Ethereum News Today: Meme Coin Market Capitalization Surges 51% in July

The meme coin market has shown signs of a robust return in July, with significant investor interest and impressive sector performance. The market capitalization of meme coins has surged by 51% to reach $83.5 billion since June 30, with notable gains from coins such as BONK and Pudgy Penguins (PENGU). This surge indicates a renewed interest from investors who may be expecting higher returns as the altcoin season enters a new phase.

The recent passage of the GENIUS Act has provided regulatory clarity for digital assets, giving the entire crypto space a regulatory boost. This move has also pushed the total market cap over $4 trillion for the first time. The GENIUS Act’s approval in the US house of representatives is a milestone for crypto laws. This is because it offers some long-awaited regulatory clarity to the stablecoin market, and digital assets as a whole. While Bitcoin initially surged to $120,000 on the news, it has since cooled, and is hovering near $116,000. This stall in BTC price has created a rotation of capital into altcoins, especially meme coins. Ethereum is also showing signs of strength, after rising 6.64% in the past 24 hours compared to Bitcoin’s modest 1.4%.

Memecoins have exploded back into relevance. Since the start of July, the sector has added $27 billion in value, and has climbed from $55 billion to over $82 billion. This revival has been fueled by Solana-based platforms like LetsBonk and tokens like Bonk, Floki and Pudgy Penguins (PENGU). All of these have posted massive weekly gains, with BONK in particular seeing up to 72%.

The market is already showing clear signals that meme coins are ready for another breakout cycle. For example, CoinGecko data shows that meme coins have outpaced all other sectors over the past month, with a 31% average gain. In addition, there is an ongoing spike in token creation numbers again, with nearly 20,000 new meme tokens launched on LetsBonk.fun in a single day. If history is any guide, these are all early signs that a meme coin supercycle could be approaching. Overall with crypto regulation taking shape and Ethereum surging, the second half of the year could turn out to be massive for the crypto market.

One of the standout examples of this trend is Little Pepe (LILPEPE), an Ethereum-based meme coin that has been generating significant buzz. LILPEPE is an ERC-20 token that offers real utility and infrastructure, differentiating itself from typical meme coins. It is building an Ethereum Layer-2 chain optimized for meme coins, addressing issues such as sniper-bot resistance, speed, and cost. The LILPEPE Meme Launchpad will allow users to create and launch their tokens within the ecosystem easily. This project is currently in Stage 5 of its presale, priced at $0.0014, and has already raised over $5.7 million and sold more than 4.5 billion tokens. The project is also listed on CoinMarketCap, adding early legitimacy and increasing exposure. Additionally, the team has confirmed that two top-tier centralized exchange (CEX) listings are secured for launch day, which is a bullish signal for price discovery in the early trading stages.

The potential for LILPEPE to deliver exponential returns is significant. According to the analysts' forecast, LILPEPE could see a 100x increase, turning a $1,000 investment into $100,000 before Ethereum reaches its next all-time high. This is especially plausible during meme coin seasons, where capital rapidly rotates into low-cap, high-velocity tokens. Ethereum's next run is likely to lift everything in its orbit, and meme coins built directly on ETH infrastructure are in the perfect position to outperform.

Ethereum's value proposition is being bolstered by increased institutional engagement and the onboarding of millions of users through Layer 2 solutions. However, for retail investors seeking to multiply small capital into significant gains, Ethereum's steady climb may not be sufficient. This is where LILPEPE comes into play, with the potential to deliver exponential returns. Unlike most meme coins that rely on hype and viral marketing, LILPEPE offers real utility and infrastructure on Ethereum. It is creating a meme coin world's answer to Base or Arbitrum, but with a focus on viral, fast-moving tokens.

The meme coin market's surge is also driven by the performance of other notable coins such as Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and Pepe, which are staging a strong comeback in July 2025. Bullish chart patterns hint at 40%–60% upside for these coins, further indicating the renewed interest in the meme coin sector. The market's surge is also attributed to Solana's new launchpad, presale hype, and strong community support.

In conclusion, the meme coin market is showing strong signs of a robust return, with significant investor interest and impressive sector performance. The surge in the market capitalization of meme coins, the performance of notable coins, and the potential for LILPEPE to deliver exponential returns all indicate that the meme coin season is returning. Investors are showing renewed interest in meme coins, expecting higher returns as the altcoin season enters a new phase.