TLDR
- The Nietzschean Penguin (PENGUIN) memecoin jumped 564% in 24 hours after the White House posted an image of President Trump walking with a penguin on social media
- PENGUIN’s market cap grew from $387,000 to $136 million, with $244 million in trading volume recorded in the first 24 hours
- The token launched on Solana via Pump.fun platform and is currently trading at approximately $0.13
- This surge happened during a broader memecoin market downturn, though the sector briefly rebounded 23% in January 2026
- Over 100 new memecoins launched within 48 hours of PENGUIN’s surge, mostly on Solana, Ethereum, and Base
The Nietzschean Penguin token experienced a massive price increase following an unexpected White House social media post. The memecoin launched on the Solana blockchain saw its value multiply within hours of the post going viral.
(PENGUIN) Price
On Friday, the White House published an image on X showing US President Donald Trump and a penguin holding hands while walking through snow. The post quickly spread across social media platforms. PENGUIN was trading at a market capitalization of about $387,000 before the White House shared the image.
Embrace the penguin. pic.twitter.com/kKlzwd3Rx7
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 23, 2026
The token’s market cap climbed to approximately $136 million at press time. Trading volume reached $244 million in the 24 hours following the post, according to data from SolanaFloor. The token currently trades at about $0.13 per coin, based on DEXScreener data.
“The early success of PENGUIN is proof that onchain trading was never dead, just a sleeping giant waiting for the right moment,” said Alon Cohen, co-founder of memecoin launchpad Pump.fun. The platform hosted PENGUIN’s initial launch.
The token launched in late 2023 but remained relatively unknown until the White House post. No technical updates or smart contract modifications occurred before the price surge. The increase happened purely based on social media attention and speculation.
Memecoin Market Shows Mixed Signals
The PENGUIN surge came during a challenging period for the memecoin sector. The market crashed after several celebrity tokens declined by 80% or more from their peak prices. Many high-profile memecoin projects failed throughout 2025.
????@JUST IN: White House Posts Spark Surge in Solana Memecoin $PENGUIN to $90M Market Cap
Posts from the official White House X account yesterday drew unexpected attention to a little known Solana based memecoin, $PENGUIN. The account shared an AI-generated image of President… pic.twitter.com/jIj9d9BdVg
— SolanaFloor (@SolanaFloor) January 24, 2026
Data shows 11.6 million crypto tokens failed in 2025. The flood of memecoins launched on platforms like Pump.fun and similar launchpads contributed to this number. Most of these tokens lost value quickly after launch.
The total memecoin market cap briefly increased by 23% in January 2026. Values rose from about $38 billion in December 2025 to over $47 billion, according to CoinMarketCap. However, the market has since fallen back to approximately $39 billion.
Social media mentions of memecoins spiked in January 2026, according to crypto market analysis company Santiment. This increase in online discussion coincided with the brief market cap rise.
???? According to social volume data, the crypto crowd’s interests have risen toward:
???? Memecoins: Tokens like PEPE, POPCAT, and MOG posted strong price gains and a speculative rally pushed the meme sector’s market cap up sharply, which caught traders’ attention after a rough… pic.twitter.com/t3FLYckU0b
— Santiment (@santimentfeed) January 7, 2026
“Memecoins typically lead when risk appetite returns. The rebound in the Fear and Greed Index from extreme fear toward neutral reinforces this shift,” Vincent Liu, chief investment officer at trading firm Kronos Research, told Cointelegraph.
Solana DEX Activity Increases
Trading volume on Solana decentralized exchanges jumped dramatically following the PENGUIN surge. Volume increased from less than $100,000 the day before the White House post to $244 million in 24 hours.
More than 100 new memecoins launched or relaunched within 48 hours of PENGUIN’s price explosion. Most of these tokens deployed on Solana, Ethereum, and Base networks.
Solana DEX trading volumes surpassed Ethereum’s for several hours during the surge. The network’s low fees and fast confirmation times contributed to the increased activity. Analysts note that Solana continues to play a central role in fast speculation dynamics.
The PENGUIN token attracted attention from crypto influencers who promoted it across social media platforms. No formal connection exists between the White House post and the token itself. The association happened organically through social media interpretation.
The token’s contract underwent no identifiable updates or technical modifications during the price surge. The entire price movement was driven by speculative trading based on the viral White House image.
