Cat-Themed Memecoins Emerge as Preferred Risk On Bets With 40% Surge in a Week

• Tokens like POPCAT, MEW, MOG, and CAT have seen significant gains, up to 40% in a week, following a 50 basis point rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve, indicating a return of risk-on sentiment in the crypto market.
• POPCAT reached a $1 billion market cap, MOG has surged 70% in two weeks due to strong social media backing, and CAT, linked to Simon's Cat comics, saw $145 million in trading volume in the last 24 hours.
• Analysts predict continued growth in memecoins, fueled by anticipated liquidity increases and bullish market sentiment, potentially leading to a boom similar to previous cycles.

Cat-themed memecoins aren’t just meowing but roaring back in an indication of risk-on sentiment starting to return to the broader crypto market.

Tokens such as Solana-based POPCAT, cat in a dog’s world (MEW), Ethereum-based MOG, and BNB Chain-based Simon’s Cat (CAT) have climbed up to 40% in a one-week period, with a bulk of gains coming since Wednesday when the U.S. Federal Reserve cut rates by 50 basis points for the first time in four years - fuelling prices of risk assets, including bitcoin (BTC).

Popcat, a token tied to a meme of a cat with its mouth popped open, is nearing $1 billion market cap. Culture coin mog has jumped 70% in the past two weeks amid its strong cult following on social platforms, where the community often replies to posts with “mogging” and “mogged” to improve its visibility.

The newly released CAT has quickly climbed to become one of the biggest cat memes, seeing over $145 million in exchange bets in the past 24 hours. The token is officially tied to the Simon’s Cat comic series.

Since early 2023, meme tokens have been increasingly seen as a leveraged way to bet on the growth of their underlying blockchains, and crypto traders refer to them as beta bets.

Cat-themed tokens have emerged as a new cohort alongside dog-themed Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB), among the biggest gainers in the 2020-2021 bull run.

Their relatively smaller total market capitalization makes cat memes a stronger attraction than their dog-themed counterparts: The dog memes sector tracked by CoinGecko shows a 4% average gain in the past 24 hours, compared to a 14% bump on cat tokens.

Some market makers expect memecoins, alongside alternative tokens, to continue surging in the coming months.

"Memecoins are experiencing a surge largely due to the anticipation of increased liquidity following the Federal Reserve's recent 0.5% interest rate cut,” Alex Andryunin, founder of Gotbit Hedge Fund, known for backing memecoinds, said in a message to CoinDesk. “Market expectations for lower rates have converged, and with the prospect of more liquidity entering the financial system, investors are adopting a bullish sentiment.”

“We anticipate that the memecoin market could grow significantly over the next two months. The increased liquidity and a heightened appetite for risk may drive investors toward these high-risk, high-reward assets, potentially leading to a boom similar to previous cycles,” Andryunin added.