On January 24, the meme token Nietzschean Penguin (PENGUIN) based on Solana soared from $0.01 to $0.16, marking an increase of approximately 1500%.
The sharp rise followed a White House post on the social network X. The brief post included a photograph of U.S. President Donald Trump walking hand in hand with a penguin.
Embrace the penguin. pic.twitter.com/kKlzwd3Rx7
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 23, 2026
For unknown reasons, the community linked this message to the meme coin. The coin itself was launched on January 16. It is likely that they are connected by similar AI-generated images.
Before the White House post, the asset’s market capitalization was about $300,000, peaking at $170 million. It has since adjusted to $112 million with the coin trading at $0.11.
Analyst Lookonchain noted a user who spent 6 SOL (~$867) to purchase 16.5 million PENGUIN, then sold all tokens for 6.12 SOL (~$886). At the time of the researchers’ publication, these coins were valued at $1.4 million.
This is truly a sad story.
Cooker.hl(@CookerFlips) spent 6 $SOL($867) to buy 16.5M $PENGUIN, then sold it all for 6.12 $SOL($886) — making a profit of 0.12 $SOL($18).
The 16.5M $PENGUIN is now worth $1.4M.
He missed out on a $1.4M profit.https://t.co/HokhaetgB5 pic.twitter.com/EwSRlkbEj0
— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) January 24, 2026
According to Arkham, one trader managed to earn $1.5 million in 72 hours, having spent $53,900 on the asset.
PENGUIN TOP TRADER MADE $1.5M IN 72H
Trader 7fFCz is up $1.5 Million on $PENGUIN, acquired for a total cost of $53.9K. Arkham ULTRA predicts this trader to be associated with @Banana__BuLLeT.
Despite being up over $1.5M, Trader 7fFCz (Banana Bullet) bought PENGUIN 2 days ago… pic.twitter.com/sFmtmEad7T
— Arkham (@arkham) January 24, 2026
“The early success of PENGUIN proves that on-chain trading never died; it was merely a sleeping giant waiting for the right moment. Psychological barriers are just beginning to be overcome. Many opportunities lie ahead,” wrote Pump.fun co-founder under the nickname alon.
Feast During a Plague
The rise of PENGUIN occurred amid stagnation in the broader “funny money” segment. According to CoinGecko, the market capitalization of the sector fell nearly 10% over the past week to $43.9 billion.
The largest meme tokens are currently experiencing tough times, with most closing the week in the “red zone”: DOGE (-10%), SHIB (-7.5%), and PEPE (-14.5%).
The segment also suffers from a surge of scammers. Among the latest high-profile examples is the NYC Token project, promoted by former New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
According to CoinGecko analysts, more than 11.6 million tokens failed in 2025. Experts linked the record “mortality” rate to volatility and meme collapses.
Back in December, MoonPay CEO Keith Grossman predicted a rebirth of meme tokens. According to him, the sector will return in an “altered form.”