Meme-coin trading slowed sharply in late 2025, but AlphaPepe continued adding holders and recording strong presale participation into early 2026.
By the final quarter of 2025, meme-coin trading had clearly lost momentum. Retail volumes across major meme assets declined sharply from mid-year levels, social-media-driven speculation cooled, and liquidity tightened following broader crypto market corrections. For many projects built around fast rotations and short-term hype, engagement stalled or reversed.
Yet amid this slowdown, a small number of projects continued to grow. One of the more notable examples is AlphaPepe, a BNB Chain–based presale that has continued to add holders even as meme-coin activity across the market has pulled back.
Late-2025 Market Conditions Weighed on Meme Coins
The slowdown in meme-coin trading followed a turbulent second half of the year for crypto markets more broadly. Bitcoin’s sharp correction in the third quarter reduced leverage across the system and triggered a pullback in high-risk segments. By Q4, many retail traders had shifted from active speculation to a more defensive posture, reducing turnover in meme tokens.
Market data from the period showed declining spot volumes across several high-profile meme coins, alongside lower engagement on social platforms. As liquidity dried up, projects without clear execution milestones or ongoing participation incentives struggled to retain attention.
AlphaPepe Continues to Add Holders
Against this backdrop, AlphaPepe’s growth has stood out. As of early January 2026, the project has reached approximately 4,900 holders, a figure that continued to climb through the final weeks of 2025 despite broader market hesitation.
The pace of participation has remained steady rather than spiking around isolated events, suggesting that growth has been driven by sustained interest rather than short-lived speculation. In an environment where many meme projects saw flat or declining holder counts, this divergence has drawn attention.
Presale Activity Remains Active
Presale data also points to continued engagement. Over the past three days, more than 3 million ALPE tokens were sold, indicating ongoing demand during a period when retail trading activity across meme coins has otherwise been subdued.
This level of participation suggests that some investors are reallocating toward early-stage projects where progress can be observed directly, rather than trading established meme assets with declining volumes.
Structural Factors May Be Supporting Engagement
AlphaPepe’s presale structure differs from many meme-coin launches seen earlier in the cycle. One notable feature is that $ALPE tokens are delivered instantly upon purchase, with no delayed claiming period. This allows participants to verify ownership on-chain immediately, reducing uncertainty at a time when transparency has become a key consideration for investors.
Staking has remained active throughout the presale, enabling ongoing participation rather than passive holding. In addition, AlphaPepe has completed multiple USDT reward pools, distributing over $14,000 to participants so far. A new USDT reward pool is currently live and scheduled to close on February 5, extending this incentive framework into early 2026.
The project also operates under a fully audited smart contract and plans to lock liquidity at launch, aligning with standards that have gained importance following heightened market volatility. Together, these structural elements help explain why AlphaPepe has continued to attract participants even as broader meme-coin trading activity has slowed.
A Broader Shift in Retail Behavior
AlphaPepe’s experience appears to reflect a broader change in how some retail participants are engaging with the crypto market. Rather than chasing short-term price movements, investors are increasingly focused on measurable indicators such as holder growth, on-chain activity and visible execution.
This shift has been particularly evident during periods of market uncertainty, when speculative trading slows but participation in select early-stage projects continues. AlphaPepe’s expanding holder base and consistent presale activity suggest it has benefited from this evolving behavior.
Conclusion
The late-2025 slowdown in meme-coin trading marked a clear break from the speculative intensity seen earlier in the year. Lower volumes, reduced leverage and cautious sentiment reshaped retail participation across the sector.
Within that environment, AlphaPepe has continued to add holders, reaching around 4,900 participants, and has recorded over 3 million ALPE tokens sold in recent days. While meme-coin activity overall has declined, AlphaPepe’s experience highlights how certain projects can continue to attract engagement when market conditions shift away from hype and toward observable execution.
Website: https://alphapepe.io/
Telegram: https://t.me/alphapepejoin
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Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency markets are volatile, and readers should conduct their own research before making any decision.
