A Repeat of the GameStop Short Squeeze? 'Meme Stocks' Expand with AI and Tokenization [Crypto Briefing]

[Financial News] Meme stocks, which are driven by online communities, are making a comeback. The term 'meme stock' refers to stocks whose prices are influenced primarily by the collective sentiment of online communities. Unlike the previous GameStop short squeeze, analysts note that digital network-based investor sentiment is now having a sustained impact on market prices.
According to foreign media and industry sources on the 24th, U.S. asset manager Roundhill Investments has recently relaunched the Roundhill MEME ETF, an exchange-traded fund dedicated to meme stocks. This product adjusts its portfolio weekly, reflecting real-time data such as mentions on online communities like Reddit and X (formerly Twitter), short interest, and options flows.
KB Securities reports that the Roundhill MEME ETF has shifted its focus from past meme stocks like GameStop Corp. to high-growth sectors such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Center, renewable energy, and quantum computing. The meme trend is now seen as a driver that channels capital into structurally growing sectors, rather than just a short-term speculative phenomenon.
Park Yuaan, a researcher at KB Securities, stated, "The common characteristic of meme stocks is that, despite posting losses, they have delivered higher returns than market-leading stocks." He added, "This trend has been especially pronounced among small- and mid-cap as well as growth stocks." Park further explained, "Investors are actively shifting to risk assets, driven by collective sentiment and narratives shared within the market and communities, rather than focusing on earnings or fundamentals."
There are expectations that the meme investment trend will expand into Real-World Asset Tokenization (RWA) and AI infrastructure.
RWA is expected to reshape capital market liquidity by bringing real-world assets on-chain. Park Yuaan commented, "Blockchain technology is evolving beyond simple transactions to become a means of value storage and distribution connected to the real economy." He continued, "At the same time, the proliferation of AI is driving explosive demand for High-Performance Computing (HPC), which in turn is fueling investments in semiconductors, Data Centers, and power infrastructure." Park concluded, "A new growth structure is emerging, where the digital asset ecosystem converges with the physical infrastructure industry."


elikim@fnnews.com Kim Mi-hee Reporter