An unidentified crypto trader has impressively turned a $3,000 investment in the Pepe memecoin into over $46 million within a month, marking an extraordinary gain of more than 15,000 times the initial investment.
On April 15, the trader purchased 4.9 trillion units of PEPE for $3,000, which has since appreciated to over $56 million. The trader has realized part of this gain, selling 1.41 trillion PEPE for $7.4 million and still holds 3.5 trillion PEPE valued at approximately $38.9 million, as per data from Lookonchain shared on May 15.
Currently, Pepe has a market capitalization of $4.5 billion, positioning it as the third-largest memecoin behind Dogecoin and Shiba Inu, with its value increasing by 40% over the past week.
Hao Yang, the head of financial products at Bybit exchange, compares the surge of memecoins to the punk rock movement, noting both as expressions of a disillusioned younger generation witnessing diminishing economic opportunities compared to previous generations.
Additionally, Yang views the billion-dollar valuations of memecoins as a critique of the traditional financial system, illustrating the absurdity of a monetary system that allows new tokens to be created from nothing and quickly attain massive valuations.
The recent rally in PEPE coin coincides with a resurgence in interest in GameStop’s stock, which saw a significant price increase following the return of Keith Gill (also known as Roaring Kitty) to social media. Gill is noted for his role in catalyzing the 2021 GameStop short squeeze. Following his comeback, GameStop shares soared by over 111%, eclipsing Bitcoin’s annual returns in just 24 hours.
Xiaohan Zhu, CEO of Meter, suggests that the GameStop saga could be a contributing factor to PEPE’s recent price movements. He attributes the broader cryptocurrency market’s volatility to profit-taking and the launch of major projects on exchanges, which draws liquidity from the market.
While it is challenging to predict a widespread memecoin rally, some traders speculate that the gains from GameStop could potentially spill over into altcoins, as was seen in the 2021 bull market. This speculation is supported by historical chart patterns that link significant rallies in altcoins to the timing of the GameStop surge.
Aleksandra Artamonovskaja from TriliTech, Tezos, posits that Pepe’s appeal extends beyond its status as an internet meme, viewing it as a cultural symbol of rebellion and hope. She believes this makes Pepe a compelling narrative for retail investors, similar to the GameStop phenomenon.