The meme coin sector has been hit hard by a big drop in the whole cryptocurrency market. People measure the size of a crypto market by something called market cap. Market cap is the total value of all the coins that exist, if you add up the price of every coin. Right now, the meme coin market cap has fallen to below $40 billion. That sounds like a lot of money, but it is much smaller than the value of many other kinds of crypto assets. If you want a simple way to picture it, think of all the DOGE and SHIB coins together, and what their combined price would be today. That total value is the market cap for meme coins.
The article you are reading asks a big question in simple words: Could this crisis last longer, and could the two most famous meme coins, Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB), crash to zero this year? To help answer, researchers talked to four popular AI chatbots. These are computer programs designed to answer questions in natural language. They don’t know the future, but they give their own predictions based on data they were trained on.
What the four AI helpers said
The four AI helpers were ChatGPT, Grok, Google’s Gemini, and Perplexity. Each one gave a different view about what could happen to DOGE and SHIB in 2026. Here is a simple summary you can understand, without any complicated jargon.
1) ChatGPT (one of the best-known AI chatbots)
ChatGPT says there is a tiny, almost theoretical chance that the biggest meme coins by market value could fall to zero. But it is extremely unlikely. The reason is simple: DOGE and SHIB are traded on major exchanges where many people can buy and sell them. They also have millions of holders. In other words, a lot of people own these coins and many of them do not want to sell at very low prices. This makes a total collapse less likely, at least in 2026.
ChatGPT also warned that, given the current market conditions, there could still be a deeper retreat in the next few months. Some people will still trade, stake (where this is possible), or speculate. A broad distribution of buyers and holders means there isn’t a single group that could suddenly push prices to zero.
2) Grok (the chatbot built into X, the social media site)
Grok said that a drop to zero can’t be ruled out, but it would take extreme, unusual events. It also suggested that DOGE and SHIB might settle down later in 2026 if Bitcoin (the most well-known cryptocurrency) starts to rise again and if hype around meme coins returns. Grok gave some specific price ideas: DOGE could hover around about $0.10 to $0.15, and SHIB could aim to reach a price where it would remove a whole zero from its price, a level around $0.00001 or higher. It mentioned this could happen with things like coin burns and upgrades.
What does burn mean? In this context, a burn is when coins are sent to a special address that can’t be used to spend them again. This reduces the total supply of coins, which can sometimes push prices higher if demand stays the same or grows. Burns are a way some projects try to make the coin scarcer and more valuable over time. Simple example: if you had 100 cookies and you eat 20, you now have 80 cookies left. If people still want cookies and there are fewer cookies, each one can become a bit more valuable.
3) Google’s Gemini (another popular AI assistant)
Gemini gave a more cautious view. It explained that for a cryptocurrency to fall to zero, two things would have to happen: there would be no buyers at all, and the coins would have to be removed from major exchanges (delisted). Gemini said this is very unlikely for DOGE and SHIB for several reasons. First, Dogecoin has made real progress in recent years. There are even approved spot DOGE exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States. An ETF is a way to invest in a group of assets through a fund traded on a stock exchange. Second, DOGE is often described as Elon Musk’s favorite cryptocurrency by supporters, which gives it ongoing attention. Third, SHIB has built a large, active community and a growing ecosystem around it. An ecosystem means many different projects and uses built around a coin, not just trading.
4) Perplexity
Perplexity offered a different forecast. It said smaller meme coins, not DOGE or SHIB, could fall to zero in 2026. It did not expect DOGE or SHIB to hit that level. In fact, it even suggested DOGE could surge to as high as $0.50 or even $1 if hype returns to the market. For SHIB, Perplexity gave a less optimistic view, suggesting the most it might gain this year could be around 20%.
Why these predictions matter
All four helpers share a common idea: DOGE and SHIB are different from many tiny meme coins. They are big enough to be traded on major platforms, and they have a lot of people who own them. This makes a total collapse unlikely in the near future. But the price of any crypto can go up and down quickly because it is driven by many things that are hard to predict. Things that can influence prices include news, broader market trends, and how much people want to use or talk about these coins.
The article also notes that the headline about a possible $0 price point was discussed in a separate piece titled Meme Coin Bloodbath: Can DOGE and SHIB Crash to $0 in 2026? 4 AIs Make Predictions published on CryptoPotato. That piece collected similar ideas from different chatbots and put them in one place for readers who want a quick summary of several opinions.
Some quick definitions to help reading
Knowing a few words can help you understand these discussions. Here are simple explanations with friendly examples. If you want to learn more, you can click the links to read longer definitions on Wikipedia.
- Dogecoin — A popular crypto coin that started in 2013 as a joke based on the famous Doge meme. It has a big online community and is traded like other coins. Imagine a popular online group that also has its own special money.
- Shiba Inu (cryptocurrency) — A decentralized crypto coin created in 2020, inspired by the Shiba Inu dog breed. It is known for having a large community and many projects built around it.
- Meme coin — A cryptocurrency that started from a joke or meme. People often buy or talk about it mainly because of social media trends and online hype, not just because of its technical features.
- Bitcoin — The first and most famous cryptocurrency. Many people use it as a model for understanding other digital currencies. It began as a new kind of money that works without banks.
- Exchange-traded fund (ETF) — A type of investment fund that you can buy or sell on a stock exchange. An ETF holds a group of assets like stocks or coins, and it makes investing easier and more liquid.
What to take away for beginners
1) The big idea is that even though some experts warn about big drops, it is unlikely that DOGE or SHIB will become completely worthless in 2026. These coins have many buyers and sellers on major platforms. A large, active community around a coin helps keep it alive because people still use, trade, and talk about it.
2) Predictions about prices in crypto markets are uncertain. The people or programs giving those predictions are just sharing opinions based on current information. They cannot see the future with certainty.
3) If you are new to this topic, keep a few ideas in mind:
- Big coins like DOGE have more visibility and more people who own them. This can reduce the chance of a sudden, total collapse.
- Burns are a way for teams to try to reduce the total number of coins in circulation. This can affect price because it changes supply.
- The existence of ETFs or other formal investment products for a coin can make it seem more legitimate to some investors.
4) Always remember that investing in meme coins can be risky. The price can move a lot in a short time, and it can go up or down for many reasons that are hard to predict. You should only invest what you can afford to lose and try to learn as much as you can before buying.
In summary, the latest round of opinions from AI chatbots suggests that a total crash to zero for DOGE or SHIB in 2026 is unlikely, but not impossible in extreme situations. The more likely scenario is continued volatility, with the potential for both big moves up and dips down depending on how the overall crypto market behaves, how much hype returns, and how big the community stays engaged. If you want to follow this topic closely, keep an eye on major exchanges and on official updates from the teams behind these coins, as well as broader market signals like movements in Bitcoin and the general price of crypto assets.
Remember: knowledge helps. If you want to dive deeper into what each term means, you can visit the linked Wikipedia pages for more detailed explanations. And if you ever feel unsure, consider talking to a financial advisor who understands cryptocurrencies before making investing decisions.