Meme coin activity is accelerating in the new year, with trading volumes rebounding from a December lull, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams launching a surprise token, and top launchpad Pump.fun signaling an upcoming refresh.
Early on-chain data indicates a healthier overall environment for meme coin traders, even as celebrity coins still struggle to live up to the hype.
Meme Coin Activity Revives in January After a Slow Q4
As of Jan. 14, daily meme coin trading volume has climbed to over $140 million, nearly doubling from December lows of around $70 million, according to data from Dune Analytics.
Daily new coin creations are also up. They topped 34,000 on Jan. 14, roughly doubling from 30 days prior, the data shows.
Importantly, the number of newly created tokens that “graduate”—or attract enough liquidity to transition from a launchpad to a decentralized exchange—has also steadily risen, up to more than 280 daily on Jan. 14 from around 150 a month prior, per the data.
Meanwhile, the total meme coin market capitalization has posted steady gains, reaching approximately $45.5 billion as of Jan. 15, a more than 8% percent increase over the past 30 days, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
The rebound partly reflects improving marketwide sentiment, with core cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL) up more than 7% over the past 30 days, per CoinMarketCap.
It also points to renewed trader interest driven by a fresh wave of breakout meme coins, after 2025 reportedly logged the highest number of failed token launches on record.
For example, The White Whale (WHITEWHALE), a meme coin tied to viral images of an anthropomorphic whale, soared to a nearly $200 million market cap on Jan. 11, according to CoinMarketCap.
Psyop Anime (PsyopAnime), a community token linked to a collective of anime artists, surpassed $25 million in market cap on Jan. 12, per CoinMarketCap.
Former NYC Mayor Eric Adams Launches NYC Token
On Jan. 12, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched a meme coin of his own.
Dubbed NYC (NYC), the coin was framed as an effort to fight what Adams described in a Jan. 12 X post as “the rapid spread of antisemitism and anti-Americanism across this country and now in New York City.”
The coin quickly grabbed traders’ attention. Within minutes of launching, NYC surged to highs of over $170 million in market cap before rapidly reversing course. It now trades at approximately $11 million, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
In a Jan. 14 post on X, Adams denied claims that he personally profited from the coin or contributed to the sell-off.
According to the post, proceeds from the token launch are intended to support nonprofit and civic initiatives.
Pump.fun Teases Creator Fee Overhaul
On Jan. 10, Pump.fun, a Solana meme coin launchpad and decentralized exchange, said it plans to revamp its creator fee sharing model.
Pump.fun is the Solana blockchain network’s largest application, generating more than $1 million in revenue daily, according to data from Dune Analytics.
In May 2025, Pump.fun began sharing a portion of its trading revenue with coin creators. In October, the platform adjusted the program to direct a larger share of revenue toward creators of lower market cap tokens.
According to an X post by Pump.fun co-founder Alon Cohen, the October changes succeeded in that “more and more creators began organically launching coins.”
However, the update also “exposed critical issues within the platform,” Cohen said.
Specific details of the upcoming revamp have not been disclosed, though Cohen said “major changes are coming.”
By the Numbers
Total Meme Coin Market Cap: $45.44B
Top 5 Meme Coins by Market Cap
- Dogecoin (DOGE): $24.29B
- Shiba Inu (SHIB): $5.06B
- Pepe (PEPE): $2.54B
- MemeCore (M): $2.01B
- Official Trump (TRUMP): $1.09B
Most Visited Memes:
- AI Companions (AIC)
- Pepe (PEPE)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Shiba Inu (SHIB)
- Official Trump (TRUMP)
