The origin of the Pepe character actually has quite an interesting story.

It originally started as a frog character drawn by artist Matt Furie in 2005 for the comic book "Boy's Club." Peaceful and friendly, Pepe is simple but has a certain charm, and quickly permeated internet culture. It spread on social media, and for a time, became a widely recognized internet meme.

However, during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, this character became involved in some complicated situations. Some online communities began to misuse Pepe to spread hate speech and racist content. Honestly, it was a pretty disappointing development.

That's when Matt Furie took action. He partnered with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and launched campaigns like "Save Pepe" to restore the character's original positive image. An effort to reintroduce Pepe's peaceful and friendly vibe to the world. I think it's a pretty creative response.

What’s interesting is the legal aspect. Furie has the right to seek compensation for commercial use of his work, but so far, he hasn't actively pursued copyright infringement related to Pepe coins. That balance in decision-making is also a form of judgment.