9GAG
9GAG is a Hong Kong-based social media platform serving over 200 million users with user-generated memes and viral content, monetized primarily through advertising and now extending into Solana-based tokenization of viral memes via its Meme Money Markets protocol.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersTsuen Wan, Hong Kong SAR China
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What 9GAG does
9GAG, founded in 2008 and headquartered in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, operates a global social media platform for the discovery and sharing of user-generated memes and viral content. The platform organizes submissions into categories and trending topics and has built a community of more than 200 million users, supported by an owned Instagram channel that serves as the primary social distribution surface. Revenue is generated primarily through display advertising against this consumer audience; the platform itself is free for end users and no premium or subscription tier is publicly disclosed. The company operates with a lean headcount of 11–50 employees.
In July 2025, 9GAG extended its core offering into Web3 through the launch of Meme Money Markets, a protocol built in partnership with Moonit on the Solana blockchain. The protocol uses AI to detect viral memes on 9GAG's platform and instantly mint them as tradeable tokens, removing traditional gatekeepers such as founders' allocations and pre-sales. The launch is supported by an infrastructure coalition including Helio, MoonPay, DEX Screener, Memeland, and MemeStrategy — a Hong Kong-listed entity managed by 9GAG co-founder Ray Chan following his January 2025 acquisition and rebranding of Howking Technology. MemeStrategy functions as a public-market vehicle for 9GAG's blockchain and virtual asset strategy, with a reported HK$652.55M market capitalization after a Solana investment announcement that drove a 28.5% share-price increase.
The business is now positioned across two monetization layers: the original ad-supported consumer platform and a nascent on-chain transaction-fee stream from tokenized meme assets. Leadership comprises co-founders Ray Chan (CEO) and Chris Chan (CPO), with Kevin K. as Chief Business Officer. The company is privately held and venture-backed, with historical funding from Y Combinator, First Round Capital, Greycroft, True Ventures, 500 Global, Freestyle Capital, and Lowercase Capital.
9GAG firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 9GAG
- Website
- https://9gag.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 9GAG is a Hong Kong-based social media platform serving over 200 million users with user-generated memes and viral content, monetized primarily through advertising and now extending into Solana-based tokenization of viral memes via its Meme Money Markets protocol.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
9GAG industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Entertainment and Meme Content
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- In-Game Asset Standards & Infrastructure (NFT items, marketplaces, royalties, asset registries) (FSAPAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Play-to-Earn & Reward Platforms (questing, loyalty, airdrop mechanics) (FSAPAGAH)
Keywords
Where 9GAG is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tsuen Wan
- HQ country
- Hong Kong SAR China
- HQ region
- Asia
Markets served
9GAG business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising: 9GAG monetizes its large user base through display advertising on its platform and social media channels, including Instagram. The platform's high engagement and viral content reach make it attractive to advertisers targeting mass consumer audiences.
- Blockchain/Tokenization Ecosystem: Through Meme Money Markets with Moonit, 9GAG participates in the tokenization of viral meme content on Solana. The platform enables community-driven token launches of viral memes, potentially generating transaction fees or protocol-level revenue from the token ecosystem.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
9GAG product offering
Product offeringCore offering
9GAG operates a social media platform for discovering, sharing, and engaging with user-generated memes, viral content, and breaking news, organized into categories and trending topics. In 2025, it expanded into Web3 with the launch of Meme Money Markets, an AI-powered protocol on the Solana blockchain that detects viral memes on the platform and instantly mints them as tradeable tokens, enabling community-driven tokenization without traditional gatekeepers.
Product overview
9GAG operates as a unified social media platform for viral meme content and breaking news. The core offering is the 9GAG platform itself, which serves as a hub for meme culture and entertainment content. In 2025, 9GAG launched Meme Money Markets in partnership with Moonit — an AI-powered protocol that detects viral memes on the platform and tokenizes them as tradeable assets on the Solana blockchain, representing a significant product expansion into Web3 tokenization of user-generated content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 9GAG Platform A free social media platform where users discover, share, and engage with user-generated memes, viral content, and breaking news organized into categories and trending topics. Targeted at general internet users seeking entertainment and shareable content.
- Meme Money Markets An AI-powered protocol built on the Solana blockchain that detects viral memes on 9GAG's platform and instantly tokenizes them as tradeable assets. It enables community-driven meme token launches without founders' allocations or pre-sales. Targeted at crypto-native and Web3 communities.
Quantifiable outcome
- MemeStrategy shares rose 28.5% following Solana investment announcement, reaching a market capitalization of HK$652.55M ($83.1M USD)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use 9GAG
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
9GAG technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature2 records
9GAG partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Moonitcore9GAG partnered with Moonit to launch Meme Money Markets, an AI-powered protocol that detects viral memes on 9GAG's platform and instantly mints them as tradeable tokens on the Solana blockchain. Moonit provides the tokenization infrastructure and AI detection capabilities, enabling community-driven token launches without founders' allocations or pre-sales.
- MemeStrategycoreMemeStrategy is a Hong Kong-listed tech investment firm managed by 9GAG co-founder Ray Chan. MemeStrategy serves as the public market vehicle for 9GAG's blockchain and virtual asset strategy, holding the Solana investment and potentially integrating with the Meme Money Markets ecosystem.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
9GAG competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Memeland / 9dcc: Web3-native meme brand and token project explicitly mentioned in 9GAG's Meme Money Markets coalition. Comparable as a meme culture brand crossing into on-chain token economies on Solana.
- pump.fun: Leading Solana-based meme coin launchpad enabling community-driven token creation with no pre-sales or founder allocations — the same fair-launch premise that 9GAG is leveraging through Meme Money Markets.
Broad incumbents
- TikTok: Mass-market short-form video and viral content platform competing for the same meme-discovery attention budget as 9GAG, with a much larger creator-economy and ad stack.
- X (Twitter): Real-time social platform where memes originate and spread virally, often driving traffic back to or competing directly with 9GAG as a meme discovery destination.
- Instagram (Meta): Primary social distribution channel for 9GAG and a competing destination for meme creators, with substantially deeper tooling (Reels, creator monetization) and ad targeting capabilities.
- Pinterest: Visual discovery platform with overlapping meme, image, and viral content audiences and an advertising-supported model similar to 9GAG's core monetization approach.
Others
- Know Your Meme: Reference/database site documenting meme culture and originators. Thematically adjacent to 9GAG as an internet-meme authority, though its role is editorial/reference rather than entertainment distribution.
Direct peers
- Reddit: Community-driven content platform with subreddit-based vertical communities and high viral meme traffic. Directly comparable to 9GAG in user-submitted content model, social distribution, and advertising-supported monetization.
- Cheezburger: Long-running meme aggregator network (I Can Has Cheezburger, Memebase, etc.). Direct precedent for 9GAG as a meme aggregation and entertainment destination, sharing the same user-generated humor format.
- Imgur: Image- and meme-hosting platform historically tied closely to Reddit virality. Closely aligned with 9GAG's image-first meme sharing model and entertainment-focused audience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
9GAG social profiles
Digital presence9GAG financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
9GAG leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
9GAG funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
9GAG M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 9GAG
What does 9GAG do?
9GAG operates a social media platform for discovering, sharing, and engaging with user-generated memes, viral content, and breaking news, organized into categories and trending topics. In 2025, it expanded into Web3 with the launch of Meme Money Markets, an AI-powered protocol on the Solana blockchain that detects viral memes on the platform and instantly mints them as tradeable tokens, enabling community-driven tokenization without traditional gatekeepers.
Is 9GAG a public or private company?
9GAG is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was 9GAG founded?
9GAG was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 9GAG based?
9GAG is headquartered in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong SAR China, in the Asia region.
How does 9GAG make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are blockchain/Tokenization Ecosystem.
Who are 9GAG's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Memeland / 9dcc and pump.fun. Broad incumbents are TikTok, X (Twitter), Instagram (Meta) and Pinterest. Know Your Meme is listed as an others. Direct peers are Reddit, Cheezburger and Imgur.
Does 9GAG have an API?
No public API is recorded for 9GAG.
What industry is 9GAG in?
9GAG's product category is Social Entertainment and Meme Content. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAPAGAE, In-Game Asset Standards & Infrastructure (NFT items, marketplaces, royalties, asset registries), with a secondary code of FSAPAGAH, Play-to-Earn & Reward Platforms (questing, loyalty, airdrop mechanics). Its NAICS code is 516210 and its SIC code is 7370.