Dogecoin, the popular meme-inspired cryptocurrency, saw its price increase by 0.39% over the last 24 hours to $0.06078 according to the latest market data. With a market capitalization of $8.59 billion, Dogecoin remains one of the top 10 largest cryptocurrencies by market cap. In this report, we dive into the key metrics behind Dogecoin's recent price move and uncover insights that can inform investment decisions going forward.

The 24-hour trading volume for Dogecoin stands at $60.52 million, suggesting decent liquidity and investor interest behind the recent price uptick. However, zooming out shows that trading volume has declined in recent months, down from highs of over $1 billion per day in early 2023. This indicates fading momentum and more sideways price action may occur short-term unless volume picks back up.

Over the past hour, Dogecoin has gained 0.27%, showing its price is stabilizing and attempting to find a bottom following the steep declines seen over the past month and year. While -3.20% and -18.35% losses over the past month and 6 months signal Dogecoin remains in a long-term downtrend, the moderation in short-term losses could mark the start of a consolidation phase before the next major price move.

Analyzing the percent changes over different time frames provides further insights into Dogecoin's price trend. The -2.83% 7-day losses show sellers remain in control of the market. However, Dogecoin has significantly outperformed Bitcoin over the past week, which has fallen almost 10% over the same period. This indicates Dogecoin is holding up relatively well during the latest cryptocurrency sell-off.

What's Driving Dogecoin's Price Action?

Dogecoin's price continues being driven by a mix of technical trading factors and sentiment/hype around the meme-coin. Large holders and whales likely exert outsized influence over Dogecoin's price due to its relatively low market cap and liquidity compared to Bitcoin and Ethereum. This makes Doge susceptible to pump and dumps by large traders.

At the same time, Dogecoin benefits from ongoing attention and hype stemming from influencers like Elon Musk and Mark Cuban. This provides a speculative bid under the cryptocurrency and leads to higher volatility and buzz-driven price spikes. However, for Dogecoin's price to see sustained upside, growing utility and fundamentals need to develop beyond just hype and speculation.

Project developers are working on initiatives like smart contract functionality, lower fees, and faster transaction times to make DOGE more usable as a payments currency. If these efforts succeed in expanding real-world usage, Dogecoin's price could break out of its long-term downtrend. But until utility improves, technical trading and sentiment shifts will drive most of its price swings.

What's the Future Price Outlook for Dogecoin?

Given Dogecoin's continued struggles with lack of development and utility, it's unlikely to see a sustained price recovery in 2023 unless hype and speculation reach mania levels. However, if developers deliver on the roadmap and expand functionality, Dogecoin could bottom out and stabilize over the next 6-12 months between $0.05 to $0.10.

Long-term, Dogecoin may remain mostly as a speculative asset and meme-coin unless it differentiates itself from the pack with unique utility. Meme hype cycles will likely cause temporary price spikes, but DOGE needs more real-world usage to unlock long-term growth. Conservative estimates have Dogecoin topping out around $0.25 by end of 2024, while more optimistic projections put it reaching $1+ if hype reaches similar levels as 2021.

How Can You Start Investing in Dogecoin?

For traders and investors looking to gain exposure to Dogecoin's price movements, opening an account on a leading crypto exchange like Binance, Coinbase or Kraken is the easiest way to buy and sell DOGE. These platforms allow you to trade DOGE against major fiat currencies like the US dollar or stablecoins like USDT.

Once you fund your account, you can simply place buy and sell orders for DOGE using spot or margin trading. More advanced traders may want to use futures contracts or options to speculate on Dogecoin's price. Always use proper risk management as DOGE remains highly volatile.

Dollar cost averaging a small position over time can smooth out Dogecoin's wild price swings. But only invest money you can afford to lose and beware of FOMO buying at hype-driven peaks. Dogecoin should remain a very small part of a diversified crypto portfolio.

Conclusion

Dogecoin's price continues being driven by hype cycles, whale manipulation, and technical trading in the absence of strong fundamentals. While Dogecoin is unlikely to see sustained gains in 2023, development efforts to boost utility could stabilize and bottom out prices between $0.05 to $0.10 over the next year. Longer-term price potential remains around $0.25 to $1 depending on if hype reaches similar levels as the 2021 mania peak. Traders and investors can gain Dogecoin exposure by using regulated exchanges, but proper risk management is essential.