Browsing crypto discussion groups, posts like "某某币 takes off" and "Celebration time has arrived" are everywhere. But interestingly, these hype voices heavily overlap with those of people who lost money at the end of December last year.



The question is: Will this round of meme coin rebound in early 2026 really signal a return to a bull market? I don't think so.

Let's look at the numbers first. Taking PEPE as an example, since its December low last year, it has increased by over 80%. Sounds good, but there's a crucial detail—the market cap still hasn't returned to last year's historical high. What does this mean? The main players have been quietly offloading at high levels, using the rising price charts to mask their sell-offs.

Now, let's examine the technical aspect. PEPE has formed a head and shoulders top pattern, with the neckline around $0.0000068. The current price is $0.00000676, just below the neckline. Multiple attempts to break higher have failed. It's like someone repeatedly running up to jump over a hurdle but failing several times; eventually, they will exhaust their energy and fall back.

Why isn't this rebound strong enough to support a rally in meme coins? Environmental factors are key. Although the total market cap of crypto has returned to $3 trillion, the main growth driver is institutional inflows into Bitcoin spot ETFs. Why would these professional institutions risk investing in meme coins that lack fundamental support?

There's also an overlooked phenomenon—the "January effect." After the end-of-year tax-loss selling, a short-term capital inflow can indeed cause a rebound. But this kind of rebound usually doesn't last long; it's often just a fleeting moment.
PEPE-1,96%
BTC0,25%
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FomoAnxietyvip
· 23h ago
The losers are starting to boast again, truly a cyclical case of bipolar disorder. It's the same group of people, those who cut losses last year are now shouting about takeoff, hilarious. PEPE's 80% increase sounds great, but the market cap hasn't hit a new high? The main players are dumping at the top, very clear. The head and shoulders top with the neckline for so long, multiple failed attempts to break new highs, running out of stamina and eventually going down. What do meme coins eat? Just the retail investors' emotions. Why would institutions touch this stuff? The January effect is just like that—rebound after rebound, a fleeting moment. Watching the excitement, but it's still the same old story: money flows into Bitcoin, meme coins are just tools for taking over. I really don't believe this round can hold, better to exit early.
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GasFeeAssassinvip
· 01-07 02:54
It's the same old story. Last December, those who lost money are now hyping PEPE taking off. Truly shameless haha. I just want to ask, what can you do if you can't jump over the neckline? Still have to cut losses. The illusion of main force distribution, retail investors can't see it, they only see an 80% increase and start shouting. Institutional funds are flowing into BTC, what are our meme coins eating? Once the January effect is over, it's time to run.
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BloodInStreetsvip
· 01-07 02:54
It's the same story again. Last year, those who bought the dip and got trapped have now become evangelists. The main players are offloading at high levels, and you're still shouting about takeoff—typical hype. Being stuck below the neckline so many times and still unable to break through—what does that mean? The stamina is long gone; only the final fall remains. What right do institutions have to touch meme coins? It's laughable. They're all riding the Bitcoin dividend. Just calculate the fundamental value of meme coins yourself—how much are they really worth? After the January effect dissipates, the true story will be revealed. Don't come back with the same routine then, "I'm the one who got trapped."
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WalletWhisperervip
· 01-07 02:42
People losing money are the best at bragging now. This PEPE rebound is just a cover for the main players to dump. Just wait to get cut.
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BlindBoxVictimvip
· 01-07 02:39
Is this the same old story again, still hyping an 80% increase? I'm just puzzled, why are the people who lost money always the loudest? The head and shoulders top has already broken below the neckline, isn't this just lining up the next bag holder? Institutions only play with BTC, modcoin is just a feast for retail investors to be weeded out. The January effect is valid, I believe the rebound was just a fleeting moment. But on the other hand, who can guarantee that there won't be another wave in March? The real concern is that the market cap hasn't reached its previous high, which is a clear signal that the big players are offloading their holdings.
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GasGrillMastervip
· 01-07 02:33
Another wave of naive investors fooling themselves, losing money once and still not learning That's right, if the market cap isn't reaching new highs, the main players are just offloading, don't be blinded by the gains PEPE is really in a precarious position, if it can't break through, just wait for a plunge Why would institutions touch meme coins? Good question, haha I'm relieved after hearing about the January effect, the rebound is indeed fake The current voices are the same as those of the losers in December, it turns out the crypto world is really that small Really, let's see if there's a new story, the old tricks are no longer popular
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