The latest crypto crash hit meme cash laborious, culminating with a 9% drop in complete market capitalization from Aug. 14 to Aug. 21. Throughout the identical interval, Pepe (PEPE), Shiba Inu (SHIB), and ApeCoin (APE) noticed a 25% decline. The massive query is whether or not this pattern will have an effect on the broader market, signaling a broader bear market or just displays lagging efficiency of meme cash.

Whole crypto cap (blue) vs. Pepe/USDT (inexperienced), Shiba/USDT (crimson), Apecoin/USDT (orange), August 2023. Supply: TradingView

Meme cash, like Dogecoin (DOGE), burst onto the scene pushed by viral memes and group enthusiasm. Nonetheless, their enchantment light as a result of a mixture of components. These cash depend on media hype and on-line communities for consideration, but they lack worth past their meme origins. Their speculative nature results in fast value adjustments and volatility.

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Moreover, the meme coin market has develop into saturated with copycats, drawing focus and sources to extra conventional cryptocurrencies.

Capital rotates as traders shift their consideration to new tendencies

For merchants, the mid-August crypto market crash was a stark reminder of meme coin volatility. Many of those cash emerged within the final six months, like PEPE, HarryPotterObamaSonic10Inu (BITCOIN) , and Milady Meme Coin (LADYS). This would possibly push new entrants away and create a unfavourable sentiment, doubtlessly extending a bear market to the broader crypto panorama.

Nonetheless, this underperformance is typical for meme cash, as seen previously, like when APE), SHIB, and PEPE lagged the whole crypto market by 18% between June 5 and June 15.

Whole crypto cap (blue) vs. Pepe/USDT (inexperienced), Shiba/USDT (crimson), Apecoin/USDT (orange), June 2023. Supply: TradingView

These two cases do not essentially imply meme cash will at all times carry out worse than the broader crypto market. They replicate a better beta within the sector, the place meme cash are inclined to exaggerate market actions. Regardless of this, it is unsure if extreme value drops are a backward-looking phenomenon or sign a market reversion.

Opposite to expectations, meme cash may lag throughout bull markets. As an example, between March 13 and March 30, meme cash fell whereas the whole crypto cap gained 17.5%.

Whole crypto cap (blue) vs. Floki/USDT (inexperienced), Shiba/USDT (crimson), Apecoin/USDT (orange), March 2023. Supply: TradingView

After trying on the two most up-to-date cases of meme coin underperformance, it is essential to look at their aftermath. This entails figuring out whether or not the value drop hinted at a attainable market backside or if it merely signaled traders shifting their consideration to different cryptocurrencies.

Cryptocurrency market complete capitalization, USD. Supply: TradingView

Regardless of the bullish proof, exterior components affect meme coin value motion

Following the mid-June and late March interval the place meme cash underperformed, the general cryptocurrency market capitalization both remained regular or skilled notable beneficial properties within the subsequent weeks. Quite a few components might have influenced investor sentiment throughout these intervals. As an example, the sentiment might need been influenced by BlackRock’s application for a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) on June 15.

Equally, on March 31, BTC options worth $4.2 billion expired. This occasion was seen as a possible catalyst for Bitcoin (BTC) to strengthen its $28,000 help degree. This was as a result of a notable imbalance between name (purchase) choices and put (promote) devices, with name choices surpassing put choices by $1.2 billion. This seemingly favored Bitcoin bulls and will have led them to make the most of earnings from the expiry to bolster the BTC value.

Nonetheless, since neither of the final two sharp corrections in meme cash have been succeeded by broader cryptocurrency market declines, the potential of Bitcoin discovering help round $26,000 stays a chance. Nonetheless, as evident from the ETF and choices expiry incidents, market tendencies and meme coin value motion are primarily steered by information and occasions.