1. Strong Performance of New Tokens: A Dual Rebound in Market Sentiment and Liquidity
In January 2026, MEXC listed a total of 176 tokens. Fueled by the debut of several highly anticipated assets, market activity surged: the number of traders participating in newly listed tokens’ spot markets rose 19% month over month, while spot trading volume for newly listed tokens increased 65% month over month.
This month, the top 10 tokens by spot trading volume on MEXC achieved an average maximum gain of 2,408%. The rankings reveal diversified market interest and a broader capital allocation strategy. Notably, the proportion of projects with solid fundamentals and clear technical roadmaps increased significantly. This indicates that while capital is chasing short-term explosive potential, it is simultaneously positioning for the next wave of major narratives. Key examples include SKR (Solana mobile ecosystem/DePIN), USAT (compliant payment stablecoin), and SENT (open-source OpenAI).
Regarding ecosystem distribution, ETH is consolidating technical and infrastructure assets, spanning Decentralized AI (SENT), ZK Infrastructure (BREV), DePIN (ACU), and Stablecoins (USAT). Solana maintains its momentum in Memes (PENGUIN), DePIN (SKR), and Entertainment/Culture (BIRB). BSC is primarily focused on AI-related sectors (DN, OWL), while BASE is emerging as a testing ground for innovative applications.
2. Memes Dominate Top Gainers, While Technical Narratives Accelerate
Among the top 10 highest gainers in January, the magnitude of gains was primarily driven by Memes, with explosive rallies concentrated in the SOL ecosystem. Notable performers include PENGUIN (+17,330%), RALPH (+5,555%), and SOLTOMATO (+3,634%). This underscores that Memes continue to possess a powerful wealth effect and viral cultural appeal.
Beyond the Meme frenzy, capital is increasingly flowing into technology-driven assets with tangible real-world utility. The AI sector is becoming increasingly specialized, evolving from foundational models to truly autonomous on-chain applications. Two innovative Base projects, CLAWD (CLAWDONBASE) and HeyElsa (ELSA), both made the list. CLAWD, an “On-chain Native AI Agent,” features an autonomous wallet capable of directly deploying smart contracts and building applications. HeyElsa is a crypto AI agent that enables users to execute DeFi operations — such as trading, cross-chain transfers, and asset management — via natural language chat, significantly lowering entry barriers.
Judging from the trading volume and top gainer lists, the market is brewing the following narratives:
- AI × Crypto: DeFAI, Decentralized AI, and AI-driven infrastructure are accelerating their implementation.
- Privacy + Verifiable Computation: ZK technology is breaking through on-chain computation bottlenecks, significantly expanding the boundaries of computation and verification capabilities.
- DePIN: Assets tied to computing power and network resources are strengthening, with interest continuing to rebound, underscoring DePIN’s role in building real‑world infrastructure.
3. Focusing on Alpha Assets toDeliver High-Certainty Returns
Launchpad
MEXC Launchpad continues to be a driver of high-certainty wealth creation. This period’s star performer, SKR, delivered a stellar debut, doubling instantly upon listing and hitting a peak gain of 596%, with total subscription exceeding $1.1 million. Launchpad adheres to a strict selection mechanism and precise listing strategy, focusing on Alpha opportunities that can generate returns in the short term, thereby maximizing capital efficiency and returns for users.
Launchpool
MEXC Launchpool introduced an innovative “Trading Pool” mechanism, cleverly combining traditional Staking Pools with volume-based Trading Pools. This caters to the diverse needs of both holders and traders, lowering entry barriers and enabling broader participation in new project airdrops.
This month, the PLUS project trading pools drove a cumulative trading volume of 346 million USDT, significantly boosting platform activity and liquidity. The new mechanism effectively activated real active users, with the average APR for existing users reaching 279%, achieving a dual gain for platform growth and user revenue.
Airdrop+
In January 2026, MEXC Airdrop+ successfully pivoted to a “Quality over Quantity” strategy. Campaigns became more focused, efficient, and interactive. A total of 19 events were hosted throughout the month, attracting nearly 18,000 participants and distributing a total prize pool exceeding 1 million USDT.
The campaigns covered trending sectors such as Decentralized Perps, AI, and the Bitcoin Ecosystem. Furthermore, each event featured bonus incentives: users could qualify for lucky draws by completing simple tasks, with an average win rate exceeding 95% and a top prize of up to 1,000 USDT per draw.
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