With significant token accumulation by Dogecoin and Shiba Inu whales, market analysts anticipated a price rebound for both. However, with high demand and a systematic burning of SHIB to reduce circulation, this speculative interest is expected to translate into sustained rallies.
On the Dogecoin side, market reports show that the largest wallets, holding between 100 million and 1 billion DOGE, hold approximately 9 billion tokens in total. These positions are estimated to be worth around $1.8 billion. This megawhale activity was presented as a key support factor heading into the first quarter of 2026 and reinforced the narrative that DOGE was a “sleeping giant” rather than a depleted asset.
For the first quarter of 2026, historical returns averaged 93%, thus supporting a completely bullish scenario for Dogecoin. Short-term upside targets before and during the quarter were set at $0.152, with a stronger rally to $0.273.
The key to Dogecoin’s price lies in what the whales will do, where they will direct their flows, and whether retail demand for DOGE can sustain the price above $0.117.
Shiba Inu: Token burning in search of consolidation
The narrative for Shiba Inu entering the first quarter of 2026 projected an average return of 35.8%, although the high supply led to some reservations about this option. However, recently, Shiba Inu’s burning mechanisms have emerged as a differentiator compared to Doge, even though a much larger burn is needed to stabilize its price.
The cited short-term price targets for the first quarter were around $0.00000836, with a possible extension to $0.00000898 and a broader macro target of $0.00001285. A key support level was identified near $0.00000751, a break of which would project a drop to $0.00000691 or lower.
For Shiba Inu’s price to stabilize, the burning rate will need to be sustained to shift the supply equation. Until then, short-term rallies are vulnerable to inflows into exchanges and a rotation toward newer, more liquid memes.
Investors are now focusing on whether early-quarter inflows, whale accumulation, and exchange-moving events will validate pre-quarter optimism.
