Deep Dive
1. Sector-Wide Profit-Taking (Bearish Impact)
Overview: On January 20, the entire memecoin sector saw a sharp, brief surge in trading volume to $5.62 billion, which then fell over 24% to around $3.6 billion. Analysts noted this spike coincided with a 6% drop in the sector's total market cap.
What this means: High volume alongside a declining market cap is a classic sign of profit-taking and short-term flipping, not sustained buying. As Kronos Research CIO Vincent Liu stated, this reflects “heavy churn” and capital rotation out of memecoins (CoinMarketCap). For MEME, this means it's facing selling pressure as traders lock in gains from its recent rally, reducing net demand.
What to look out for: Watch if memecoin sector volume stabilizes above $4B, which could indicate renewed speculative interest.
2. Broad Market Risk-Off Sentiment (Bearish Impact)
Overview: Macro concerns over U.S.–EU tariffs sparked a selloff across risk assets on January 20. Bitcoin fell nearly 8% from its weekly high, and over $360 million in crypto futures were liquidated.
What this means: MEME, as a highly speculative asset with no fundamental utility, is particularly sensitive to shifts in overall market risk appetite. When Bitcoin drops and fear rises, capital typically rotates out of high-beta altcoins first. The current Fear & Greed Index at 35 (“Fear”) confirms this cautious environment, making it harder for pure-meme narratives to attract bids.
What to look out for: Monitor Bitcoin’s ability to hold the $90K support zone; a break lower could trigger another leg down for altcoins.
3. Weak Technical Posture (Bearish Impact)
Overview: MEME’s price sits below its 7-day SMA ($0.001095) and 30-day SMA ($0.001107). The MACD histogram is negative at -0.00000966, and the RSI-14 is at 44.75, showing neither oversold nor strong momentum.
What this means: Trading below short-term moving averages suggests the immediate trend is weak. The negative MACD histogram confirms bearish momentum is accelerating. While the RSI isn't in oversold territory (<30), it leaves room for further decline before a potential bounce. This technical setup encourages short-term sellers and discourages new buyers until a clear support level is established.
What to look out for: A close above the 7-day SMA near $0.00110 could signal a near-term reversal, while a break below the recent swing low of $0.00093 would open the door to deeper losses.
Conclusion
MEME’s slight decline is primarily a symptom of sector-wide profit-taking and a broader crypto market dip driven by macro fears, not a fundamental breakdown. For holders, this highlights the coin's role as a high-risk sentiment proxy that moves with, and often amplifies, market rotations.
Key watch: Can Bitcoin stabilize above $90,000 in the next 24–48 hours, and will MEME hold above its pivot point at $0.00107 to prevent a deeper technical breakdown?