Which Meme Coin Might Dominate in 2026? Insights from Four AIs

The meme coin market experienced significant growth at the beginning of 2025, but lost momentum later in the year, resulting in steep declines for many coins. As we ponder the potential for a comeback in 2026, we consulted four notable AI-powered chatbots to predict which meme coin might take the lead.

Will PEPE Make a Comeback?

ChatGPT forecasts that the frog-themed PEPE coin is likely to yield the highest returns in the upcoming year, highlighting its robust community, investor recognition, and capacity to align with an upward market trend.

“PEPE’s biggest strength is that it has already graduated from pure hype into a proven market structure. It survived its first major boom-and-bust cycle, which is where most meme coins die. Assets that live through that phase tend to become default liquidity hubs when the sector heats up again,” it stated.

Moreover, ChatGPT ranked BONK as its second choice, predicting a potential surge in its price in 2026, contingent on a strong performance from Solana, the platform it relies on.

Similarly, Grok shared a comparable outlook, asserting PEPE is set to be the top meme coin next year, calling it “a battle-tested survivor from previous cycles with a massive community.” It also identified WIF, BONK, FLOKI, and BRETT as promising alternatives.

Google’s Gemini echoed these sentiments, selecting PEPE as “best-positioned” for percentage gains in the coming year. However, it cautioned that the actual top performer could be a new asset yet to emerge or one currently not gaining attention.

What About DOGE?

Perplexity focused on DOGE, the leading meme coin by market capitalization, commending its unmatched liquidity, community strength, and track record of success in bullish markets.

Perplexity projected that DOGE could rise to a new all-time high of $1.70 in the next year. In contrast, it labeled PEPE as “the worst bet” for the upcoming 12 months, advising investors to be wary due to declining interest from whales and bearish indicators suggesting further corrections.