Interestingly, the real driver of the market rally in early 2026 wasn't BTC or ETH, but rather the Meme coin sector. After a period of silence during the holidays and ongoing market downturn, these assets are now starting to pick up again.

Honestly, the recent rebound of Meme coins wasn't unexpected. Liquidity was indeed tight at the end of last year, with FUD emotions running high, and retail investors' risk appetite dropping to freezing point. During that time, the total market cap of the Meme sector was halved, and in mid-December, it even fell to a yearly low of $35 billion. Traders in the market became especially cautious.

But after Christmas, the situation changed. Mainstream assets (BTC, ETH) were fluctuating without direction, and large funds became idle, naturally seeking more elastic, more volatile high-risk assets. The high Beta characteristic of Meme coins proved useful at this moment—filling this gap in demand.

Data clearly shows: the overall market cap of the Meme sector has already surpassed $47.7 billion, compared to $38 billion on December 29, increasing by nearly $10 billion in less than a week. Several top-ranking Meme coins (led by DOGE) have seen significant gains. The old pattern of capital rotation is playing out again.