling approximately $117 million, of which direct trading and interaction rewards amounted to $1.52 million. Such generous rewards greatly stimulated user engagement. In addition, LBank launched a points reward system, awarding points for user deposits, transactions, and referrals, and has enabled features such as credit card purchases in some markets to lower the barrier to entry for new users. The platform's BoostHub product is also part of its ecosystem innovation: for example, the Launchpool projects MVHQ and RealtyX, launched in Q1 2025, achieved gains of 633% and 718% respectively; the Stakestone project in Q2 also achieved a 400% return. Through diverse mechanisms such as airdrops, community points, and Launchpad, LBank has built a thriving user engagement ecosystem, attracting new users while improving the retention of existing users, providing a continuous driving force for trading volume growth.

Construction of a security risk control system

While expanding rapidly, LBank deeply understands that security is the foundation of a trading platform's survival. For many years, LBank has maintained a record of "zero security incidents." In 2025, facing cryptocurrency volatility and hacker threats, LBank further increased its investment in risk control, employing industry-leading security measures to safeguard user assets and maintain user trust.

A substantial risk reserve fund. To protect contract trading users from extreme market shocks, LBank established a $100 million contract risk protection fund at the end of 2024, which was further improved in 2025. When the market experiences extreme volatility such as sudden price spikes (i.e., a sharp drop followed by a rapid rebound within one minute), this fund will be activated. Affected users will not only receive full compensation but also additional rewards. This industry-rare protection scheme shifts the risk of extreme market volatility from the user to the platform, providing users with peace of mind. LBank states that its risk fund uses USDT for instant settlement, with a transparent and open process, reflecting the platform's commitment to prioritizing user protection. As a result, with strong financial backing, LBank maintained stable operation during several volatile market events in 2025, and users gradually reached a consensus: trading contracts on LBank is safer.

Intelligent Risk Control and Real-Time Monitoring. LBank has built an intelligent risk control system that integrates artificial intelligence, enabling 24/7 uninterrupted monitoring and behavioral recognition. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the system detected and blocked over 1,800 potential security incidents, preventing over $200 million in potential user asset losses. It also blocked an average of over 300 suspicious transactions per month, effectively preventing harm to users from black market activities and fraud. By the third quarter, with system upgrades, the cumulative number of blocked threat incidents had exceeded 2,500, preventing hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. LBank considers this one of its industry-leading risk control technology advantages, which also greatly enhances users' trust in the platform's security.

Enhanced Compliance and Authoritative Partnerships. Beyond proactive defense, LBank has also improved its compliance and security standards by introducing authoritative third-party tools. In early 2025, LBank announced a strategic partnership with blockchain analytics company Elliptic, integrating its latest on-chain transaction monitoring (KYT) and anti-money laundering solutions to enable timely screening of suspicious fund flows and further improve its anti-money laundering and compliance system. Subsequently, LBank partnered with renowned security auditing firm CertiK, introducing services such as CertiK Skynet security monitoring to conduct contract audits and risk assessments of projects listed on the platform. Through this long-term commitment, LBank has maintained a record of 10 years without any major security incidents. This reputation for security is invaluable in the crypto industry and has become a significant asset for LBank in attracting users, especially high-net-worth individuals.

Globalization and Brand Influence

As an exchange serving global markets, LBank aggressively pursued its internationalization strategy in 2025, expanding its brand influence and building a user base across various regions through sports sponsorships, industry summits, and large-scale community events. This strategy of combining a global brand narrative with localized community operations further solidified LBank's unique position in the fiercely competitive market.

In April 2025, LBank partnered with several projects to host the "1001 Crypto Nights" beach electronic music party during the TOKEN2049 conference in Dubai. This event combined blockchain with electronic music and trendy culture, attracting thousands of crypto users and KOLs and being hailed as one of the most memorable brand events of the conference. A few months later, LBank brought the "1001" brand to Korea Blockchain Week, hosting the "1001 Festival Seoul" party in Seoul. The event featured renowned local musicians and leading Web3 communities, and was widely regarded by local media and attendees as one of the largest and most discussed side events of the week. By consistently projecting a highly recognizable offline IP in global financial and technological hubs like Dubai and Seoul, LBank is gradually transforming itself from a single trading tool into a global crypto brand with cultural attributes and community cohesion.

Sports Marketing: Partnering with the Argentine National Team. In September 2025, LBank announced a multi-year partnership with the Argentine Football Association (AFA), becoming the official regional sponsor of the Argentine national team. As a partner of the newly crowned World Cup champions, LBank aims to leverage the Argentine team's massive global fan base to bring cryptocurrency into the mainstream. This cross-industry collaboration is considered a milestone in the integration of sports and digital finance. LBank's management stated that they hope to lower the barrier to entry for the public to understand and accept crypto through football, a "universal language." Following the partnership, LBank quickly launched a large-scale marketing campaign: introducing a $100 million rewards program to celebrate the sponsorship, including new user registration bonuses, deposit bonuses, and a series of other incentives, attracting a massive number of users worldwide. According to statistics, in the third quarter alone, LBank invested over $117 million in various user rewards, held dozens of airdrops and trading competitions, and significantly boosted platform activity. By leveraging top-tier football IP, LBank successfully penetrated its brand image into sports fans and emerging market user groups, not only expanding its user reach in regions such as Latin America but also strengthening its "mainstream and international" brand image.

Brand Events: Global Conferences and Community Carnivals. Beyond sports sponsorships, LBank actively participates in and hosts various industry events, building a distinctive brand IP. In September 2024, LBank co-hosted the "Meet Your Meme" themed party during the TOKEN2049 conference in Singapore, bringing together top Meme coin holders, creators, and the community to exchange and share the Meme culture trend. In April 2025, LBank exclusively hosted the "1001 Crypto Nights" electronic music carnival during TOKEN2049 in Dubai, inviting Nicky Romero, one of the world's top 100 DJs, to perform, and collaborating with over 20 well-known projects such as Shiba Inu, WIF, and BabyDoge. This beach party attracted over 5,000 on-site attendees, generated over 100 million online impressions, and even garnered attention from mainstream media such as The Wall Street Journal. Eric He, LBank's Community Angel Officer and Risk Advisor, stated at the event: "Memecoin is not just hype, but a cultural phenomenon on the blockchain. LBank is committed to becoming the preferred platform for meme innovation—from rapid listing and deep liquidity to global community support, we are actively building the cultural infrastructure of Web3." This marketing approach, which combines entertainment culture with the crypto community, has enabled LBank to successfully break into the mainstream and strengthen its image as a "trendy crypto platform."

In 2025, LBank also conducted a series of offline events in various locations around the world: hosting the "LBank x AI – Web3 Innovation Forum" in Hong Kong to discuss the forefront of blockchain and artificial intelligence; sponsoring the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, USA, to discuss the future of blockchain with political and financial leaders; sponsoring the IXO Blockchain Summit in Seoul and hosting the "1001 Festival Seoul" during Korea Blockchain Week (KBW), combining Web3 with music performances; participating in Taiwan Blockchain Week to reach out to emerging user markets in East Asia; and so on. Furthermore, LBank focused on community building, recruiting its first batch of brand ambassadors globally in early 2025 to form a "Crypto Dream Team," attracting international opinion leaders such as Crypto Rover, a well-known analyst at TradingView, and Wale, a Dutch cryptocurrency KOL. These brand ambassadors promoted LBank within their respective communities, further enhancing LBank's voice across different sectors.

Through a series of global operations, LBank has achieved a double harvest of brand influence and user base. As LBank's quarterly report emphasizes, iconic offline events have become an important part of its strategy—by creating immersive Web3 experiences, LBank has successfully connected the crypto world culturally and cultivated a loyal community of users. It is foreseeable that with the accumulation of these initiatives, LBank's position in the global market will become increasingly solidified.

Conclusion: The Road to Innovation in Exchanges

From being initially seen as a "potential stock in the Meme market" to becoming the only exchange in CoinGecko's authoritative 2025 report to double its spot market share , LBank's rise provides a model for the industry. In a fiercely competitive market, LBank chose a differentiated positioning—betting on high-growth sectors like Memecoin, and serving this specific user group through rapid listing, deep liquidity, and innovative mechanisms. This strategy was risky, but as it turns out, high risk also brings high reward: LBank not only successfully rode the wave of the Meme craze, achieving explosive growth in trading volume and user numbers, but also effectively built user trust and stickiness through pioneering pre-market protection, compensation mechanisms, and community operations .

Of course, LBank's success is inseparable from the favorable overall market environment. The crypto market experienced a resurgence in 2025, with its total market capitalization once exceeding $4 trillion. New funds and users rushed in, providing a stage for innovative platforms like LBank to showcase their capabilities. But more importantly, LBank seized the opportunity and invested resources to translate it into real growth: whether it was investing heavily to protect user interests or expanding its brand influence globally, these measures demonstrated LBank's commitment to the principles of "user first" and "innovation-driven" development.

Looking ahead, LBank will continue to deepen its three core strengths: new asset growth, product innovation, and a global ecosystem. This includes optimizing the "dual engines" of LBANK EDGE and LBmeme Launch, strengthening its AI-driven asset selection capabilities, and further expanding into the Latin American and Southeast Asian markets through its partnership with the Argentine national team. It is foreseeable that the competitive landscape will be reshaped as the next market cycle evolves. However, LBank's performance over the past two years demonstrates the possibility of mid-sized exchanges achieving a turnaround through differentiated strategies. Against the backdrop of increasing regulatory compliance requirements and evolving user needs, LBank's ability to solidify its leading position in the meme market and even evolve into a broader Web3 financial services platform will depend on its continued innovation, strict risk control, and keen insight into user needs.

For the industry and investors, LBank's story is an inspiration: in the ever-changing crypto market, "speed" is often more important than "size." Deepening expertise in a niche market, coupled with exceptional execution, can still allow a company to carve out a niche amidst giants. For countless ordinary investors chasing the "meme wealth effect," LBank's rise not only provides a new avenue for trading profits but also, to some extent, propels meme culture from the fringes to the mainstream, giving this decentralized frenzy a new dimension. As the CoinGecko report summarizes: "Some centralized exchanges focus on the meme coin space, such as LBank"—LBank has demonstrated this through its actions and will continue to write its legend in the future crypto landscape.