PEPE Climbs 17% as Memecoin Market Cap Adds $3.6B

Edgen Crypto

·Mar 16 2026, 13:47

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Key Takeaways

The memecoin Pepe (PEPE) saw its price increase by over 17% on March 16, driven by a wider market recovery and a 287% explosion in daily trading volume. This move is part of a broader trend that saw the entire memecoin sector's market capitalization expand by 12% to $33.31 billion, signaling a renewed appetite for high-risk assets among crypto investors.

PEPE Outperforms: PEPE's price advanced 17% to $0.000003974, with its 24-hour trading volume expanding 287% to $790 million.
Sector-Wide Growth: The total market capitalization for memecoins grew by 12% to $33.31 billion, with other tokens like DOGE, SHIB, and BONK also posting significant gains.
Market Drivers: The price action is fueled by a wave of short liquidations and increased buying from large holders, reflecting renewed risk-on sentiment as Bitcoin approaches the key $74,000 resistance level.

PEPE Climbs 17% as Daily Volume Reaches $790M

The memecoin PEPE advanced over 17% on March 16, reaching a price of $0.000003974 in a broad-based recovery for the sector. The renewed buying interest was underscored by a 287% increase in 24-hour trading volume, which hit $790 million. This price action marks a significant rebound for the token, which had faced downward pressure from wider market instability.

Memecoin Market Cap Reaches $33.31B on Short Squeeze

PEPE's performance was not an isolated event but part of a sector-wide movement that saw the total memecoin market capitalization expand by 12% to $33.31 billion in a single day. The primary driver was a cascade of short liquidations that forced bearish traders to repurchase tokens, an effect that was amplified by significant buying from large holders. Other prominent memecoins also recorded gains, with Dogecoin (DOGE) climbing 4.5% to $0.1003, Shiba Inu (SHIB) rising 7%, and Bonk (BONK) adding 10%.

Bitcoin's Test of $74,000 Ignites Speculative Interest

The renewed enthusiasm for memecoins coincides with Bitcoin's attempt to break through the critical $74,000 resistance level. The leading cryptocurrency’s positive momentum is fostering a "risk-on" environment, encouraging capital to flow into more speculative assets. This shift is further evidenced by derivatives market data, where industry-wide futures open interest rose over 8% to $112.34 billion, indicating a growing demand for leveraged bullish positions and a return of speculative interest to the crypto market.