Memecoins shed $108.7B in 14 days – The bleed is not over yet

The crypto market sentiment has been largely negative in the past few days, as investors continue to exit their positions, pushing liquidity out of the market.

Memecoins have suffered the most losses within this period. Top memecoins, including Dogecoin [DOGE], Pepe [PEPE], and Shiba Inu [SHIB], have lost 57.92%, 39.15%, and 49.37%, respectively, in the past year.

Memecoin losses deepen

Capital shrinkage across the memecoin market segment has been more brutal compared to other altcoins in the market.

CryptoQuant data showed that memecoins, presently valued at $25.76 billion, now represent about 3% of the total altcoin market capitalization.

The growing selling pressure is evident in the Cumulative Buy/Sell Volume Difference chart for the memecoin market.

The chart shows that there has been more selling volume in the market over the past year alone. As of October 16, 2025, the volume difference showed that buying volume exceeded selling volume by roughly $14.56 million.

This has since declined to about -$1.4 billion as of the latest reading on October 16, 2026.

The difference dropping from positive territory into the negative zone suggests that traders are less interested in accumulating memecoins in the market.

Can memecoin losses extend?

Memecoins could witness further drops in value, as the market does not appear primed for a rally yet. One metric that has indicated this potential decline is the Altcoin Season Index.

The Altcoin Season Index tracks whether altcoins are likely to experience a major bull run based on the indicators shown on the chart. Between late August and September, the index rallied significantly, reaching the Altcoin Season zone in late September.

However, since October, the index has declined to around 55 at the time of writing. A continued drop implies that investors are exiting the market, and memecoins are likely to suffer more as a result.

In the past 14 days, the altcoin market has shed over $108.7 billion, with its capitalization dropping to $791.5 billion, according to TradingView data.

Will capital inflows aid recovery?

The Fear and Greed Index shows that there is a possibility of calm returning to the market, based on the readings shown on the chart.

Presently, the market is in the greed phase, with a reading of 59. This is still considered a moderately bullish condition and increases the chances of a possible bounce.

In the past two days, capital inflows have returned to the market, with about $35.92 billion flowing back between the 18th and 19th of October.

With this fresh inflow, investors are likely to channel their capital into altcoins with high utility compared to memecoins, whose value is primarily cultural.

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Final Summary

• Memecoins have suffered significant losses over the past year, with Dogecoin, Pepe, and Shiba Inu down 57.92%, 39.15%, and 49.37%, respectively.

• Memecoin selling pressure continues to grow as the Altcoin Season Index declines, although fresh capital inflows could support a broader market recovery.