The unexpected comeback of Keith Gill, famously known as “Roaring Kitty,” has traders speculating about another potential market frenzy. Gill, a key figure in the 2021 GameStop stock surge, returned to social media, raising hopes for a similar market upheaval. However, experts remain wary.
Gill played a pivotal role in the GameStop saga during the pandemic, where Reddit traders dramatically boosted GME’s stock price by over 1,000% in less than a month. This event also fueled a significant increase in memecoins like Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB).
After a nearly three-year hiatus, Gill resurfaced on May 13, posting a cryptic meme signaling his return. Following his reappearance, GameStop shares jumped by 111%, and DOGE and SHIB saw gains of 6.2% and 5.4%, respectively.
Despite the excitement, eToro market analyst Josh Gilbert remains cautious about another major rally. “This might spark some short-term activity, but sustained momentum is unlikely,” Gilbert told Cointelegraph. He emphasized that the current economic landscape is vastly different from 2021, with higher interest rates, reduced fiscal stimulus, and a global cost of living crisis impacting financial decisions.
Nonetheless, crypto enthusiasts are optimistic. Pseudonymous trader Travis highlighted the recent integration between Robinhood and the decentralized exchange UniSwap as a potential catalyst for renewed interest in memecoins. “With the ability to trade memes on Robinhood now, the Roaring Kitty followers are likely to jump in,” he said.
The return of GameStop trader Roaring Kitty has sparked an insane spike in $GME related memecoins, including:
FudStop
Roaring Rock
GameDog
and a personal favorite,
ROARING KITTY WIF CAT WIF HAT pic.twitter.com/5YI9P0ZqsC— Zack Guzmán (@zGuz) May 13, 2024
Gilbert warned that investors are now more aware of the risks associated with speculative rallies. “We are in a different environment than in 2021, making a similar surge less probable,” he stated. “However, the 14.5 million users on WallStreetBets have shown that anything is possible.”
Adding to the speculation, several GameStop-related memecoins, such as a coin named GameStop (GME) with no official company ties, saw dramatic increases. The GME memecoin surged by over 3,650% in one day, according to Birdeye data.
As the market watches closely, it remains to be seen whether this is the start of another explosive rally or just a fleeting echo of past events.
