There's a pattern worth paying attention to as we move through 2026. When Bitcoin and the broader crypto market start showing real upside momentum, meme coins tend to explode first—and they do it with the most aggressive moves.

Early January was textbook. You could see it playing out across the board: $USELESS, $PEPE, and $BONK all had explosive runs right when the larger market began recovering. It wasn't random. These tokens consistently lead the way when sentiment shifts from sideways to bullish.

The mechanics are simple. Retail interest floods back in, trading volumes spike, and meme coins—with their thinner liquidity and community-driven nature—capture that enthusiasm with outsized gains. It's a reliable tell for spotting when the real uptrend has taken hold.