Meme coins just staged a surprise rally at the tail end of November. Several tokens jumped 30% to 170% in a single week. Trading volume surged. Whales started accumulating again.
So what’s actually happening here? After months of brutal losses, the meme sector showed sudden signs of life. But is this the start of a real recovery, or just one last chance to exit before things get worse?
Let’s look at what the data actually shows.
Most Meme Sectors Turned Green in Late November
Here’s something unexpected. Nearly every major meme coin category posted positive weekly returns in the final week of November.
Data from CoinGecko shows gains ranging from 3% to over 20% across most sectors. The only exception? Political meme coins (PolitiFi) crashed hard after token unlocks flooded the market. Official Trump (TRUMP) took the biggest hit, dragging the entire category down.
But the rest? Solid green across the board. That’s the first real sector-wide rally we’ve seen in months.
So what changed? Most meme coins currently sit at rock-bottom prices after prolonged declines. Many holders adopted a “consider it lost” mindset. They stopped panic-selling and just held their bags passively.
That reduced selling pressure dramatically. Plus, it created the perfect conditions for quiet accumulation. And that’s exactly when whales typically start making moves.
Three Tokens Led the Charge
TURBO jumped 30% over seven days. On-chain data reveals that exchange supply dropped roughly 40%. That means tokens moved from exchanges into private wallets. Translation: holders stopped selling and started accumulating.
Moreover, seven new wallets purchased over 2 billion TURBO tokens directly from Coinbase. Total value? About $4.23 million. That’s not retail behavior. That’s institutional-sized buying.
FARTCOIN surged even harder. The token climbed over 30% in one week and more than 100% from its monthly low. BeInCrypto attributes this surge to whale accumulation and sustained on-chain trading activity throughout November.
Dogecoin (DOGE) recorded a modest 7% weekly recovery. The momentum came mainly from the launch of DOGE ETF products in the US. That brought fresh institutional interest back to the original meme coin.
Beyond these three, other tokens also exploded higher. SPX6900 (SPX) climbed 50%. Pippin (PIPPIN) surged an eye-watering 170% in just one week.
These aren’t isolated pumps. This is coordinated sector-wide movement.
Can December Repeat Last Year’s Meme Coin Mania?
Investor Aqeel Sid points to historical patterns. November through December 2024 saw meme coins go absolutely parabolic. GOAT, Moodeng, FARTCOIN, Popcat, SPX, and PNUT all crossed $1 billion market caps. Many others ran to $200–$500 million.
So will December 2025 repeat that performance? Sid believes so. The setup looks eerily similar: deeply oversold conditions, waning retail interest, and smart money accumulating quietly.
But not everyone shares that optimism.
This May Be Your Last Exit Opportunity
Analyst XForceGlobal offers a more sobering take. Meme coins may not have much runway left this cycle, he warns. The best outcome might be temporary relief rallies. If someone’s trapped in these coins, those rallies could realistically be their chance to exit.
That skepticism has merit. Investors have taken heavy losses multiple times already. They may hesitate to accumulate high-risk assets with limited utility at elevated prices. Instead, capital might flow to tokens with longer track records, broader distribution, and proven survivability across previous market cycles.
The recovery might not signal a new bull run. It might just be one final pump before the sector fades into obscurity.
Whales Are Moving. But Which Direction?
Here’s the uncomfortable truth. Whale accumulation can signal two very different things. Either they’re positioning for a massive rally, or they’re preparing to distribute into retail buying pressure.
FARTCOIN’s 100% bounce certainly looks impressive. But whales buying at the bottom doesn’t guarantee they won’t sell near the top. In fact, that’s exactly what smart money does.
The TURBO data shows clear accumulation. But accumulation alone doesn’t create sustainable rallies. It requires retail participation, narrative momentum, and sustained buying pressure. Right now, retail remains skeptical after getting burned repeatedly.
So yes, whales are preparing their next big move. But that move might be selling into your buying, not joining you for the ride higher.
Political Memes Crashed While Others Rallied
The PolitiFi sector’s collapse deserves attention. While most meme categories rallied, political tokens cratered. Official Trump (TRUMP) dropped sharply after token unlocks hit the market.
This highlights a critical risk. Many meme coins still face massive unlock schedules. Those unlocks represent future selling pressure that can instantly erase any rally gains.
Moreover, political meme coins often lack organic communities. They’re purely speculative plays on political narratives. When those narratives fade or when insiders dump tokens, there’s nothing left to support prices.
The broader meme sector might be recovering. But not all meme coins are created equal. Some categories remain fundamentally broken.
What Should You Actually Do?
If you’re holding meme coins from higher prices, this recovery offers a practical decision point. You can either hold through hoping for full recovery, or use this bounce to reduce your position size.
XForceGlobal’s advice sounds harsh but realistic. Consider this a potential exit ramp. Don’t assume this recovery will continue indefinitely just because a few tokens pumped hard for one week.
On the flip side, if you missed the initial meme coin runs and want exposure, this could represent an entry point. But recognize you’re trading against smart money who accumulated at lower prices. They have bigger positions and lower cost bases. That means they can sell profitably while you’re still underwater.
The real question isn’t whether meme coins can recover. It’s whether they can sustain that recovery long enough for most participants to profit. History suggests the answer is usually no.
December might bring another meme coin rally. But it might also bring the final distribution phase before a long, cold winter. Choose your risk carefully.