I heard that many people think that the Pepe the Frog meme is just a sad drawing? They are mistaken. There is a whole story behind it that started even before the crypto boom.

It all began in 2005 when artist Matt Furie drew the character in his comic Boy's Club. The moment that became iconic was Pepe with pants up to his ankles and the phrase Feels good, man. This image marked the beginning of everything. A couple of years later, around 2008, this meme made its way to 4chan, and magic happened there. Users started creating variations — Sad Pepe, Smug Pepe, Feels Bad Man. Each added their own style, and Pepe the Frog turned into a universal internet language for expressing emotions.

The meme became a symbol of everything — sadness, loneliness, even anger and joy at the same time. Then, in 2015-2016, something happened that changed the perception of this symbol. The alt-right in the USA appropriated the image for their purposes, using it in political campaigns. The Anti-Defamation League even added some versions to the list of hate symbols. Furie himself was against it, but the reputation was already damaged. Such was the turn of events.

But the crypto community found a new meaning in it. Rare Pepe began appearing on 4chan — unique, rare versions of the meme that people literally collected and sold. Then came NFTs and tokens based on Counterparty. The Pepe the Frog meme got a second life on the blockchain.

Now it’s interesting to see how an old internet symbol is experiencing a revival in the crypto universe. Do you have ideas for your own rare Pepe or a philosophical view of this phenomenon? Crypto culture is constantly looking for new ways to reinterpret the classics.