Published on: 03/04/2024
In a recent, dramatic shift in the cryptocurrency market, memecoins on Solanas and Coinbases Base Ethereum layer-2 platform have experienced significant losses, declining by 12% and 19%, respectively, over a 24-hour period. This nosedive in memecoin aesthetics not only garnered significant attention but also incited varying degrees of speculation from industry experts and analysts.
This sharp drop in memecoin value arrived simultaneously with a falling Bitcoin (BTC) price, which declined 4.94% in the last 24 hours according to CoinMarketCap data. Experienced analysts argue that as a high-beta asset, its commonplace for memecoins to plummet when the price of BTC falters. The downturns of the Bitcoin market typically ripple into the memecoin realm with heavier losses.
Quantum Economics Founder Mati Greenspan proposes an alternative hypothesis, suggesting the bearish trend might simply be a reflection of the humor in memecoins running its course. I guess it stopped being funny… There is too much value on memecoins, it’s gotta end at some point, it can’t keep going forever.
Dogwifhat (WIF), the leading Solana-based meme token by total value, experienced a 9% decline in its market cap, amounting to a loss of $3.9 billion. The drop in value hasn’t derailed the WIF from its dominant position; it still accounts for nearly half of the total memecoin market share on Solana. Nonetheless, the token has seen $2.29 million in liquidations.
Bases total market cap also fell sharply, dropping 19% over 24 hours to $1.47 billion. The most significant decline was seen by Degen (DEGEN), a native token of a new layer 3 network on Base, which plunged by 26.14% to a market cap of $436.5 million.
While Bitcoin seems to find strong support levels amidst these drops, memecoins are witnessing swinging price points. Greenspan notes, Bitcoin retracement is minuscule at the moment, memecoins are getting slaughtered.
Charles Edwards, Founder of Capriole, concurs with Greenspans analysis, explaining that these altcoins are often subject to double the downturns of Bitcoin. The industry excitement currently fueling prices for Solana and Base ecosystems might mask their intangible value compared to BTC and Ethereum.
Ran Neuner, a Crypto Banter podcast host, goes a step further to suggest the memecoin market is nearing an oversaturation point. This drastic shift in the cryptocurrency market serves as a tension-filled reminder of the volatility these digital assets inherently possess.
From an investors perspective, this unpredictable market landscape poses an element of risk. Diversification and strategic vigilance are essential to navigating these turbulent waters. While the humor of memecoins may have worn out for some industry experts, their market performance will continue to be a significant element to watch in the unfolding narrative of cryptocurrency volatility.