Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and Pepe Coin Post Strong Gains as Trading Volumes Surge

TLDR

• Memecoin market cap rebounded from $35 billion in December to $47.7 billion in early January after falling 65% in 2025
• Transaction volumes jumped 300% from $2.17 billion on Dec. 29 to $8.7 billion by Monday before settling at $5.22 billion
• Dogecoin gained 20%, Shiba Inu rose 25%, and Pepe Coin surged 60% over the past week
• Dogecoin whales accumulated over 220 million tokens in 24 hours, with price trading around $0.147
• Analysts view memecoin rallies as indicators of returning risk appetite in crypto markets

The memecoin sector has posted a sharp recovery in early January after a difficult 2025 that saw values drop more than 65%. Market capitalization bottomed at $35 billion on December 19 before climbing to $47.7 billion by Monday.

The rebound has attracted renewed attention from traders. Social media buzz around memecoins has increased since the start of the year, matching the rise in market value.

Transaction volumes tell a similar story. Daily volumes jumped from $2.17 billion on December 29 to $8.7 billion by Monday. This represents a 300% increase in less than a week. As of Thursday, volumes had settled to around $5.22 billion.

Market capitalization currently sits at approximately $45 billion. The memecoin market lost ground throughout 2025 as traders moved capital into more stable investments.

Individual tokens have posted strong gains. Dogecoin climbed 20% over the past week and is trading around $0.147. Shiba Inu gained 25% during the same period.

Pepe Coin led the rally with a 60% rise over seven days. The token jumped from $0.000003647 on December 17 to a high of $0.000007265.

Whale Activity Signals Renewed Interest

Large holders have returned to the market. Dogecoin whales accumulated more than 220 million tokens during a 24-hour period. This buying activity suggests renewed confidence among high-value investors.

The current Dogecoin price faces resistance at $0.15. A breakout above this level could push the token toward $0.20 in the near term. Traders are watching the $0.15 mark closely for confirmation of continued upward movement.

Shiba Inu faces its own technical barrier at $0.000009. Despite a 2% drop in the past 24 hours, the token maintains bullish sentiment from its weekly gains. A move above the resistance zone could target $0.000010.

Risk Appetite Returns to Crypto

Vincent Liu, chief investment officer at Kronos Research, says traders are rotating back into liquidity-rich assets. Memecoins offer tight narratives and immediate upside potential, making them attractive when sentiment improves.

The Fear & Greed Index has moved from extreme fear toward neutral territory. This shift supports the view that risk appetite is returning to crypto markets. Memecoins typically lead when traders become more willing to take chances.

Pav Hundal, lead analyst at Swyftx, describes memecoins as one of the cleanest temperature checks for risk appetite. He notes that when altcoins rally while Bitcoin trades sideways, capital is moving further out on the risk curve.

Bitcoin has been trading between $90,697 and $92,847 in the last 24 hours. The benchmark cryptocurrency’s sideways movement contrasts with the gains seen in memecoins.

Analysts warn that memecoin rallies remain highly reflexive. Sharp reversals can occur quickly once trading flow slows down. The current rebound is being driven by positioning resets and renewed retail participation rather than fundamental changes.

The next few days will determine whether the rally has staying power or represents a short-lived sentiment trade.

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