Pepe

PEPE is a frog-themed ERC-20 memecoin launched in April 2023, inspired by Matt Furie’s Pepe Frog. Known for high volatility, it has no intrinsic value, and price predictions for 2025 - 2030 vary widely.¹ Pepe ($PEPE) is a 2023 frog-themed memecoin with 420.69 trillion supply, zero taxes, and burned liquidity. It has no intrinsic value, no team, and exists solely for entertainment purposes.²

Overview

Pepe v2 (PE) is a community-driven meme coin on Ethereum, inspired by Pepe the Frog. With the tagline “making meme coins great again,” it emphasizes fun, culture, engagement, and decentralization over financial returns. ³ Clown Pepe (HONK) is a meme cryptocurrency created to surpass coins like ShibaCumGMElonKishuTurboAssFlokiMoon, aiming to "make meme coins great again," with a renounced contract, zero taxes, and strong community-driven support.⁴

Clown Pepe is here to make memecoins great again. Launched stealthily with no presale, zero taxes, LP burnt, and contract renounced, HONK is a community-driven coin designed for the people, promoting decentralized ownership and memetic culture.⁵ Bitget is a global cryptocurrency exchange offering spot, futures, and Web3 trading services. It hosts events like the PEPE Carnival and CandyBomb airdrops, promoting tokens such as PEPE, fueled by community support and Lord Kek.⁶

Meme coins are digital assets primarily driven by internet culture and community engagement rather than intrinsic value. While often compared to pyramid or MLM schemes, some rely on decentralized ownership and speculative trading. ⁷ PEPE is a meme coin with no intrinsic value or utility and no expectation of financial return. Created for entertainment and community engagement, it leverages deflationary mechanics and speculative trading to drive popularity and attention.⁸ Pepe is a frog-themed meme coin launched in April 2023 on Ethereum, lacking intrinsic value or financial return expectations. It employs deflationary mechanics, driven by community interest, speculative trading, and social media attention.⁹

On August 26, 2023, three former Pepecoin (PEPE) team members were accused of stealing $16 million from the project’s multisig wallet. They abandoned the project, leaving full control to the sole remaining team member. ¹⁰

Pepecoin ($PEPE) does not offer airdrops, staking, or giveaways. Holders are advised to verify official sources and exercise caution, as malicious websites and wallet-draining scams have targeted $PEPE users. ¹¹ Wallet Security refers to the practices and strategies used to protect cryptocurrency holdings from theft, hacks, and scams. Key measures include using cold storage, multisignature wallets, two-factor authentication, and careful key management. ¹²

Growth

Pepe Coin is a cryptocurrency memecoin featuring the internet meme character Pepe the Frog. Launched on April 17, 2023, it surged 900% in two days, reaching nearly $100 million market capitalization by April 19. ¹³ State of Uniswap Q4 2022 summarizes the platform’s performance during the fourth quarter. Trading volumes fell 17% despite FTX-related volatility, liquidity providers earned approximately $90 million in fees, and just-in-time liquidity surged 197%, with NFT aggregation and fiat on-ramps also launched.¹⁴

The Ethereum gas fees reached their peak during May 2023 with an average of 94 gwei and a maximum of 184 gwei because trading volumes of PEPE exceeded those of SHIB and DOGE.¹⁵The internet memes Pepe, Wojak, Chad, and BabyPepe joined forces in 2023 to develop a meme-based token project which would utilize their existing fame to connect with the cryptocurrency community while creating a secure and simple-to-use digital currency. ¹⁶

In June 2023, PEPE started a bull run which created a 72% increase during one week. The cryptocurrency reached a market value of $620 million after 125,000 users held it through on-chain transactions. ¹⁷ Pepe Coin has 124,676 Ethereum holders and 5,700 Binance Smart Chain holders and 997 Arbitrum holders according to online communities and social media support. Analysts expect the cryptocurrency to experience 60% growth while facing market fluctuations and regulatory challenges.¹⁸

Pepe (PEPE) launched as an ERC-20 meme coin which draws its inspiration from the character of Pepe the Frog on April 14 2023. The coin reached a market capitalization of 6 billion dollars by May 2024 because of active community participation and infectious trading patterns.¹⁹

Exchange Listings

In April 2023, Pepe (PEPE), reached a market capitalization of more than $400 million within its first two weeks by using internet meme culture and social media platforms and community-based adoption for its fast expansion.²⁰

PEPE Coin started to grow in popularity after its Binance listing during May 2023 and achieved a market value of $1 billion which increased to $8.5 billion by December 2024 through community support and its digital collectible products.²¹

The Pepe Coin whale transformed his $3,000 investment into $51 million by trading 4.9 trillion PEPE tokens500 billion of which he sold on Coinbase while maintaining possession of 1.2 trillion PEPE.²²

PEPE Coin, which is an Ethereum-based meme token that launched on April 14, 2023, built up its popularity until it achieved a market capitalization of $750 million and later received a listing on Gemini which allowed users to trade using multiple fiat currencies and make deposits.²³

In 2023, Gemini launched an offshore derivatives platform, which serves 30 countries and provides Bitcoin perpetual contracts that allow 100× leverage. The platform grew its international presence because of the strict cryptocurrency regulations which the US government enforced.²⁴

Coinbase Apology

Coinbase faced public backlash in May 2023 after its staff made an email statement which called the PEPE meme a hate symbol. The PEPE community responded to this statement which caused a 14% price drop of the currency. ²⁵ Coinbase issued an apology in May 2023 after linking Pepecoin to alt-right hate symbols because the meme existed within a wider cultural framework. The apology followed community backlash after more than 180000 tweets requested a boycott.²⁶

In May 2023 Coinbase experienced public discontent because its newsletter described Pepe the Frog as a "hate symbol." The statement resulted in negative feedback from the cryptocurrency community which used the hashtag #DELETECOINBASE to express their disapproval. The $PEPE memecoin reached a market capitalization of over $1 billion during that period. Coinbase later issued an apology which explained that the newsletter did not accurately show the complete history of the meme while the company expressed its regret to the community.²⁷

Pepe the Frog, created by Matt Furie in 2005, became a viral meme, later controversially labeled a hate symbol, and inspired the 2023 PEPE cryptocurrency, exemplifying meme- driven internet culture. ²⁸ Memes, including trends like the 2024 to 2025 “6–7” from Skrilla’s Doot Doot, demonstrate how internet culture, spanning platforms such as TikTok and 4chan, influences communication, language, and cultural expression across generations. ²⁹

The Anti-Defamation League added Pepe the Frog to its hate symbol database in 2016 after white supremacists and alt-right groups used the meme to spread their racist and anti-Semitic propaganda.³⁰ Matt Furie, who created Pepe the Frog, officially killed the character in 2017 after spending months recovering it from alt-right and white supremacist groups, who had stolen the meme to use it as a hate symbol.³¹

Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters in 2019 used Pepe the Frog as their freedom and dissent symbol. The meme which Matt Furie originally created had been taken back from its alt-right associations to become a tool for protest art and online expression.³²

Tokenomics

In April 2023, Pepe coin launched with a total supply of 420.69 trillion, the system includes redistribution rewards and token burning and liquidity pool locking, but its price movements show extreme fluctuations because of community trading activities. ³³ Pepe ($PEPE) is a meme cryptocurrency that reached $70 million in 24-hour trading volume during April 2023. The token features a total supply of 420.69 trillion, community-focused tokenomics, and plans for exchange listings and expansion.³⁴

16 Trillion PEPE Theft

In August 2023, three former Pepe memecoin team members allegedly stole approximately 16 trillion tokens, which had a value of $15 million, from the project's multisignature wallet and sold the stolen tokens on exchanges, which led to the implementation of security measures and the creation of a new wallet to protect remaining funds.³⁵ In August 2023, Pepecoin reported that rogue developers on the team illicitly transferred approximately 16 trillion tokens, which had a value of $15 million, from the project's multisignature wallet to exchanges, which caused a sharp price decline and led to the implementation of stronger oversight measures.³⁶

The tokens were illegally moved to multiple cryptocurrency exchanges which included OKX, Binance, Kucoin and Bybit before their sale so this act led to allegations of insider trading and market manipulation against former Pepe Coin team members.³⁷

PEPE Coin experienced a 20% price drop after its multisignature wallet transferred tokens to different cryptocurrency exchanges. These unusual token transfers raised suspicions of a potential "rug pull" which led to an investigation of the project's security systems and developer motives.³⁸

An individual with access to the project’s official X account made an announcement which explained the strange activities and described the events that had been reported. ³⁹Pepe Coin (PEPE) is an Ethereum-based deflationary meme cryptocurrency which draws inspiration from the character Pepe the Frog. The 2023 launch of the product resulted in quick success because online communities supported it even though it did not provide any practical value.⁴⁰

In August 2023 a PEPE developer explained that team disputes led to unplanned multisig wallet transfers which he claimed secured all remaining tokens and official accounts. The project now operates through its new governance system which enables it to function autonomously.⁴¹

The official X account of the project has used Pepe Coin developments and explanations to inform the community about internal disputes and unusual token transfers that impacted project governance and community perception.⁴² Pepe announced the burn of 6.9 trillion tokens and the appointment of new advisors via its official X account, after which the token rose by over 53 percent, alongside plans for strategic partnerships and marketing initiatives.⁴³

¹ Flit pay “PEPE Price Prediction 2025, 2026, 2030 in INR and USD”, Achieved, Retrieved November 2025

² Pepe “Blog: $pepe”, Achieved

³ HTX “What is Pepe v2 (PE)”, Achieved, Retrieved 2024

⁴ Coin Market Cap “Clown Pepe Holders”, Achieved

⁵ Forbes “Clown Pepe (HONK)” , Achieved

⁶ BitGet “Bitget x PEPE Carnival: Deposit and Trade to Share 1,672,240,000 PEPE!”, Achieved, Retrieved November 2024

⁷ Reddit “Are meme coins quite literally only a giant pyramid scheme, please explain if not”, Achieved, Retrieved 1 Year ago

⁸ Binance “$PEPE price predictions: 2024, 2025 to 2030, 2040 and 2050”, Achieved, Retrieved 632 Days ago

⁹ The Block “Pepe whales realize losses in latest slate of memecoin selling”, Achieved, Retrieved October 2024

¹⁰ Coin Telegraph “Rogue Pepecoin team members blamed for $16M PEPE multsig withdrawal”, Achieved, Retrieved August 2023

¹¹ Binance “Reminder that $PEPE is not doing any airdrops, claims, staking, or giveaways/rewards.”, Achieved, Retrieved 710 Days ago

¹² Hacken “Wallet Security: Best Practices For Keeping Your Crypto Safe”, Achieved, Retrieved June 2025

¹³ Yahoo Finance “Crypto: What is Pepe Coin? The memecoin that has soared 900%”, Achieved, Retrieved April 2023

¹⁴ Messari “State of Uniswap Q4 2022”, Achieved, Retrieved January 2023

¹⁵ Binance “Ethereum Gas Fees Hit Record Levels Amid PEPE Meme Coin Hype; Flips SHIB, DOGE”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2023

¹⁶ Medium “Pepe and Wojak Collaborate on New Meme Token Project: A Bullish Outlook”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2023

¹⁷ The Cryptonomist “PEPE leads bull run of meme crypto assets: price flies +72%”, Achieved, Retrieved June 2023

¹⁸ Binance “Pepe Coin Price Targets 60% Increase: Analysts Predict Major Breakout Ahead”, Achieved, Retrieved November 2024

¹⁹ Crypto Hub Malta “Blog: The story of the PepeCoin”, Achieved

²⁰ Binance “PEPE Coin: the Viral Memecoin Revolutionizing the Cryptocurrency Market”, Achieved, Retrieved June 2023

²¹ Binance “PEPE Coin: The New Entrant Making Waves”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2025

²² Coin Gape “Pepe Coin Whale Turns $3K To $51M With Latest 500B PEPE Dump, Here’s All”, Achieved, Retrieved January 2025

²³ Tronweekly “PEPE Coin Gains Listing on Gemini Exchange”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2023

²⁴ Fortune “Gemini launches offshore derivatives platform as Winklevoss twins tire of U.S. crypto quagmire”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2023

²⁵ Binance “Coinbase’s PEPE Description Causes Backlash Among Crypto Community”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2023

²⁶ Fortune “Coinbase Apologizes For Tying Meme Token ‘Pepecoin’ To Racist Symbols”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2023

²⁷ The Block “‘We screwed up': Coinbase chief legal officer apologizes after Pepe newsletter controversy”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2023

²⁸ Binance “The Story of Pepe: From Meme to Million-Dollar Crypto”, Achieved, Retrieved March 2025

²⁹ Medium “What can the Origins of these 25 Memes tell us about Culture and the Language of the Internet?”, Achieved, Retrieved December 2025

³⁰ BCC “Pepe the Frog meme branded a 'hate symbol'”, Achieved, Retrieved September 2016

³¹ The Guardian “Pepe the Frog creator kills off internet meme co-opted by white supremacists”, Achieved, Retrieved May 2017

³² ICNC “Why Do Hong Kong Protesters Use Pepe the Frog as an Icon for Freedom and Democracy?”, Achieved, Retrieved November 2019

³³ Binance “Token Mechanism”, Achieved, Retrieved April 2025

³⁴ Yahoo Finance “Plug Power, Inc. (PLUG) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know”, Achieved, Retrieved January 2026

³⁵ The Block “Pepe confirms former team members stole $15 million from multisig wallet”, Achieved, Retrieved August 2023

³⁶ Yahoo Finance “Pepecoin Says 'Bad Actors' on Team Stole $15M PEPE”, Achieved, Retrieved August 2023

³⁷ Binance “Massive Pepe Coin Theft Sparks Allegations of Insider Trading”, Achieved, Retrieved August 2023

³⁸ Binance “PEPE Coin Sees 20% Drop: Unusual Token Transfers Raise ‘Rug Pull’ Concerns”, Achieved, Retrieved August 2023

³⁹ Forbes “5 Signs Your X (Twitter) Account Is Hacked – And What To Do”, Achieved, Retrieved August 2025

⁴⁰ Learn Crypto “Pepe”, Achieved, Retrieved February 2026

⁴¹ Binance “An announcement to the $PEPE”, Achieved, Retrieved September 2023

⁴² Crypto “What Is Pepe Coin and How to Buy PEPE”, Achieved, Retrieved March 2024