Memecoin mania: Social relevance, speculation drives PEPE surge
Memecoins have been part and parcel of the cryptocurrency space since the inception of Dogecoin back in 2013, with fortunes made and ruined in equal measure. But a new token on the block caused a stir in recent weeks, as Pepe (PEPE) grabs a chunk of the memecoin market share from plucky investors.
As previously reported by Cointelegraph, PEPE saw a 2,000% boom in value following its launch in late April 2023. The token’s rally is primarily attributed to zealous memecoin hype, with the project widely shared on Twitter over the past month.
Today. $PEPE #MMGA pic.twitter.com/Adf0Vem8B3
The Pepe website itself is brandished with a closing disclaimer, labeling PEPE as “a meme coin with no intrinsic value or expectation of financial return.“ The project also stipulates that it has no formal team or roadmap and that the token is “completely useless and for entertainment purposes only.“
Data analytics firm Nansen provided insightful data and key takeaways following the rise of PEPE’s market capitalization. Research analyst Xin Yi estimated that the total memecoin market value is around $20 billion, with the top five tokens, Dogecoin (DOGE), Shiba Inu (SHIB), PEPE, Baby Doge Coin (BABYDOGE) and Floki (FLOKI), accounting for over $18 billion of the value.
Data provided from Nansen Query shows the massive spike in token value and market capitalization of PEPE in relation to the other top five memecoins. Yi also notes that the infographic does not paint a complete picture, given that the data for PEPE reflects its listing on CoinGecko, which came a couple of weeks after its inception.
Yi told Cointelegraph that the social aspect of memecoins remains a significant driver of investor sentiment and action, highlighting the likes of Elon
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