Donald Trump’s presidential election win has sparked numerous spikes in the prices of some cryptocurrencies, with the Solana memecoin market reaching a market capitalization of $12 billion.
The Solana Memecoin Market Surge and Trump’s Win
Solana-based memecoins have seen a significant uptick in gains in the last day, with Peanut the Squirrel, GOAT, and POPCAT at the forefront. This spike highlights Solana’s role in the cryptocurrency ecosystem when political unpredictability has increased in the wake of the 2024 US presidential election results.
Memecoins are attracting the attention of retail investors looking for quick profits as the cryptocurrency environment becomes more entwined with politics. Investor mood has closely followed market trends recently, especially for highly volatile assets like memecoins.
Solana’s rise to the fourth-largest cryptocurrency position, election-related speculation, and the influence of prominent individuals have contributed to a surge in trade volumes for these coins. Moreover, Solana’s market cap has surpassed Binance Coin (BNB) for the first time, a significant milestone for the token.
Political Climate Boosts Memecoin Market
Earlier this week, SOL noted a 17% increase in value, reaching $188 and hitting $85 billion in market cap. Following this spike, Solana became the fourth leading cryptocurrency, behind only Tether USDT, Ethereum (ETH), and Bitcoin (BTC).
Some market analysts link these memecoin rallies to speculation about Trump’s possible regulatory changes in cryptocurrency. Moreover, Trump’s campaign remarks alluded to potential changes in policy that would benefit the cryptocurrency market, including altcoins like Solana.
Anticipation of Solana ETFs
Meanwhile, institutional and individual investors are interested in a Solana exchange-traded fund (ETF). An ETF could attract a sizable amount of institutional funding, increasing Solana’s market capitalization and liquidity.
Regulatory approval is still a significant obstacle, though. A Solana ETF approval under SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s direction could be challenging since the asset has no regulated futures market.
However, expectations for regulatory reform have shot up since Trump’s election triumph. VanEck, one of the first fund managers to submit a Solana ETF proposal, had already acknowledged that a shift in SEC leadership might be necessary to secure approval.
ETFs connected to cryptocurrencies like Solana may benefit from the new government’s change in regulatory heads. If this occurs, Solana’s appeal and long-term growth possibilities could increase as institutional investors view it as a mainstream investment.
Despite the positives, the path to an authorized Solana ETF remains tricky. In contrast to Ethereum, which has already received approval for ETFs, Solana continues to suffer structural challenges, such as a lack of futures markets, which reduces its regulatory appeal.
High Risks, High Rewards
Meanwhile, the vibrant yet unpredictable nature of the network is reflected in the spike of Solana-based memecoins. The leading meme-themed tokens on this network (dogwifhat (WIF) and bonk (BONK)) continue to drive trade volume and attract risk-averse investors.
With a 13.31% increase to $2.38 in the last day, WIF has demonstrated a strong performance, suggesting possible short-term bullish momentum. Similarly, BONK has increased, rising 16.62% as it bounces back from recent lows and is currently trading at $0.0000192.
The price surge of these tokens indicates that retail traders are becoming more risk-tolerant. Although memecoins can yield substantial profits, they also have a high potential to cause fund losses.
Despite the increasing interest in these coins, price swings indicate that cautious optimism is necessary. Investors attracted to the possibility of rapid profits must exercise caution because the memecoin market is prone to abrupt reversals due to its unpredictability.
The convergence of politics and cryptocurrencies appeals to certain traders, and the Trump administration’s possible impact on the regulatory landscape heightens their level of speculative interest. According to on-chain data, the memecoin market cap has risen 11.4% in the last 24 hours, with trading volume exceeding $17 billion within this timeframe.