Memecoins Experience Resurgence with Double-Digit Gains: A New Meme Season Ahead?
Memecoins like Pepe (PEPE), Bonk (BONK), and Dogecoin (DOGE) have taken the cryptocurrency market by storm, posting significant gains as the industry prepares for 2026. The memecoin market capitalization has risen by 8% to $39.45 billion, a two-week high, indicating strong demand. This surge is largely driven by influencer hype and bold predictions for the upcoming year.
The recent price increase has led to a notable rise in open interest (OI) in memecoins, with PEPE gaining 77% in OI in the last 24 hours to $441 million. This increase in OI reflects growing bullish bets, as traders open more contracts in anticipation of price increases. The total market value of cryptocurrencies in this sector has increased by 8% in the last 24 hours, with the last time memecoin market cap being above $39 billion on December 20th.
Key Drivers of the Memecoin Surge
Several factors are contributing to the memecoin resurgence, including enthusiasm for MemeMax_Fi, a perp DEX for memecoins that allows users to trade with 100x leverage. Trader @ken_w3b3 noted, “What I like about @MemeMax_Fi is how it understands attention as capital,” adding that “memes are not just culture here, they are liquidity, dynamism and community energy in a system.” This sentiment is echoed by the increase in daily trading volume of memecoins in the derivatives market, with PEPE leading the 402% increase.
Memecoin market capitalization and daily trading volume. Source: CoinMarketCap
Technical Analysis: A Bullish Outlook for Memecoins
The current upward trend in memecoin prices is preceded by a strong technical structure of TOTAL3, which is the total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies except Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH). TOTAL3 has seen a significant increase in the last two days, reaching an intraday high of $848 billion on Friday. This increase occurred within an ascending parallel channel on the four-hour chart, indicating a potential “meme season” driven by a mix of factors.
Total crypto market capitalization excluding BTC and ETH. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView
Conclusion: A New Era for Memecoins?
As the cryptocurrency market continues to evolve, memecoins are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. With the increase in open interest, trading volume, and market capitalization, it’s clear that memecoins are here to stay. Whether this trend will continue into 2026 remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – the memecoin market is one to watch. For more information on the latest market trends and analysis, visit Cointelegraph.
