The meme coin sector is experiencing a severe downturn, with its total market capitalization plunging below $40 billion following a broader cryptocurrency market collapse. This has sparked intense debate about the future viability of major tokens like Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB), with some questioning if they could crash to zero in 2026.
Four prominent AI chatbots offered divergent forecasts on the fate of DOGE and SHIB. ChatGPT acknowledged a theoretical possibility of a crash to zero but deemed it "extremely doubtful," citing the tokens' active trading on major exchanges and millions of dedicated holders. It suggested a deeper crash could occur in the coming months but noted the distributed holder base makes a total demand vacuum unlikely.
X's Grok chatbot stated a collapse to $0 "can't be ruled out in extreme scenarios" but predicted potential stabilization later in 2026 if Bitcoin rebounds, with DOGE possibly hovering around $0.10–$0.15 and SHIB aiming for $0.00001+ through token burns and upgrades.
Google's Gemini argued that hitting zero requires zero buyers and delisting from all major exchanges, a scenario it finds unlikely. It highlighted Dogecoin's progress, including approved spot DOGE ETFs in the US and Elon Musk's endorsement, and Shiba Inu's evolution into a complex ecosystem with a devoted community.
Perplexity predicted smaller meme coins may plummet to $0, but not DOGE or SHIB. It even envisioned a potential spike for Dogecoin to $0.50 or even $1 if hype returns, while offering a less bullish maximum 20% price pump prediction for SHIB this year.
Amid these predictions, Dogecoin's price action paints a grim picture. DOGE has plummeted to its lowest level in three months, trading around $0.095, wiping out weeks of progress in hours. This decline has led many to ask if meme coins are officially dead.
However, technical analysis provides a counter-narrative. The 12-hour chart shows DOGE trading within a clearly defined falling wedge pattern, a formation statistically biased for an explosive upside breakout. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has plunged to 21, signaling extreme oversold conditions and potential seller exhaustion.
Analysts suggest if DOGE holds the $0.095 support and breaks out of the wedge, it could trigger a significant recovery with initial resistance at $0.20 and a secondary target at $0.30. The measured move suggests a potential 216% upside from the breakout point.
Concurrently, the article promotes Maxi Doge ($MAXI) as an alternative, describing it as a "maximalist evolution" of the meme sector with a "Proof of Workout" narrative and gamified trading competitions, currently in its presale phase.
