Key Insights:
- Top meme coins to watch in 2026 include Dogecoin, PEPE, and PIPPIN, with different market roles.
- Dogecoin shows early whale buying and volume support before broader retail returns.
- PEPE leads momentum while PIPPIN nears price discovery with high risk and high reward.
The meme coin market has turned active again. Too early to propose a meme coin season, but the total meme coin category is up more than 23% week on week.
This move is not happening evenly. Some coins are seeing early buying, while others are lagging. That gap is important because it often shows where money is moving first.
Below are three meme coins worth tracking into 2026. Each one tells a different story. One shows early accumulation. One is driving the rally. One is setting up a high-risk breakout.
Dogecoin (DOGE) Price Shows Early Accumulation Signs
Dogecoin is still the largest and most followed meme coin. When Dogecoin moves, the rest of the meme market usually reacts.
Dogecoin (DOGE) price is up more than 20% this week. That move looks smaller than newer meme coins, but the behavior behind it matters more.
Wallets holding between 100 million and 1 billion DOGE have added around 820 million coins since Jan. 1. This shows large holders are buying before wider interest returns.
Price is now close to a key resistance near $0.153. If Dogecoin closes above this level, the next targets sit near $0.185 and then $0.20. That would mean another 22% move from current levels.
Volume supports this move. The on-balance volume indicator, or OBV, tracks whether buying or selling pressure is stronger. OBV has broken above its downward trend line and is still rising. This tells us buyers are supporting the price, not just short-term traders.
Dogecoin remains the base layer of the meme coin market.
PEPE Meme Coin Leads the Category Rally
PEPE is the strongest meme coin right now.
It is up around 65% over the past seven days and ranks among the top three meme coins by market size.
That matters because large meme coins influence the whole sector. When a top meme coin moves, smaller ones often follow.
PEPE price broke above a major resistance near $0.0000065. It is now trading close to $0.0000077. A clean move higher can open a path toward $0.000012 if momentum stays intact.
Trader behavior also stands out. Experienced traders are still holding leveraged long positions in PEPE. These traders usually stay only when they expect follow-through, not a quick exit.
There is also a clear downside level. If PEPE drops below $0.0000051, the setup weakens and the rally risks fading. Until that happens, PEPE remains the main driver of meme coin strength.
Pippin Meme Coin Nears Price Discovery
PIPPIN is the highest-risk coin on this list. It is newer and more volatile, which also means the price can move fast.
PIPPIN price bounced from around $0.35 to near $0.52. It now sits just below a key resistance at $0.55. A break above this level would push the coin into price discovery, where there are no clear resistance levels above.
If that breakout happens, the price could move toward $0.71. That would be about a 38% move from current levels, as long as meme coin momentum stays strong.
Short sellers are already under stress. Some short positions are deep in losses, and a breakout would force more buying as traders exit those positions.
One caution remains. The Chaikin Money Flow indicator, or CMF, tracks whether large money is entering or leaving a coin. Despite the price rise, CMF has struggled to stay above zero. This shows big money is still cautious.
If CMF turns positive and stays there, the rally could speed up quickly. That is why PIPPIN is important to watch, not blindly chase.
Source: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2026/01/05/3-top-meme-coins-to-watch-in-2026/


