Close Menu
CryptoHoppers.comCryptoHoppers.com
    What's Hot

    Phoenix Wallet halts services for US users

    April 28, 2024

    Your Key to Successful Crypto Trading

    November 4, 2023

    Bitcoin shows signs of decoupling from US equities, could reclaim $100K

    April 5, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Privacy Policy
    • Get In Touch
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    CryptoHoppers.comCryptoHoppers.com
    • News

      July’s Rate Cut Dreams Fade: Fed Seen Holding Firm as Trump Fumes

      July 10, 2025

      UAE Rejects $100K Crypto Visa Program as TON’s Staking Plan Triggers Regulatory Backlash

      July 8, 2025

      Digital trade tensions take center stage between the U.S. and South Korea

      July 7, 2025

      Traders Gear Up: FOMC Prep Signals Bitcoin, Altcoin Buying Frenzy

      July 6, 2025

      Bitcoin: Here's why BTC might fall to $105K despite all the hype

      July 5, 2025
    • Technology

      Coinbase partners with Perplexity to unlock real-time crypto data for traders

      July 10, 2025

      Comment on Bitcoin Surges to $110K as Selling Pressure Declines; Is BTC Charting its Way to a New ATH Soon? by Bitcoin Price Prediction: BTC to Hit $145.1K by Year-End and More

      July 9, 2025

      CleanSpark Doubles Bitcoin Mining Power After Georgia Expansion

      July 8, 2025

      Dogecoin price double bottoms as whale accumulation continues

      July 7, 2025

      Comment on Metaplanet Joins Top 5 Bitcoin Holders With 13,350 BTC as Stock Surges 10% by Bitcoin Treasuries Boom as Firms Add 8,400 BTC in Just One

      July 6, 2025
    • Learn/Guide

      Coinbase, Perplexity AI join forces to enhance crypto data access for traders

      July 10, 2025

      Top perps DEX GMX hacked for over $40m, $GMX token plunges

      July 9, 2025

      Cardano Foundation unveils blockchain-based tool to simplify audit compliance and enhance financial reporting

      July 8, 2025

      Plume Network brings real-world yield to TRON’s global payment ecosystem via SkyLink integration

      July 7, 2025

      TON introduces UAE Golden Visa program through crypto staking, Toncoin soars 13%

      July 6, 2025
    • NFTs

      1mouth Analog: miirror’s Raw Leap from Digital to Handmade Chaos | NFT CULTURE | NFT News | Web3 Culture

      May 9, 2025

      NFTCulture Expands Into TCGs with Cardcore.xyz: Where Digital Collectibles Meet Competitive Play | NFT CULTURE | NFT News | Web3 Culture

      May 8, 2025

      From Moonshots to Broken Links: The Rise and Fall of CloneX | NFT CULTURE | NFT News | Web3 Culture

      April 24, 2025

      Pacific Spirit: Vinyl Meets Code in a Groundbreaking Generative Drop on Art Blocks | NFT CULTURE | NFT News | Web3 Culture

      April 16, 2025

      Daizen: Elevating the NFT Multiverse on Apechain Blockchain | NFT CULTURE | NFT News | Web3 Culture

      December 5, 2024
    • Regulation

      SEC Drops Binance Lawsuit: How Regulatory Clarity Could Spark a BNB Price Rally

      May 30, 2025

      Kentucky Governor Signs Off On ‘Bitcoin Rights’ Bill, Strengthening Crypto Protections

      March 31, 2025

      Utah Moves Closer To Bitcoin Reserve As Bill Advances To Senate Standing Committee

      February 23, 2025

      Bitcoin ETFs In Focus As Kansas Senator Proposes Up To 10% Pension Fund Allocation

      January 26, 2025

      MicroStrategy May Face Tax Issues Over $19 Billion Unrealized Bitcoin Gains: Report

      January 25, 2025
    • Business

      Sri Lanka’s E-commerce Platform Kapruka to Introduce Crypto Payments

      November 17, 2024

      Leading Eastern European Exchange Exmo Sells Business in Russia, Belarus

      November 16, 2024

      Bank of Russia to Launch Digital Ruble Payment Infrastructure by July 2025

      November 15, 2024

      Bitcoin Mining Company Mara Holdings Now Holds 26,747 Bitcoin: Q3 Earnings Report Reveals

      November 14, 2024

      Brazil Prepares to Let Tradfi Institutions Embrace Crypto

      November 13, 2024
    • Live Pricing
    CryptoHoppers.comCryptoHoppers.com
    Home » The Complex Journey of the Pepe Meme: Controversy, Crypto, and Redemption? | NFT CULTURE | NFT News | Web3 Culture
    NFTs

    The Complex Journey of the Pepe Meme: Controversy, Crypto, and Redemption? | NFT CULTURE | NFT News | Web3 Culture

    May 16, 20235 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Complex Journey of the Pepe Meme: Controversy, Crypto, and Redemption? | NFT CULTURE | NFT News | Web3 Culture
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email


    The internet is a vast, ever-evolving landscape, home to many phenomena, none perhaps as pervasive or as controversial as memes. One such meme, Pepe the Frog, has traveled a particularly tumultuous path, finding itself in the spotlight for both negative and positive reasons. More recently, it has been thrust into the limelight due to its association with cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). But has this recent foray into blockchain technology truly saved Pepe, or merely added another layer to its complex narrative?

    The Birth of Pepe

    Pepe the Frog was born in 2005, as a character in Matt Furie’s comic series ‘Boy’s Club’. This laid-back amphibian was no different from any other comic character. However, by the late 2000s, Pepe had been adopted by the internet as a popular meme, often accompanied by the phrase “feels good man.”

    Over time, the Pepe meme diversified. Variations appeared, each expressing a different emotion, but the most prevalent was the so-called “sad frog meme,” a melancholy Pepe that became a common sight on internet message boards.

    The Controversy

    However, in the mid-2010s, Pepe took a dark turn. It was co-opted by online hate groups and far-right activists, becoming a symbol of discrimination and divisiveness. This was to the consternation of Furie, a liberal and outspoken critic of Donald Trump, who saw his creation being used by Trump supporters during the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. In 2016, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) even added Pepe to its database of hate symbols, sparking Furie to launch a “Save Pepe” campaign. Despite his efforts, the friendly frog had become a symbol of controversy.

    From Controversy to Crypto

    In the wake of this controversy, an anonymous group of developers saw an opportunity. They used non-fungible tokens (NFTs) – unique digital assets stored on a blockchain – to create “PepeCash” and “Rare Pepes”. These tokens depicted Pepe in various scenarios, and were sold as collectibles.

    A New Controversy: Coinbase and the ‘Hate Symbol’ Label

    Just when it seemed like Pepe might have found some respite in the world of crypto, a new controversy emerged. On May 10, Coinbase, a prominent cryptocurrency exchange, sent out an email to its customers describing Pepe as a “hate symbol” co-opted by alt-right groups. This description was based on a 2016 decision by the Anti-Defamation League to include Pepe in its database of online hate symbols.

    The email drew immediate backlash from the PEPE memecoin community. Prominent crypto influencer Borovik.eth shared the newsletter with his 96,000 followers, sparking widespread outrage. Fans and holders of the frog-themed memecoin demanded an apology from Coinbase, with some users even advocating for a boycott of the crypto exchange, leading to the trending hashtag: “#deletecoinbase”.

    This controversy escalated when Pseudonymous Twitter user and solidity developer Kenobi declared that Pepe is not a symbol of hate and that he would be moving funds to the United States-based crypto exchange Gemini as a result.

    Interestingly, while the controversy raged, the price of Pepe fell 2.6{ee212069bfc2680724ddd6b0d505d051cd6a6be760d8da0a6a57844f2abae5c8} following news of Coinbase’s description circulating on Twitter. At the time of publication, Pepe was trading for a price of $0.00000184, down 10.4{ee212069bfc2680724ddd6b0d505d051cd6a6be760d8da0a6a57844f2abae5c8} in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinGecko.

    Coinbase has yet to make any indication of whether it intends to list the Pepe token on its exchange. The exchange’s spokesperson said they had “nothing further to add” in response to the controversy. Meanwhile, Gemini, another major crypto exchange, listed the memecoin for trading, describing the token in more neutral terms.

    This latest incident underscores the complex nature of Pepe’s journey. Even as the memecoin community seeks to reclaim the symbol from its controversial past, others continue to associate it with hate and division.

     

    Redemption or Just Another Chapter?

    For some, this move represented an attempt to reclaim Pepe from its negative connotations and restore its original, innocuous meaning. The Rare Pepe NFTs gained popularity, attracting a community of enthusiasts who saw value in these digital collectibles. Even Furie embraced this shift, releasing official Pepe NFTs in 2021.

    However, not everyone agrees that this move fully disassociates Pepe from its controversial past. Some argue that the layers of internet irony and the often inscrutable world of crypto make it difficult to separate this new incarnation of Pepe from its previous uses.

    The story of Pepe is undeniably a complex one. It highlights the power of the internet to shape and reshape symbols, and the potential of technologies like blockchain to influence these narratives. Pepe’s journey from comic character to controversial symbol, and then to a crypto collectible, serves as a mirror reflecting our ever-changing digital culture.

    But the question remains: Has the world of cryptocurrencies and NFTs truly saved Pepe, or just written another chapter in its contentious history? As Pepe continues to evolve, the answer to this question will likely be just as dynamic.

    What do you think? Has the world of cryptocurrencies and NFTs truly saved Pepe, or just written another chapter in its contentious history? As the saga of Pepe continues to evolve, the answer to this question remains as dynamic and elusive as the meme itself. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

    Is Pepe a symbol of the alt-right or a just a meme? I have my opinions but I would love yours. Pls vote. Like and rt.

    — Mal | BAYC 5362 (@mal_nft) May 11, 2023





    Source link

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    Related Posts

    1mouth Analog: miirror’s Raw Leap from Digital to Handmade Chaos | NFT CULTURE | NFT News | Web3 Culture

    May 9, 2025

    NFTCulture Expands Into TCGs with Cardcore.xyz: Where Digital Collectibles Meet Competitive Play | NFT CULTURE | NFT News | Web3 Culture

    May 8, 2025

    From Moonshots to Broken Links: The Rise and Fall of CloneX | NFT CULTURE | NFT News | Web3 Culture

    April 24, 2025

    Pacific Spirit: Vinyl Meets Code in a Groundbreaking Generative Drop on Art Blocks | NFT CULTURE | NFT News | Web3 Culture

    April 16, 2025
    Top Posts

    Court rejects Ripple and SEC bid to slash $125M penalty and lift injunction on XRP sales to institutions

    June 26, 2025

    Tether invests $3 million in Kem app to boost Middle East financial inclusion

    August 14, 2024

    Brave Rewards users obtain their self-custody BAT payout system

    February 26, 2024

    Welcome to CryptoHoppers.com! Stay informed with the latest updates, trends, and insights from the dynamic world of cryptocurrencies. From Bitcoin to altcoins, blockchain technology to decentralized finance (DeFi), we cover it all. Discover expert analysis, market trends, regulatory developments, and exciting innovations shaping the crypto industry.

    Top Insights

    July’s Rate Cut Dreams Fade: Fed Seen Holding Firm as Trump Fumes

    July 10, 2025

    UAE Rejects $100K Crypto Visa Program as TON’s Staking Plan Triggers Regulatory Backlash

    July 8, 2025

    Digital trade tensions take center stage between the U.S. and South Korea

    July 7, 2025
    Advertisement
    Demo
    CryptoHoppers.com
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • News
    • Technology
    • Learn/Guide
    • Regulation
    • NFTs
    • Business
    • Live Pricing
    © 2025. Designed by CryptoHoppers.com.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.