The Nietzschean Penguin (PENGUIN), a Solana-based meme coin, surged after a White House social media post drew market attention. Industry observers noted that the rally came despite a broader lull in meme coins, suggesting an unexpected catalyst. Before the post, its market capitalization stood at roughly $387,000. After the White House image of the president walking with a penguin was posted on X, the token’s price jumped and the post quickly spread among meme-coin traders.
Within 24 hours after the post, PENGUIN’s market cap rose to about $94 million (roughly KRW 1,367 billion). The price increased by more than 600%, and trading volume reached about $244 million in the same window. The move stood out as meme coins had been broadly weak, making the rally notable.
In 2024 meme coins delivered some of the highest returns in the digital asset space, but many tokens fell more than 80% from peaks in 2025, dampening investor sentiment. Data show about 11.6 million digital asset tokens failed in 2025 as meme-coin issuances proliferated on platforms.
Nevertheless, meme coins have drawn renewed interest as the broader market stabilizes. CoinMarketCap data show the total meme-coin market cap rose from about $38 billion in December 2025 to over $47 billion in January 2026. Analysts note that the rebound coincided with a rise in social-media mentions.
Vincent Liu, chief investment officer, said meme coins are among the first assets to react when risk appetite improves, with the fear-and-greed index rebounding from extreme fear. A co-founder of a meme-coin launchpad said that PENGUIN’s early success demonstrates that on-chain activity never died, and that the token simply waited for the right moment. As of 7:30 a.m. local time on January 25, the meme-coin market had retraced to about $39 billion in total market cap. Industry watchers caution that the rally may not persist in a still-choppy digital asset environment.
Some analysts suggested that tying the White House post to policy actions such as tariffs remains unclear. Overall, traders remain cautious about whether the momentum can be sustained amid ongoing regulatory discussions.
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