When Will Pepe Overtake Shiba Inu? Expert Lays Out New Timeline

TheNewsCryptoPublished on 2026-01-05Last updated on 2026-01-05

Abstract

A crypto analyst known as Y00thereum projects that the meme coin PEPE will surpass Shiba Inu (SHIB) in market capitalization by or before April 20, 2026. This forecast is based on PEPE’s recent strong performance, having surged over 60% in a week, while SHIB only gained 22%. Despite this, PEPE’s market cap remains significantly lower—around $2.9 billion compared to SHIB’s $5.32 billion at the time of analysis. For PEPE to flip SHIB, it would need to increase by approximately 76.55% from its current price. Previous predictions of a PEPE takeover in earlier market cycles did not come to pass.

A crypto analyst has issued a projection for the meme coin market, arguing that PEPE will overtake Shiba Inu’s market capitalization. The forecast comes as the meme sector enters 2026 with renewed price action following a steep downturn during 2025.

The resurgence has fueled a meme coin rally lifting major assets. PEPE surged more than 60% over the past week while Shiba Inu lagged with only 22% gains during the same timeframe. This performance gap has prompted speculation about a potential market cap flip.

Analyst sets April 20 target for PEPE overtake

Pseudonymous crypto analyst Y00thereum highlighted PEPE’s standout performance and argued the token could flip SHIB by April 20 or earlier. The projection was accompanied by a screenshot comparing market capitalizations of both tokens.

The frog meme coin remains smaller than SHIB by market value despite recent explosive price performance. At the time of Y00thereum’s analysis, SHIB commanded a market cap of $5.32 billion while PEPE sat closer to $2.92 billion. The projection calculated that the coin would need to climb to around $0.00001266, an increase of roughly 1.8x, to match SHIB’s valuation.

Both tokens have pulled back from levels at the time of analysis. PEPE’s market cap stands at approximately $2.9 billion with a unit price of $0.0000069.

At these levels, PEPE must rally roughly 76.55% to close the gap. Y00thereum suggests this could occur on or before April 20, 2026.

Previous forecasts failed to materialize

This marks another prediction that PEPE could overtake SHIB in the meme coin sector. In 2024, BecauseBitcoin CEO Max Schwartzman predicted PEPE would flip SHIB during the 2024/2025 cycle. He argued both tokens would serve as alpha and beta assets of the season.

Pepetoshi Nakamoto warned Shiba Inu risked losing its second-place ranking. His data suggested the frog meme coin was only 69% away from achieving this milestone at that time. These forecasts have not materialized.

Related Questions

QAccording to the analyst, by when does he predict that PEPE will overtake Shiba Inu's market cap?

AThe analyst, Y00thereum, predicts that PEPE will overtake Shiba Inu's market capitalization by April 20, 2026, or even earlier.

QWhat was the market capitalization of PEPE and SHIB at the time of the analyst's initial comparison?

AAt the time of the analyst's initial comparison, SHIB had a market cap of $5.32 billion, while PEPE's market cap was approximately $2.92 billion.

QWhat percentage gain does PEPE need to achieve from its current price of $0.0000069 to match SHIB's valuation?

AFrom its current price of $0.0000069, PEPE needs to rally roughly 76.55% to close the market cap gap and match SHIB's valuation.

QWhich previous prediction about PEPE flipping SHIB is mentioned as having failed to materialize?

AThe article mentions that a 2024 prediction by BecauseBitcoin CEO Max Schwartzman, who forecasted that PEPE would flip SHIB during the 2024/2025 cycle, failed to materialize.

QWhat was the stated performance difference between PEPE and SHIB over the past week mentioned in the article?

AOver the past week, PEPE surged more than 60%, while Shiba Inu lagged with gains of only 22% during the same timeframe.

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