Memecoins Jump 23% Post-Holiday as Traders 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 ultimate days of 2025.

The memcoin market cap crossed $47.7 billion on Monday, up from $38 billion on Dec. 29, in response to cryptocurrency information 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 in line 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 after they rally, it will possibly imply buyers are prepared to tackle extra threat once more.

Altcoin rally might comply with memcoins

Analysts with market intelligence platform Santiment mentioned 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 belongings that the retail crowd has written off probably the most.”

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

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

Associated: PEPE, BONK publish double-digit positive factors: Are memecoins again?

Solana was a key ecosystem for memecoins over the past buying and selling frenzy, and its utilization rose and fell in keeping 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.