Meme Coins Surge as Whales Drive 950% FLOKI Rally

According to data from the analytics platform Santiment, meme coins have dominated large-holder, or ‘whale,’ activity this week. The firm’s analysis of transactions valued at $100,000 or more among projects with market capitalizations exceeding $500 million shows meme tokens leading the gains. The standout performer is Ethereum-based FLOKI, which recorded a staggering 950% increase in these large transactions. It was followed closely by PEPE with a 620% surge and the BNB-based version of FLOKI, which saw a 550% rise.

This concentrated buying pressure from deep-pocketed investors is not isolated. Shiba Inu (SHIB) also ranked in the top ten for whale transaction growth, posting a 111% increase. This synchronized accumulation by whales coincides with the crypto market’s strong start to the year and indicates that institutional-scale players are once again betting on the high-risk, high-reward potential of meme assets. The data clearly points to whales being unable to ‘get enough’ of these tokens, with FLOKI’s explosion being the most dramatic example.

Parallel to the on-chain whale movements, a sharp rise in social volume is providing the second engine for this rally. Santiment reported increased discussion and mentions around tokens such as PEPE, POPCAT, and MOG, which coincided directly with their strong price gains. This resurgence in community-driven chatter indicates that retail trader enthusiasm, a critical component of past meme coin manias, is returning after a challenging period.

The hype is not limited to newer tokens. Established giants like the original meme coin, Dogecoin (DOGE), and SHIB are also seeing renewed momentum. The broad-based nature of this social activity—spanning from OG assets like DOGE to popular newer entries like Pepe (PEPE), Popcat (POPCAT), and Mog Coin (MOG)—suggests a sector-wide re-engagement. This dynamic creates a feedback loop: price gains spark social media discussion, which in turn draws more traders back into the market, further fueling the rally.

This current surge marks a stark contrast to the sector’s performance throughout much of 2025. Despite remaining a closely followed narrative, meme coins failed to deliver for investors last year. Data from CoinGecko found these tokens posted an average year-to-date loss of 31.6% in 2025, with most leading assets down between 45% and over 80%. Speculative enthusiasm cooled significantly toward the end of the fourth quarter as investor caution grew.

The decline was severe in terms of market dominance. Following the peak of the meme coin mania in November 2024, the share of these assets within the broader altcoin market steadily eroded. By December 2025, they had hit a historic low, accounting for just 3.2% of the total altcoin market capitalization—a dramatic fall from 11% in November 2024. This collapse underscored the extent of the downturn and the loss of investor confidence.

Recent weekly performance, however, suggests a powerful sentiment shift is now underway. DOGE’s price surged by almost 20%, while SHIB gained over 23%. Other major players like PEPE and BONK raked in even more impressive gains of 51.4% and 45%, respectively, during the same period. This collective move into double-digit gains indicates the downtrend may have been broken, potentially marking the beginning of a new, more bullish phase for the meme coin sector driven by the dual forces of whale capital and retail hype.