Memecoins Bounce 23% Put up-Vacation as Merchants Return

Crypto merchants flooded again to memecoins as the brand new yr turned, driving memecoin market capitalization up by over 23% within the final week after buying and selling at a yearly low within the remaining days of 2025.

The memcoin market cap crossed $47.7 billion on Monday, up from $38 billion on Dec. 29, in line with cryptocurrency knowledge platform CoinMarketCap.

The highest three memecoins by market capitalization, Dogecoin (DOGE), gained over 20% within the final seven days, adopted by Shibu Inu (SHIB) with 19.9% and Pepe (PEPE), which has elevated over 65%.

On the identical time, the memcoin transaction quantity has spiked consistent with the market cap, leaping from $2.17 billion on Dec. 29 to $8.7 billion on Monday, representing a 300% improve.

Memecoins fell over 65% in 2025, to a market capitalization of $35 billion on Dec. 19, the bottom degree of the yr, as risk-taking habits dropped amongst merchants. Memecoins are among the many highest threat in crypto, and once they rally, it might imply buyers are keen to tackle extra threat once more.

Altcoin rally may comply with memcoins

Analysts with market intelligence platform Santiment stated the memecoin bounce “started shortly after FUD was reaching its highest ranges amongst retail merchants, only a few days after Christmas.”

And likewise reiterated that the market typically strikes in the other way to expectations, including that “As all the time, keep well timed and capitalize on property that the retail crowd has written off probably the most.”

In the meantime, a dealer on X posting beneath the deal with Wealthhmanger speculated altcoins may quickly see a rally too, as merchants unfold capital to different areas.

“Once we see this type of power in meme cash, different altcoins normally comply with. And traditionally, the altcoin that advantages probably the most from meme momentum is Sol,” they stated.

Associated: PEPE, BONK submit double-digit good points: Are memecoins again?

Solana was a key ecosystem for memecoins over the past buying and selling frenzy, and its utilization rose and fell consistent with memecoin-related exercise. 

Wider crypto market lagging behind memecoins

Whereas memecoins have gone on a tear within the final week, the remainder of crypto has lagged, with the general market cap making a greater than 5% achieve, rising from $2.97 trillion to $3.13 trillion.