- Pepe changed hands at around $0.0000058 after a 9% drop amid sharp declines across memecoins.
- Dogecoin and Shiba Inu also gave up recent gains, while Fartcoin plunged about 13%.
- Memecoins are struggling as privacy-focused coins see renewed interest.
Pepe ranked among the weakest performers over the past 24 hours as momentum in the memecoin segment of the crypto market cooled.
The pullback was not limited to Pepe. Several leading memecoins that posted strong gains in early January 2026 also retreated as investors took profits amid a broader market repositioning.
A shift in sentiment toward privacy-focused cryptocurrencies coincided with declines for tokens such as Dogecoin, Shiba Inu and Bonk.
Sell pressure was particularly pronounced among smaller names, with several memecoins, including Fartcoin, logging double-digit losses.
Pepe price falls 9%
The frog-themed memecoin Pepe slid about 9% during early U.S. trading on Thursday as the wider category experienced broad losses.
The token traded near $0.0000059, down from recent highs around $0.0000065, as selling pressure increased amid heightened liquidation activity.
Data from CoinMarketCap showed daily trading volume rose 32% to over $795 million, indicating heavier turnover during the decline.
The retreat could pave the way for further losses, giving bears additional momentum.
Earlier in the year, PEPE staged a strong recovery as bullish momentum swept through the memecoin cohort.
Speculative flows and widespread enthusiasm for memecoins helped drive those gains.
However, like many tokens in the sector, profit-taking after the rallies allowed for another corrective phase.
Pepe’s price reached highs of $0.0000070 on January 14, 2025, but it could revisit lows near $0.0000055 if downward pressure continues.
Dogecoin and Shiba Inu give back gains
The broader memecoin sell-off pushed the category’s total market capitalization down nearly 4% to about $44.9 billion, while daily trading volume fell roughly 19% to around $5.7 billion.
Dogecoin (DOGE) posted a modest loss, sliding about 5% to $0.14.
Its market cap stood near $23.9 billion, keeping it the largest memecoin by value, though prices have surrendered gains made when Bitcoin approached highs near $97,000 on Wednesday.
Elsewhere, Shiba Inu (SHIB), the Ethereum-based token that previously rose with the broader market, traded around $0.0000085, down roughly 4% in the past 24 hours.
Solana-based Bonk (BONK) last traded near $0.0000105, down 7% on the day, while Official Trump (TRUMP) fell about 5% to roughly $5.43.
Floki (FLOKI) was among the weaker performers, dropping around 8% over the last 24 hours to trade near $0.000051.
SPX6900 (SPX), a satirical, anti-establishment memecoin that rallied early in its trading history, also remained under pressure, changing hands near $0.57—more than 10% lower on the day.
Gutgy Penguins, a memecoin linked to the popular NFT collection, traded around $0.012, down about 7% in the past 24 hours.
Fartcoin suffered heavier losses, sliding roughly 13% as it gave back gains to trade near $0.37.