Dogecoin, Shiba Inu lead outrageous rally as market flips direction

Meme coins are having a moment.

As the broader crypto market surges to new highs, top meme coins like Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB) are posting standout gains. 

Dogecoin is up over 5.5% in the last 24 hours, pushing its market cap to a staggering $28.7 billion, while Shiba Inu has surged 4.8%, nearing $7.7 billion in market cap. Both are riding the wave of bullish sentiment sweeping across crypto, fueled in part by Bitcoin breaking above $116,000 and liquidating billions in short positions.

But it’s not just DOGE and SHIB. The meme coin sector — now boasting a total market cap over 68 billion dollars — is in full-on rally mode. Coins like PEPE, up 8.2%, BONK with a 10.3% gain, and even absurdist tokens like FARTCOIN and PENGU, rising 13.4% and 26.6% respectively, are getting bid up hard.

A cocktail of short squeezes, momentum chasers, and pure market mania is driving the price action. As prices pump across the board, retail traders — often drawn to meme coins for their low prices and cult-like communities — are piling in. The narrative is that if Bitcoin is making new highs, meme coins can explode.

This cycle feels familiar. DOGE and SHIB led similar euphoric breakouts during the last bull run.