How do I buy memecoins for the first time?

The simplest start is a mobile app such as Fomo: install it, fund it with Apple Pay, search the token and buy. If you want more control, install a self-custody wallet such as Phantom, buy SOL in the wallet and swap it for the memecoin on Jupiter or Raydium. Start with a small amount you can lose in full.

How do I buy meme coins on Solana?

You need SOL in a Solana wallet and a place to swap it. Buy SOL in Phantom with a card or Apple Pay through one of its providers, open Jupiter or Raydium, connect the wallet, paste the token's contract address, check the quote and swap. Keep about 0.02 SOL extra for network fees, as Raydium's docs advise.

Can I buy memecoins with Apple Pay?

Yes. Fomo lets you fund trades with Apple Pay. Phantom also lists Apple Pay and Google Pay among its payment options to buy crypto, through third-party providers whose fees vary. Some payment options are not available in every region.

What fees do I pay when I buy a memecoin?

Expect a platform fee plus network costs. Reported or published fees: Fomo about 0.5% (with a $0.95 minimum on Solana), Jupiter Ultra 0–0.5%, Raydium 0.25% (per its swap guide), Axiom 0.95–0.75%, BasedBot and Trojan 1% before cashback. Card on-ramps charge their own fee, and slippage adds to the cost on thin tokens.

Where can I find the right contract address of a memecoin?

Copy it from the project's official X account or website, and compare it with the address on the token page of your app or DEX. Many fake tokens copy the name and the ticker of a popular coin. Never use an address that someone sent you in a DM.

Is buying memecoins safe?

The tools can be safe, but most memecoins lose most of their value, and rug pulls are common. Use a self-custody wallet you can export, buy only after a safety check, never share your seed phrase, and only use money you can lose in full.

How to Buy Memecoins (2026): A Safe Step-by-Step Guide

To buy memecoins, you need a wallet with crypto in it and a place to swap that crypto for the token. The easiest way is a mobile app such as Fomo that you fund with Apple Pay. On Solana, you can also use a Phantom wallet with Jupiter or Raydium, or a Telegram bot such as BasedBot when speed matters.

Three ways to buy memecoins

Path	Best for	How you fund it	Typical fee	Custody
1. Mobile app (Fomo)	First buy, phone users	Apple Pay in the app	About 0.5% per trade (reported), $0.95 minimum on Solana	Non-custodial Privy wallet with key export, per Fomo's terms
2. Wallet + DEX (Phantom + Jupiter or Raydium)	Learning how Solana works, full control	Buy SOL in Phantom through a card provider, or send SOL from an exchange	Jupiter Ultra 0–0.5%, Raydium 0.25%, plus the on-ramp fee	Self-custody: you hold the seed phrase
3. Telegram bot or terminal (BasedBot, Trojan, Axiom)	Fast buys of new launches, frequent trades	Send SOL or other coins to the bot wallet	0.75–1% before cashback	Self-custody or non-custodial with key export

Sources: Fomo review, Jupiter Ultra mode docs, Raydium first swap guide, BasedBot review, Trojan review, Axiom review. Network fees and slippage are extra on every path.

Path 1: the easiest way, a mobile app (Fomo)

Fomo is a mobile and web app for memecoin trading. You fund it with Apple Pay, and Fomo pays the gas, so you do not need SOL or ETH for network fees. It trades on Solana, Base and BNB Chain from one balance, according to TechCrunch. Our Fomo review is a research review: we have not traded on it yet.

1
Open Fomo with our link
Use the button below or go to fomo.family/r/Iocke (capital I) before you create an account. Fomo's in-app invite says this gives 10% off trading fees.
2
Install the app and create your account
Download Fomo from the App Store or Google Play, or use the web app.
3
Export and save your private key
Fomo's terms say you can view and export your private keys. Store the key offline.
4
Add a small amount with Apple Pay
Start small. With the reported $0.95 minimum fee on Solana, a $20 buy costs about 4.75% in fees.
5
Search the token and check the contract address
Compare the contract address in the app with the one on the project's official X account or website.
6
Check the fee and buy
Fomo shows the fee on the confirm screen. Check it, then confirm the buy.

Open Fomo with 10% off fees

Caveat: in August 2026, an X account alleged losses from a Fomo iOS update. Fomo denied it, and no independent result is public. The details are in the Fomo review.

Path 2: wallet + DEX (Phantom with Jupiter or Raydium)

This path takes more steps, but you learn how memecoin trading works on chain, and no app sits between you and the swap. Phantom is a popular self-custody wallet for Solana. Jupiter is a swap aggregator that searches many pools for the best route. Raydium is a decentralized exchange with its own pools.

1
Install Phantom from the official site
Download it from phantom.com or the official app store listing. Check our official links page: fake wallet apps are common.
2
Write down your seed phrase offline
Phantom shows a recovery phrase when you create the wallet. Write it on paper. Never type it into a website, a form or a chat.
3
Buy SOL in the wallet
In Phantom, tap Buy, pick SOL, enter an amount and choose a payment option. Phantom's Apple Pay guide lists card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, through third-party providers. Fees vary by provider, and some options are not available in every region. You can also send SOL from an exchange account.
4
Open Jupiter or Raydium and check the domain
Type the address yourself: jup.ag for Jupiter, raydium.io for Raydium. Raydium's first swap guide says to confirm the domain is exactly raydium.io.
5
Connect your wallet
Click Connect Wallet and approve the connection in Phantom. Raydium's guide says this approval does not move funds.
6
Paste the contract address, not the name
Set SOL as the token you sell. For the token you buy, paste the contract address from an official source. Many fake tokens copy a popular name and ticker.
7
Check the quote, slippage and price impact
Jupiter's Ultra mode calculates the slippage for you. In manual mode, you set it yourself. A high price impact means the pool is thin, so a small sell will also move the price.
8
Check the wallet preview, then approve
Phantom shows what leaves and what arrives. If the numbers do not match the quote, reject the transaction.

Keep about 0.02 SOL above your swap amount for network fees, and do not swap your full SOL balance, as Raydium's first swap guide advises. Jupiter says its Ultra mode includes MEV protection, and that manual mode does not.

Path 3: faster, a Telegram bot or a web terminal

Bots and terminals are made for speed: you paste a contract address and buy in one or two taps. They also give you tools such as limit orders, sniping of new launches and MEV settings. The fee is higher than on a DEX, usually 0.75–1% before cashback.

BasedBot: a Telegram bot and web app for 8+ chains, including Solana, Base, BNB Chain and Ethereum. The fee is 1%, and our link gives 10–50% cashback. In our hands-on tests, buys confirmed in under one second on average. Locke works with BasedBot; it is scored with the same methodology. See the BasedBot review.
Trojan: a Solana web terminal and Telegram bot with a 1% fee and SOL cashback. Research review: see the Trojan review.
Axiom: a Solana-first web terminal with fees from 0.95% down to 0.75% by volume tier. Research review: see the Axiom review.

1
Open the bot from an official link
Fake Telegram bots copy the names of real ones. Use our official links or the button below.
2
Create or import a wallet
Let the bot create a wallet and export its private key to store offline, or import a wallet you control.
3
Fund the bot wallet with a small amount
Send SOL (or the coin of the chain you trade) from your wallet or an exchange. Start with an amount you can lose.
4
Paste the contract address and set the amount
The bot shows the token data. Check it against the official contract address before you buy.
5
Buy, then test a small sell
Confirm the buy. Then sell a small part to make sure that the token can be sold.

Open BasedBot with double cashback

To compare all five ranked tools, read the best memecoin trading platforms.

Safety checklist before you buy

Do these checks every time. They take about five minutes and catch many of the obvious scams.

Contract address: copy it from the project's official X account or website. Compare the first and last characters in your app.
Authorities (Solana): check that mint and freeze authority are revoked. If not, the team can create new tokens or freeze yours.
Top holders: if a few wallets hold a large share of the supply, they can dump on you.
Liquidity: a small pool means a high price impact when you sell.
Sell path: buy a small amount first and test a sell before you add more.
Launchpad risk: for new pump.fun coins, read is pump.fun safe first.

The full red-flag list and real cases are in our guide to rug pulls.

Fees to expect

Where you buy	Platform fee	Other costs
Fomo	About 0.5% (reported), $0.95 minimum on Solana	Gas paid by Fomo; pool fees and slippage
Jupiter (Ultra mode)	0–0.5%; 0.5% for tokens listed in the last 24 hours, most swaps 0.1%	Network fee, priority fee, token account deposit
Raydium	0.25% per its first swap guide (the fee depends on the pool)	Network fee, optional priority fee
BasedBot	1%, with 10–50% cashback through our link	Network fees
Trojan	1%, with SOL cashback	Network fees, priority fee, MEV tip
Axiom	0.95% down to 0.75% by volume tier, 10% off with a referral link	Priority fees and bribes

Sources: TechCrunch on Fomo, Jupiter Ultra mode, Raydium first swap guide, Trojan FAQ, Axiom fees. BasedBot terms come from our partner agreement. If you buy SOL with a card or Apple Pay, the on-ramp provider charges its own fee. Check it on the quote screen.

What not to do

Do not share your seed phrase or private key. No real support team, bot or app asks for it. Anyone who asks wants to empty your wallet.
Do not answer DMs. "Support agents", "early access" offers and "recovery services" in Telegram, Discord or X DMs are scams.
Do not buy by name or ticker. Fake tokens copy both. Buy only by the contract address from an official source.
Do not click links in token descriptions or in airdrop tokens. Raydium's guide warns that interacting with unknown airdrop tokens can trigger a malicious approval.
Do not open bots or sites from ads or search results. Use our official links page.
Do not put more in than you can lose. Keep only trading money in a trading app or bot wallet.

Changelog

2026-10-11: first version published.