Memecoin

The meme coin market saw a sharp surge in trading activity this week, with 24-hour volume jumping over 30% to $3.47 billion despite a slight dip in total market capitalization. Traders rotated out of established leaders like DOGE and SHIB into high-risk newcomers, including PolitiFi tokens and Solana-based memes, with some Chinese-language meme coins posting gains above 48,000% in the past month.

According to blockchain data from Solscan cited by Finbold, a cryptocurrency trader turned roughly $4,000 into more than $1 million in a span of about three hours on January 22, 2026, by trading DisclaimerCoin (DONT), a new token from DeFi Development Corp (NASDAQ: DFDV). The wallet bought over 29 billion DONT on Solana and began selling within an hour, with later transactions and the account’s prior inactivity raising questions about whether the windfall results from extraordinary luck or possible insider knowledge. The position appears to have been fully closed by early January 23, after which most activity shifted back to SOL and Wrapped Solana.

Senator Cynthia Lummis urged immediate passage of the CLARITY Act on Thursday as Patrick Witt pressed industry leaders to abandon delay tactics and return to negotiations. The push aims to secure 60 Senate votes before the 2026 midterm window closes, with analysts warning infighting could invite stricter oversight. Shiba Inu traded near $0.000008 on Friday amid attention on Washington.

Dogecoin climbed from $0.1150 to reclaim the $0.120 area but remains below $0.130 and the 100‑hour simple moving average. Key hurdles sit near $0.1260, $0.1285, and $0.1330, while support is noted at $0.1230, $0.120, and $0.1150. A close above $0.1330 could open $0.1420, $0.150, and $0.1550, whereas failure near $0.1280 risks dips toward $0.1080 or $0.1050.

On Saturday, President Trump used thin weekend liquidity in digital asset markets to unveil new tariff threats against eight European countries, coinciding with the first anniversary of his administration. Since he took office in January 2025, major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have fallen 13% while meme coin Shiba Inu has dropped 65%, with analysts framing the swings as part of an 11-step tariff cycle and a broader “Tariff Playbook” tied to Greenland negotiations. On-chain data shows SHIB volumes spiked 150% during the latest escalation, even as token burns exceeded 5 billion units and active addresses stayed above 1.3 million.

XRP has formed a double bottom around $1.90–$2.00, signaling potential consolidation before any breakout. Shiba Inu is testing a well-defined support where an uptrend could develop if buyers defend and volume behavior improves. Bitcoin faces a decision zone near $90,000, with a sustained recovery above that threshold needed to avoid further downside risk.

WHITEWHALE rallied about 72% following the team's disclosure of spoofing sell orders on certain exchanges. The move came after an over 86% decline from its peak, with price pushing above $0.05 and market cap exceeding $51 million. Traders are watching whether renewed buying can sustain the recovery.

As of January 22, 2026, U.S. lawmakers moved closer to a committee markup on a crypto market structure bill, though partisan divisions remain. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong withdrew support while a16z backed the text, and the Senate's schedule may slide toward late February. The House Agriculture Committee advanced its version 47 to 6, and the Senate draft includes protections for noncustodial developers and a definition for meme coins.

Pippin climbed about 27%, reaching a local high near $0.415 after rebounding from a $0.26 low and breaking out of its $0.28–$0.35 range. Spot and derivatives data showed strong whale-led accumulation, with exchange outflows exceeding inflows and Futures positioning turning notably bullish, as traders began eyeing the $0.5 resistance level.

On January 22, 2026, DeFi Development Corporation launched DisclaimerCoin ($DONT) on Solana as a corporate memecoin experiment without utility, roadmap, or promises, while publicly telling traders not to buy it. The token's market cap briefly exceeded $26 million within hours, with fixed supply set at 420 billion tokens and 30% locked on the company’s balance sheet. On-chain data shows some wallets realized large gains before or just after the public announcement, intensifying scrutiny of trading activity around the debut.