📅 January 2 | Global markets
In the first sessions of the new year, just after the holiday break, speculative capital has returned with a vengeance to one of the most volatile—and emotionally charged—corners of the crypto ecosystem. Far from Bitcoin and institutional narratives, the spotlight once again fell on assets that historically move by rotation, psychology and risk appetite.
📖altcoins, and in particular memecoins, were the big winners of the day on Friday in the midst of a post-holiday rally that reactivated risk appetite.
According to The Block, PEPE, with a capitalization close to $2.5 billion, advanced more than 32% on the day, clearly leading the sector. The move was accompanied by other high beta tokens, including projects based on both Ethereum and Solana, which recorded rises close to or greater than 20%.
Even the most established memecoins reacted strongly. Dogecoin , the historical benchmark of the sector, rose around 12%, while Shiba Inu and BONK advanced close to 13%, a sign that the rebound was not isolated but transversal within the niche.
This behavior fits a well-documented historical pattern. According to Matt Sigel, head of research at VanEck, assets that perform worse towards the end of the year – especially small and less liquid ones – tend to rebound more strongly in January. In 2025, memecoins were among the hardest hit segments of the market, leaving room for tactical rotation at the start of the new year.
The rally also coincides with a better tone in the global technology sector. Sigel highlighted that the push for IPOs in Hong Kong and new advances in artificial intelligence, such as the inclusion of AI glasses in national subsidies in China, have reinforced tech sentiment, a factor that historically tends to benefit crypto and the most speculative assets in the market.
Topic Opinion:
When capital seeks quick returns after long periods of drought, it usually goes first to the most damaged and volatile assets. PEPE leading the rebound does not speak of a new paradigm, but of a market that begins 2026 with a desire for risk, after a year where crypto lagged behind other asset classes.
💬 Are we at the beginning of a broader rotation towards altcoins?
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