Viewpoint: The general rebound of meme coins may indicate a resurgence of market risk appetite

According to Cointelegraph, after entering 2026, funds have flowed back into the meme coin sector, driving the market capitalization of related tokens up by more than 23% in the past week. Data from CoinMarketCap shows that the total market capitalization of meme coins has rebounded from about $38 billion on December 29 to over $47.7 billion. During the same period, Dogecoin and Shiba Inu rose by more than 20% and 19.9%, respectively, while Pepe surged by over 65%. Trading volume also increased from about $2.17 billion to $8.7 billion, a rise of approximately 300%.

Analysts believe that meme coins are often viewed as high-risk assets, and their initial strength typically reflects a warming of market risk appetite. Santiment pointed out that this round of rebound occurred after the most pessimistic phase of retail sentiment, aligning with the historical characteristics of "counter-cyclical" market behavior. Some traders further believe that if the strength of meme coins continues, funds may gradually spill over into other altcoin sectors, with the Solana ecosystem potentially becoming a major beneficiary.