Meme Coins and Gambling-Like Speculation

Short answer: (1) Tokens with no real utility or project — whose price moves purely on hype and finding a 'greater fool' — involve gambling-like risk and excessive gharar, tending to impermissibility; evidence-based scholars warn against pure speculation. Knowingly running pump-and-dump schemes that profit by others' loss is plainly haram. (2) Still, whoever owns such coins owns wealth while market value exists — on the zakat day its value is zakated at 2.5%; a dubious ruling never waives zakat. Evidence: Quran 5:90 (gambling); Quran 2:188 (consuming others' wealth unjustly); Sahih Muslim 1513 (prohibition of gharar sales); Sahih Muslim 102 ('whoever cheats is not of me'). Application: Vet real utility, team and transparency before investing; avoid get-rich-quick schemes. For gains already made by haram methods, repent and give away the profit portion without expecting reward — it is not zakat. For complex individual cases, consult a qualified scholar.