The market for memecoins has burst forth with bullish energy after Bitcoin’s latest surge that took it to fresh local highs.
As the prototypical cryptocurrency pushes in an upward direction, investor sentiment is spilling over into risky, high-reward alternative coins, and it’s the classic memecoins that are savoring the moment.
Across the sector, from old-school tokens like PEPE and FLOKI to fresh dynamos like MOODENG and GOAT, double-digit gains rule the day. At least a dozen major memecoins have posted truly impressive 24-hour returns, and many in the crypto community think this is already shaping up to be another meme-fueled inkler breakout.
Legacy Memecoins Post Impressive Gains
Today, some of the most renowned names in the memecoin universe experienced noteworthy price movements. PEPE, one of the original viral tokens, blasted off 14.6 percent, pushing its market cap to an impressive six billion dollars. FLOKI, another top-tier memecoin that enjoys a cult-like following, increased 14.4 percent, hauling its valuation to almost 1.13 billion dollars.
WIF surged an astonishing 39.4 percent and vaulted to a market capitalization of 1.2 billion dollars. Often dismissed as a joke, these coins have built time and time again on community engagement, a strong sense of branding, and “just for the lolz” sentiments. In the world of decentralized finance, that’s usually enough.
It appears that the positive momentum being enjoyed by Bitcoin is directly translating into benefits for these large-cap memecoins. They are acting as speculative leverage plays, in a way akin to how altcoins act when they are moving positively. And in this case, when the BTC is showing strength, the appetite for risk across the cryptocurrency space is being returned, and moves taken by meme tokens seem only to have been exaggerated.
Mid-Cap and Emerging Memes Skyrocket
Apart from the top-tier memecoins, there is a variety of mid-cap tokens that recorded massive gains. Prominent among them is MOODENG, which was up 118% in a single day and reached a market cap of $266 million. This is the kind of action that highlights the market’s appetite for high-risk, high-reward scenarios as retail investors and meme traders come back.
PIPPIN, a newer entrant with a smaller market cap, also made headlines with an 88 percent gain that brought its valuation to 46 million dollars. GOAT surged 54.7 percent, reaching a market cap of 226 million dollars, while CHILLYGUY added 39 percent and now sits at 103 million.
Other substantial increase participants included:
- PNUT: 27.5 percent more, market cap 440 million bucks
- MEW: 27.3 percent more, market cap 380 million bucks
- POPCAT: 18.7 percent more, market cap 590 million bucks
- SPX: 14.7 percent more, market cap 798 million bucks
- NEIRO: 23 percent more, market cap 190 million bucks
- AXIBT: 18.5 percent more, market cap 216 million bucks
- TOSHI: 42 percent more, market cap 365 million bucks
Today’s rally has many tokens participating in it, and that speaks to a resurgence of risk-on behavior among crypto investors, I think.
🔥 Memecoins on fire as #Bitcoin hits recent highs!
Old-school memecoins are surging today, led by:
• $MOODENG +118% | market cap: $266M
• $PNUT +27.5% | $440M
• $GOAT +54.7% | $226M
• $PEPE +14.6% | $6B
• $WIF +39.4% | $1.2B
• $MEW +27.3% | $380M
• $POPCAT +18.7%… pic.twitter.com/LjerAiov5V
— Followin (@followin_io) May 12, 2025
Not only are the “top-tier” coins getting bid up, but even some obscure or micro-cap projects are finding traction. Speculative bull markets are often like this.
Bitcoin Leads, Memecoins Follow
The recent vigor of Bitcoin seems to be the main force pushing this sector-wide movement. As BTC comes close to its recent highs, traders are showing more confidence in putting capital toward riskier assets. This kind of market environment has historically funneled liquidity into memecoins, and this time seems to be no different. Of course, with more capital flowing into something like a memecoin, it need not be stated that the potential for outsized returns is present—at least as long as one is capable of timing the market.
Even though these rallies can be thrilling, participants in the market are warned to keep their heads about them and mind the volatility. Memecoins are the very definition of unpredictable, and price swings occur with such rapidity that trying to catch one can feel like trying to catch the tail of a walrus. Yet, with volume really pumping and momentum building, traders have an inkling that we might be at the start of another big meme cycle.
To sum up, as Bitcoin reestablishes its supremacy and optimistic feelings come back to the crypto realm, memecoins are once more thriving. From tokens worth billions to breakout microcaps, the meme sector is once again dazzling with green candles, which is an indication that retail enthusiasm and speculative energy are possibly on the verge of taking us on another wild ride.
Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services.
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