While the cryptocurrency market exhibited a volatile outlook in the first days of 2026, meme coins began to stand out noticeably. At the center of this activity is Dogecoin, the oldest meme coin in the market. Although Bitcoin started the new year with weak momentum, increased transaction volume in Dogecoin and similar assets indicates a revival of investor interest. While the cautious atmosphere continues in the market overall, this activity on the meme coin front has brought about discussions about the “2026 rally”.
Volume Increase and Technical Signals in Dogecoin
According to CoinMarketCap data, Dogecoin gained more than 9 percent in the last 24 hours, rising to $ 0.1405. With this increase, DOGE’s market value reached 23.63 billion dollars, while its daily transaction volume increased by more than 127 percent to 3.41 billion dollars. The fact that the total supply is over 168 billion units reveals that there is serious buying and selling activity behind this price movement.
Another detail that stood out was the activity in the futures market. On the first day of the year, the amount of open interest in Dogecoin futures increased by approximately 12 percent. CoinGlass data reveals that millions of DOGE were added to futures in just 24 hours. This suggests that interest in leveraged transactions has increased and investors’ short-term expectations have strengthened.
Positive signals also attract attention on the technical analysis side. The rise of the short-term moving average above the long-term average on the hourly chart gave a bullish signal, known as the “golden intersection” in the markets. Although this intersection occurred between shorter periods, the momentum appears to be spreading rapidly.
Meme Coins Are Coming Back to the Stage
The rise in Dogecoin was also reflected in other meme coins. Shiba Inu gained about 8 percent in value, while newer projects such as Bonk and Floki recorded increases approaching double digits. This picture indicates that investors’ risk appetite has increased again in certain areas.
In parallel with these developments, in a different news, it was reported that there was an increase in the number of transactions of Shibarium, the Layer-2 solution in the Shiba Inu ecosystem. The increase in daily transactions on the network signals that there may be a movement not only on the speculative purchases but also on the usage side. Experts emphasize that more permanent rises may be possible if meme coins are supported by such technical and ecosystem developments.
General market indicators are still cautious. Although the Crypto Fear and Greed Index continues to remain in the “Fear” zone, it is noteworthy that the index is slowly approaching the “Neutral” level. This situation is interpreted as uncertainty in the market starting to decrease.
This meme coin movement, led by Dogecoin, added unexpected vitality to the market in the first days of 2026. However, while volume growth and technical signals are positive, overall market conditions remain fragile. For this reason, it is of great importance that investors act not with short-term enthusiasm, but by prioritizing risk management.
