Viewpoint: Meme Coin Market Shows 'Classic Surrender Signal,' Potentially Setting Stage for Rebound

February 14th Per the latest Santiment report, the memecoin market is now flashing a "classic surrender signal"—and the sector may have hit a temporary bottom despite ongoing crypto volatility. Key data: Over the past 30 days, memecoins’ total market cap has dropped ~34% to $310.2 billion, while Dogecoin is down 32% in the same period. Santiment notes rising "nostalgic" social media sentiment around memecoins, plus widespread trader acceptance of the "meme era ending" narrative—consistent pessimism like this is a typical surrender signal. Report takeaways: When a sector is "written off entirely" by the market, it often becomes a contrarian watchpoint: "The greatest pain often coincides with a temporary bottom." Bearish crypto social comments far outpace bullish ones, and historical trends show markets typically move opposite to popular expectations. Even if prices rebound, lingering skepticism actually supports a more sustainable recovery. BTC institutionalization impact: Santiment stresses that as Bitcoin grows more institutionalized, the old playbook—"Bitcoin hits new highs → Ethereum catches up → Altseason booms"—may no longer fully apply. The altcoin market will likely grow more differentiated, not see a "rising tide lifts all boats" rally.