What is PEPE and how does it work?

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By Berto R

  • PEPE is a token found on the Ethereum network.

  • PEPE seeks to capitalize on the popularity of meme-based cryptocurrencies.

  • The value of memecoins is based on their ability to be a joke and create community.

  • In addition to PEPE, there is a series of NFTs called Rare Pepes that predate the cryptocurrency.

  • With the popularity of PEPE, a second project called PEPE Unchained was born.

PEPE is a memecoin that operates as a token on the Ethereum network. The name of the coin is inspired by the famous internet character: Pepe the Frogwhich was immortalized in bitcoiner culture thanks to an NFT-style collectible card game.

Like Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB), it is a memecoin, whose main use is to make Internet users laugh, create communities and become a means of financial speculation.

What are memecoins and how are they characterized?

Memecoins are all those digital currencies inspired by jokes, images and famous Internet memes. Due to their origin as an internet meme, they are considered to have no real value. However, over the years and specifically the arrival of the 2021 bull market, this market has had exponential growth, causing the price of these assets to be driven with considerable volatility.

Who created PEPE and when was it launched on the market?

The history of PEPE dates back to 2005. Yes, even before Bitcoin was born. And this famous cryptocurrency is inspired by an American comic strip by Matt Furie: Boy’s Club, starring an anthropomorphic frog whose motto was “feel’s good, man” in Spanish.

Matt Furie creó a Pepe, the frog, para su comic Boys Club. Fuente: Matt Furie/ Amazon.

What started as a comic soon became an internet meme that, by 2014, was transformed into digital art on eBay and soon after hit the Bitcoin network as one of the first collectible NFTs. We are talking about Rare Pepes, an unforgettable card game that paved the destiny of digital illustrations in cryptocurrency networks and is, in today’s sun, one of the most exclusive and expensive NFTs.

But, you’re probably wondering where the cryptocurrencies are. Well yes, we have talked about comics, memes and NFTs, but we have not yet mentioned cryptocurrencies. This is because the token PEPE appeared late on the market, specifically in 2023when other memecoin projects such as DOGE or SHIB had already had something to talk about for a long time.

PEPE leads as one of the memecoins with the best percentage gains. Source: CoinMarketCap.

And PEPE was born as a memecoin that returns to the origin of the community, becoming identified with a parody of President Donald Trump’s phrase (Make America Great Again): “Make meme great again” or “Make memes great again.” ”. The idea came from Zachary Testa, a landscape photographer and cryptocurrency enthusiast who wanted take advantage of the already extensive market that PEPE the frog had in the bitcoiner communitybut now in speculative token format and for laughs.

Testa has been harshly criticized

Although Testa is the creator of PEPE as a token, many believe that the real beneficiary of the PEPE market should be Matt Furie. After all, he is the creator of PEPE the frog and the origin of the entire community that was formed around this figure. However, Internet users accuse Zachary Testa of taking advantage of Furie’s ideas to buy luxurious cars and live the high life, without having to pay anything in return to the main artist. On the PEPE website it is clarified that Furie is not part of the project.

According to the PEPE website, This token would be direct competition to the memecoin market full of puppies. By recovering the image of PEPE the frog that has endured as one of the great memes in the history of the Internet and the bitcoiner community, the developers of this project propose to change the current dynamics of the market and introduce new funny elements.

This is a new proposal for those investors interested in highly speculative assets, who obtained another of the most memorable memes on the Internet in Dogecoin and managed to capitalize on it as one of the top 10 cryptocurrencies in market capitalization.

PEPE occupies the 22nd position in market capitalization, sharing spaces with the Litecoin and Uniswap cryptocurrencies. Source: CoinMarketCap.

A surprising feat considering that memecoins are not cryptocurrencies with a utilitarian value or great technological proposalsmost of which are projects that are quite transparent due to the lack of real monetary value of their units, and that their purchase is motivated more than anything by the culture of making jokes on the Internet.

How does PEPE work?

One of the peculiarities of PEPE is that it works as an ERC-20 token. That is, its issuance is done on the Ethereum network and is controlled by a smart contract. This feature indicates that PEPE is not a cryptocurrency as suchsince it does not have its own network, nor does it propose a new financial or programming architecture in the market, as Ethereum, Bitcoin or XRP does.

What are token standards?

Tokens are currencies issued on a network that coexist alongside native currencies. That is, they are not created as part of the monetary policy of the network in which they exist or as a reward mechanism. Rather, they typically have use cases focused on decentralized applications, platforms, or organizations.

In this sense, PEPE works as a currency that can be exchanged person to person on any exchange that accepts Ethereum transactions. PEPE operations are processed by Ethereum validators as well as recorded on their ledger as an ERC token.

Regarding its economy, the PEPE coin was launched without pre-sale and with a limited number of units of 420 trillion PEPE. Additionally, in the programming of its smart contract, a deflationary mechanism is encoded that is responsible for burning a small percentage of PEPE each time a transaction is made. In this way, it is considered a deflationary memecoin.

The PEPE token has a version 2.0, better known as PEPE Unchained or PEPU, which lives in Ethereum’s layer 2 solution. That is, all your transactions are processed outside the main network and then, when approved, are recorded in block on the ledger. What are the advantages of this mechanism? Well, mainly, it reduces transaction fees. Additionally, PEPU developers offer higher staking profits and distributed units for their users.

What was PEPE’s all-time high?

The highest price that PEPE has reached is $0.00002524, marked on November 13, 2024. Since the moment of its launch, PEPE has appreciated by 36,000%.

What is the main objective of PEPE?

PEPE’s main goal is to capitalize on the popularity of meme-based cryptocurrencies, noting that they want to go back to the origins and create a currency that is represented by one of the great memes of the Internet and the bitcoiner community. In this way, they seek to differentiate themselves from dog memecoins, a trend that Dogecoin (DOGE) started.

In this sense, the developers point out:

The dogs have had their day, it’s time for Pepe to take the reins.

Website of PEPE.

Memecoins have been one of the most benefited and popular cryptocurrency markets in 2023-2024. Therefore, it is not surprising that tokens like PEPE make a presence and seek to capitalize on fans of the Matt Furie meme. As if that were not enough, these are assets that promise from their creation the possibility of speculating on their price (for better or worse), while creating a community based on laughter and jokes.

What are the risks of investing in PEPE?

Investing in PEPE carries several risks. First of all, Cryptocurrency market volatility can cause extreme fluctuations in the value of PEPE which could result in significant losses for investors. Without a correct risk management strategy, investors’ capital may be damaged.

The lack of regulation in the cryptocurrency market also represents a risk, as there are not the same protections and guarantees found in traditional financial markets.

Besides, The security of the exchange platforms where PEPE is acquired and traded is a critical factor. Exchange platforms may be vulnerable to cyberattacks and fraud, which could result in the loss of investors’ funds. Exposure to scams and fraudulent schemes is another risk associated with investing in cryptocurrencies, as the anonymity and decentralized nature of transactions can facilitate illicit activities.

Likewise, although currently the memecoin trend is at its highest peak of popularity, it cannot be known with certainty if it will be a trend that will stay or a passing cycle. The durability of investor interest in this trend will determine whether PEPE can be leveraged to make big long-term profits or whether, conversely, entering its market at this time will be more of a costly mistake.

Where can I buy and sell PEPE?

PEPE is a currency that is found in the main exchanges in the market, such as:

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