Bitcoin quiet around $81,700 while memecoins rally led by Pepe

Business Oct 23, 2026

bitcoin stayed calm at around $81,700 after a quick dip, but the real action was in altcoins.

The CoinDesk 80 Index edged up 1.4%, and memecoins jumped 2.9%.

Pepe led the charge with a huge 14% spike, making its weekly gain an impressive 23%.

Pepe memecoin volume $353 million up 10%

ether nudged up by 0.9%, while Polkadot and Cosmos both climbed over 5%. Still, Polkadot is down for October overall.

Trading in Pepe was especially lively, hitting $353 million in volume, a solid 10% jump from yesterday.

Meanwhile, global markets are eyeing the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting as inflation worries continue to simmer.