Solana and meme coins go hand in hand. In 2024, meme coin activity single-handedly propelled the SOL USDT price to nearly $300. And whenever more developers launch meme coins on platforms like Pump.fun, decentralized exchange (DEX) activity on Solana spikes.
There are hints that Q1 2026 would shape up to be favorable to some of the top Solana meme coins. Recent on-chain data shows that on-chain trading just heated up again as DEX activity surged alongside a fresh wave of meme coin speculation.
Earlier this week, the Solana price jumped to nearly $145 after climbing +6% on the week as traders chased fast-moving tokens. This fits a familiar Q1 2025 pattern where meme coin hype pulls users back onto Solana’s low-fee rails. When activity spikes like this, prices often follow. But they also snap back fast. That tension sits at the heart of today’s Solana story.
DISCOVER: 9+ Best High-Risk, High-Reward Crypto to Buy in 2026
Why Should We Track Solana DEX Volume Surge?
For starters, a DEX like Raydium on Solana or Uniswap on Ethereum works like a crypto farmers’ market. You trade directly from your wallet instead of going through a broker as you would when using Binance or Coinbase, for example.
In the past 24 hours, Solana DEXs processed over $5.7Bn worth of volume, a +40% increase in the last week.
(Source: DeFiLlama)
Meteora, PumpSwap, and HumidiFi dominate on Solana, cumulatively processing over $3Bn in trading volume.
The +40% change matters: High trading volume shows real people are using the chain. More users mean more demand for SOL, which pays transaction fees.
That demand often supports price.
If you’re new to Solana, our Solana network usage explainer breaks this link down step by step.
DISCOVER: 9+ Best Memecoin to Buy in 2026
Will SOL USDT Print Higher? Up Next $150?
Considering the role of Solana as a meme coin hub, it is clear that most DEX volume is generated from token trading, not DeFi, as often seen in Ethereum.
To illustrate, over $26,700 tokens were minted on Pump.fun alone in the last 24 hours. Unfortunately, of the tens of thousands, less than 200 graduated and were listed on PumpSwap, Pump.fun’s DEX and Raydium’s competitor.
(Source: Dune)
Some of these meme coins can 100X down the line and are fireworks driving SOL demand and thus SOL USDT prices. Their high volatility draws attention fast and pulls traders on-chain. That surge in activity pushes DEX volumes higher almost overnight.
During previous meme cycles, SOL USDT rallied as users rushed in to swap tokens cheaply. Solana’s low fees make it ideal for this style of rapid trading. Ethereum often costs too much for small bets.
This helps explain why Solana keeps beating rivals on DEX volume. In the top 5 most popular DEXs gauged by volume, three of them are on Solana.
(Source: DeFiLlama)
Even as SOL USDT prices cool, usage stays sticky. We saw this gap before in our coverage of price versus activity.
For opportunistic traders, rising volume often signals short-term momentum. For long-term holders, it shows Solana still attracts real demand.
On X, one trader is convinced that as long as $130 holds, the Solana price can easily break the key resistance level and tick higher.
healthy pullback on SOL
looking for $130 to hold + continued move higher#SOLANA ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/gQeaxKsqSH— curb.sol (@CryptoCurb) January 7, 2026
Presently, the immediate resistance stands at around $150. If buyers are to take over, there must be a high-volume breakout above December highs.
DISCOVER: 9+ Best Memecoin to Buy in 2026
Follow 99Bitcoins on X For the Latest Market Updates and Subscribe on YouTube For Daily Expert Market Analysis.
Why you can trust 99Bitcoins
Established in 2013, 99Bitcoin’s team members have been crypto experts since Bitcoin’s Early days.
Weekly Research
100k+Monthly readers
Expert contributors
2000+Crypto Projects Reviewed
