What happened to early internet memes?

Early internet memes mostly didn’t “go away” so much as change shape. Many were tied to a smaller web era of forums, email chains, IRC, and early imageboards, so they spread more slowly and often stayed popular for longer. As social media arrived, memes became faster, more remixable, and more driven by algorithms, so they now rise and fade much more quickly.

Some early memes were forgotten, some became internet landmarks, and a few were preserved or revived through archives, nostalgia, and sites like Know Your Meme. A handful of meme subjects later monetized their fame through licensing, merchandising, or other deals, but many never did.