Memecoin comeback talk builds as DOGE, SHIB, BONK rally in early 2026

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Memecoin comeback talk builds as DOGE, SHIB, BONK rally in early 2026 High concentration in major wallets, particularly for shiba inu, contributed to potential volatility in the market. By Shaurya Malwa | Edited by Stephen Alpher Updated Jan 5, 2026, 1:42 p.m. Published Jan 5, 2026, 1:34 p.m. (CoinDesk Data) What to know : Memecoins surged in early 2026, with dog-themed tokens like dogecoin and shiba inu leading the gains. The memecoin market's dominance is rising after hitting historical lows, indicating renewed speculative interest. High concentration in major wallets, particularly for shiba inu, contributed to potential volatility in the market. Memecoins extended their early-2026 bounce on Monday as traders rotated into higher-beta tokens and social chatter revived “meme season” talk, with dog-themed coins leading broad gains across the category. Dogecoin rose as much as 11% over 24 hours, while shiba inu gained about 13%, according to CoinGecko data. Solana-based bonk climbed nearly 50% over seven days, while floki added close to 40% on the week as the rally spilled into mid- and smaller-cap names. STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . Traders also pointed to continued momentum in PEPE, which has become a popular proxy for speculative risk-on positioning. The move is not just isolated to a few tickers. One CryptoQuant chart tracking memecoin dominance within the altcoin market shows the ratio fell to around 0.032 in December, marking a historical low after sliding steadily from the post-mania peak near 0.11 in November 2024. (Darkfost/CryptoQuant) The ratio has ticked up in recent sessions, which independent analyst Darkfost interprets as a sign that capital is returning to the most speculative corner of the market after weeks of decline. That said, the same chart highlights how quick meme cycles can be: the last time dominance moved sharply higher from these levels, it quickly accelerated into a crowded trade. Other metrics underline why volatility remains part of the story. Santiment data shows that the 10 largest SHIB wallets control nearly 63% of the supply, with the largest wallet holding roughly 41%. This concentration level can amplify both upside squeezes and sudden drawdowns when large holders move. Loading... Market participants say the timing fits a familiar setup: bitcoin and ether have bounced but remain well below all-time highs, and liquidity is still uneven after the holidays. That often pushes traders toward tokens that can move sharply in response to relatively small inflows, especially those with deep derivatives markets and high social momentum. Still, desks caution against reading the rebound as a clean start to an extended altcoin run. Memecoin rallies tend to be self-reinforcing in the short term, but fragile when positioning gets crowded, spot demand fades, or bitcoin turns lower. For now, traders say the main signal is straightforward: memecoins are acting like the market’s temperature check for speculative appetite, and the thermometer is rising again. memecoins More For You KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market By CoinDesk Research Dec 22, 2025 Commissioned by KuCoin KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market. What to know : KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025 , equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month , marking its strongest year on record. This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume , as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes , which slowed during periods of lower market volatility. Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split , each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line. Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity , reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover. Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity , indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes. View Full Report More For You Strategy boosted bitcoin holdings and cash reserve last week By James Van Straten | Edited by Stephen Alpher 25 minutes ago The Michael Saylor-led company added 1,287 BTC and $62 million in cash via the sale of common stock. What to know : Strategy added 1,287 bitcoin last week and $62 million in cash to its balance sheet. The acquisitions were funded through sales of common stock. Shares are higher by 4.5% early Monday as the price of bitcoin rises to $92,900. 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