**Whale Investors Flock to Meme Coins: FLOKI, PEPE, and SHIB Transactions Soar**

Big-money investors are pouring into meme coins like FLOKI, PEPE, and Shiba Inu (SHIB), sparking a massive surge in high-value transactions this week. Whale-sized crypto transfers—those worth over $100,000—have skyrocketed by 950% for FLOKI, 620% for PEPE, and 111% for SHIB. These jumps come as the overall meme coin market gained $14 billion in value during the first week of 2026.

**Meme Coins Take Center Stage in Whale Activity**

According to blockchain analytics, meme coins are leading the charge in large crypto transactions. Out of all crypto assets with market caps over $500 million, four meme coins ranked in the top ten for whale activity. FLOKI on Ethereum was the biggest mover with a 950% increase in large transactions. PEPE followed with 620%, and FLOKI on Binance Smart Chain saw a 550% jump. SHIB also held its ground with a 111% rise.

This shift suggests that major investors may be moving funds away from more stable assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) and betting on higher-risk, high-reward meme coins.

**Meme Coins Bounce Back After a Rough 2025**

FLOKI’s price jumped 41.7% over the past week. PEPE took the spotlight with a massive 67% gain, breaking out of a downward trend. Shiba Inu rose by 28.7% in the last seven days, marking a 48% recovery from its December lows.

Dogecoin (DOGE) also joined the rally, climbing back to the $0.15 mark after a strong 30–33% rebound since December. Renewed institutional interest, possibly driven by exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows, helped fuel DOGE’s recovery.

Together, these four meme coins gained between 25% and 67% just in the first eight days of 2026—bouncing back from a tough year in 2025 when the meme coin sector lost over 60% of its total value.

**$14 Billion Added to Meme Coin Market in Just Over a Week**

Since January 1st, the total market value of meme coins has surged from $38 billion to $52 billion—a 36.8% increase in just eight days. This growth has far outpaced the rest of the altcoin market.

In December 2025, meme coins made up only 3.2% of the total altcoin market cap, down from 11% in late 2024. That low level of dominance often signals the start of a new meme coin rally—and recent gains suggest that may already be underway.

With high whale activity, rising prices, and growing market share, meme coins like FLOKI, PEPE, SHIB, and DOGE could be on track for a major comeback in early 2026.