Dogecoin, Shiba Inu Rally As Memecoins Kick Off 2026 With Strong Gains

Memecoins rang in 2026 on a strong note, with popular names recording sharp rallies on New Year’s Day.

Memecoins Say Happy New Year

Frog-themed Pepe (CRYPTO: PEPE) rose 26% from the previous day, topping the large-cap memecoin gainer list. Trading volume exploded 313%, making it one of the most traded cryptocurrencies in the 24 hours.

Solana (CRYPTO: SOL)-based Bonk (CRYPTO: BONK) followed Pepe with a 12% uptick, with volume surging 64% over the last 24 hours.

Cryptocurrency	24-Hour Gains +/-	Price (Recorded at 10:30 p.m. ET)
Pepe	+26.79%	$0.000005145
Bon	+12.10%	$0.000008352
Shiba Inu	+8.29%	$0.000007508
Dogecoin	+7.87%	$0.1277

Meme heavyweights Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) and Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) also joined in, surging 7.87% and 8.29%, respectively.

The total memecoin market capitalization rose 8.11% in the last 24 hours to $39.67 billion, with volumes rising by 22.84%

See Also: Dogecoin (DOGE) Price Prediction 2025, 2026, 2030

Will 2026 See A Memecoin Recovery?

Memecoin bulls would hope the New Year rally evolves into lasting sector gains after a brutal 2025.

The total memecoin capitalization collapsed from $94.92 billion to $37.79 billion last year, representing a 60% decline.

Barring the Official Trump (CRYPTO: TRUMP) token and a few lesser-known players, most memecoins suffered significant losses, reversing gains made earlier in the year.

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