PEPE Gains 20% Amid Strong 2026 Prediction From James Wynn

TLDR

• PEPE surged 20% on Jan 2, 2026, after a $69B market cap forecast by trader James Wynn.
• PEPE’s trading volume exceeded $600M, marking its highest 24-hour volume in over a month.
• James Wynn compared PEPE to SHIB, which hit $41B in under a month during the previous cycle.
• Meme coins like CULT and Floki also rose, as social activity around PEPE and others increased early in 2026.

Meme coin PEPE rose by over 20% on January 2, 2026, following a bullish forecast by Hyperliquid trader James Wynn. The prediction sparked heavy market activity and lifted trading volumes to a monthly high, placing PEPE in the spotlight during the early days of the new trading year.

James Wynn Predicts $69 Billion Market Cap for PEPE

Hyperliquid trader James Wynn predicted that PEPE could reach a $69 billion market capitalization by the end of 2026. He made the statement when PEPE’s market cap stood near $1.7 billion, suggesting the token could rise nearly 35 times from its current level.

Wynn referenced Shiba Inu (SHIB), which climbed from $3.5 billion to $41 billion in less than one month during the last cycle. He pointed out that PEPE shows stronger social metrics than SHIB, such as engagement on social media and frequent mentions by exchanges.

Wynn also mentioned that PEPE is used by platforms in promotional posts, helping boost brand engagement and user signups. He said, “If SHIB can reach $41 billion, PEPE should be able to surpass it.” Wynn previously identified PEPE when its market cap was around $600,000, and on-chain data shows he made tens of millions from the trade.

Trading Volume Jumps as Market Reacts

Following Wynn’s post, PEPE’s 24-hour trading volume surged past $600 million, the highest figure in the past month. This movement reflected strong retail interest in the asset, driven by renewed attention on meme coins at the start of 2026.

Market analyst SΞA said that part of the increase may be linked to U.S. tax-loss harvesting. He explained that some investors who sold assets at year-end for tax purposes may have re-entered their positions in the new tax year.

While PEPE gained over 20% on the day, other meme coins also recorded short-term gains. Floki rose 10%, and Milady Cult Coin (CULT) doubled in value after Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin changed his avatar to a Milady-themed image.

Mixed Sentiment in Meme Coin Market

Despite recent gains, many meme coins are still down 70% to 90% from their 2025 highs. Data from CryptoQuant shows that memecoin dominance remains at low levels, and some analysts believe there is no strong recovery signal yet.

However, other investors remain cautious. Trader CRG stated that Bitcoin has yet to show clear strength, and he warned that the market could reverse quickly. This view reflects ongoing uncertainty about the sustainability of meme coin rallies in the current cycle.

The debate over the role of meme coins continues. Some market participants argue that these tokens play a central role in attracting retail users and generating market volume, while others focus on traditional projects with more defined fundamentals. PEPE’s recent rally has once again placed meme coins at the center of crypto discussions at the beginning of 2026.

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