In the early stages of a bull market, altcoins usually perform slowly, while meme coins experience a surge, partly leveraging hot narratives and partly attracting new retail investors. In contrast, the purpose of value altcoins is often to harvest retail investors, so meme coins can make quick profits, but will ultimately be harvested by the market.

After the first wave of meme explosions, the market often undergoes a correction. When greed turns to fear, value altcoins may gradually emerge from the shadows and welcome opportunities.