Social Media Whales Drive Meme Coin Volatility in 2025 Bull Run

Meme coins continue to dominate the 2025 crypto landscape, outperforming many traditional digital assets and utility tokens, despite the broader market’s bearish sentiment. Analysts and on-chain data suggest that these highly speculative assets, driven by social media narratives, viral engagement, and whale activity, have maintained relevance as retail and institutional capital continue to shift toward short-term, high-volatility plays. In contrast, infrastructure and protocol tokens have largely stagnated, signaling a continued preference for speculative strategies in the retail-dominated crypto market.

Several key meme coins, including Gorbagana, Useless Coin, and Startup Coin, have shown outsized returns in recent weeks. Gorbagana, for example, surged over 50% in a single day, while Useless Coin and Startup Coin posted gains of 40% and nearly 900% over the past month, respectively. These tokens, which typically launch with minimal formal structure or utility, thrive on community-led narratives and rapid speculation. Token Metrics analysts noted that whale accumulation patterns and social media momentum are key indicators of meme coin rallies.

On-chain analytics have become a critical tool for tracking meme coin performance. Whale wallet activity, price-volume anomalies, and social media engagement levels provide insight into where institutional and retail capital is flowing. In particular, tokens like Gobagana and Wall Street Pepe have attracted attention due to early accumulation by venture capital-linked actors and cross-chain integration strategies. The latter, for instance, recently expanded to support Ethereum, enhancing its liquidity and market reach.

However, the meme coin market remains highly volatile and speculative. Many tokens suffer from low liquidity, limited exchange listings, and a lack of clear valuation metrics, making them risky for investors. Exit scams and soft rug pulls remain a persistent concern, with some projects abandoning their tokens after short-term price surges. Token Metrics emphasized the importance of discipline and risk management when trading meme coins, recommending real-time sentiment analysis and whale tracking tools to mitigate exposure.

In contrast to meme coins, utility tokens have struggled to gain traction. Despite offering tangible use cases, such as smart contracts, DeFi applications, and cross-chain interoperability, these assets have not seen the same level of market enthusiasm. This divergence suggests that the current focus of the crypto market is on short-term speculation rather than long-term infrastructure development. However, analysts caution that a shift in sentiment could occur if Bitcoin breaks key resistance levels, potentially redirecting capital toward AI and DeFi-related projects.

The September 2025 crypto cycle appears to be shaping up as a favorable period for meme coins. Historical patterns indicate that this time of year often sees renewed interest in high-volatility assets as traders return from summer breaks. Tokens with strong community engagement, clear roadmaps, and transparent team structures have shown the most potential for sustained growth. Projects like TOKEN6900, Snorter, Maxi Doge, and Wall Street Pepe have positioned themselves as standout candidates, each leveraging humor, social media presence, and functional utility to differentiate themselves from the broader meme coin market.

Source: [1] Meme Coins in 2025: Why They're Still Outperforming ... (https://www.tokenmetrics.com/blog/meme-coins-in-2025-why-theyre-still-outperforming-the-crypto-market) [2] Best Meme Coins To Buy For 100x September Gains (https://cryptodnes.bg/en/best-meme-coins-to-buy-for-100x-september-gains-top-analyst-picks/)