## Meme Resurgence — Is This the Beginning of a New Bull Wave?

The meme sector kicked off 2026 with impressive momentum. In just a few days, the total market capitalization of memes reached $47 billion, and the daily trading volume hit $8.8 billion — a growth of over 35% within 24 hours. This is a clear market reaction to the renewed appetite for riskier assets.

### Spectacular Trader Turnaround on Memes

On-chain data reveal a dramatic profit story. Trader pseudonym 0x419f turned an initial deposit of $58,700 into a wallet worth nearly $490,000 in seven days — a 734% return. The strategy was simple but aggressive: a long position with 10× leverage on PEPE. As the price rose, the trader systematically moved profits into the position, scaling it up to an impressive 221.96 million tokens. That’s significant — memes demonstrate their ability to generate rapid returns for those who catch the right moment.

### Classic Meme Duo Leading the Rally

Dogecoin is up 18.25% weekly, trading around $0.14 with a market cap of $24.29 billion. Shiba Inu gained 17.5% in the same period, maintaining its position as the second-largest meme coin with a market cap of $5.11 billion. However, PEPE is reigning here — this unexpectedly awakened meme surged by 64%, adding $1.14 billion to its market cap in just seven days.

Particularly intense activity was observed on Shiba Inu on January 5 — the 24-hour volume jumped over 130%. Experts speculate that if trading intensity continues, SHIB could soon approach a psychological barrier of another whole number. Smaller memes like Floki Inu soared 37% weekly, although a TD Sequential sell signal on the 12-hour chart suggests a possible short-term correction.

### Meme Dominance Returns from the Bottom

The metric behind some of the biggest moves is the meme share of total altcoin market capitalization. CryptoQuant data show a fundamental rebound: after the biggest meme bull run in November 2024, the sector steadily lost significance for months. By December 2025, meme share in the altcoin market dropped to just 3.2% — the lowest level in history.

Now, however, the indicator is turning around. Market observers note historical patterns: the last time dominance hit such extremely low levels, it preceded a major meme rally. Analysts suggest that if BTC maintains even moderate growth in the first quarter, the spillover effect on the meme sector could be aggressive. Some traders point out that market participants are rediscovering that memes — despite their risks — can outperform traditional altcoin returns.

### What Are Memes at This Moment?

As interest in memes grows, new projects are entering the scene, building their identity around trading culture and aggressive attitudes. An example is Maxi (MAXI) — a meme token in very early stages, which has raised about $4.4 million and positions itself as a choice for speculators seeking short-term gains. Unlike the established Dogecoin — which now trades like a mature asset supported by ETFs — MAXI targets the high-risk segment.

The project offers stakers an annual return of 70% for early participants. A significant portion of the raised funds goes into promotion, while 25% is reserved for Maxi Fund supporting liquidity after exchange listings. This is a typical architecture for memes seeking quick momentum.

### Is This Really the Beginning?

Memes are building a narrative of revival here. The combination of increasing dominance, rising trading volume, and dramatic profit stories suggests that the sector is once again attracting attention. Whether this will be another short-lived wave or the start of a new chapter — depends on whether capital flows from larger coins continue and whether BTC maintains its upward trajectory in the quarter.