Pepe is leading the memecoin charge early in 2026, posting the biggest gains among the top 100 tokens by market cap. As of writing the frog-themed token jumped about 35% in 24 hours, hitting an intraday high near $0.000005667, and its market cap sat roughly in the low‑billions before rallying higher. Trading activity has exploded alongside the price move. CoinMarketCap shows Ethereum-based PEPE logged more than $1.4 billion in 24‑hour volume — a roughly 650% surge versus the prior day. That torrent of buying pressure has also forced stressed bearish positions to unwind: CoinGlass reports over $10 million in liquidations tied to the token, with more than $9.1 million coming from shorts. A bold price projection from Hyperliquid trader James Wynn is fueling some of the optimism. Wynn has publicly forecast that PEPE’s market cap could reach $69 billion by the end of 2026 — a roughly 40x jump from the token’s ~ $1.7 billion level at the time of his post. “Back on Day 1 of $PEPE when it was at $600k market cap, I called it to go to multiple billions… Now, I’m calling $PEPE to go from $1.7bn to $69bn+ in 2026,” he wrote on X. He argues that a mix of technical setups, strong social metrics and exchange-level exposure could put Pepe at the forefront of the next memecoin leg up. Markets reacted quickly: Pepe’s market cap climbed above $2.3 billion within hours of Wynn’s call. If the meme token sustained a trajectory toward a multi‑billion valuation, its price would need to eclipse the December 2024 all‑time high of $0.00002825 — a steep climb from current levels. Wynn compares PEPE’s upside to past meme runs, noting that if Shiba Inu reached about $41 billion and Dogecoin once topped $88 billion, a $69 billion target for Pepe is conceivable under another strong bull cycle. He points to social engagement, exchange marketing and renewed appetite for Tier‑1 meme projects and fundamental alts as catalysts. Pepe isn’t the only memecoin on the move. Floki (FLOKI), supported by ongoing ecosystem work, rose about 19% over 24 hours alongside higher volumes. Solana native Bonk (BONK) climbed roughly 15%, while satirical token SPX6900 (SPX) jumped about 16%. Pudgy Penguins, Shiba Inu and Dogecoin also posted double‑digit gains, underscoring a broad, energetic start to the year for the memecoin sector. Overall, heightened volume, short squeezes and bold price targets are combining to put memecoins back in the spotlight — with Pepe currently taking center stage. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

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