Why did Pepe the Frog become a phenomenon in crypto culture?

The history of Pepe the Frog is not just the story of a sad-faced picture. It is the story of how an internet icon turned into a cultural phenomenon and then finally settled in the crypto community.

From Comic to Internet Revolution

It all started simply. In 2005, artist Matt Furie drew a frog in his comic “Boy’s Club.” In one scene, the character says “Feels good, man” in a rather delicate situation — and that moment launched everything. It seemed like an ordinary comic scene, but the internet decided otherwise.

When the image appeared on 4chan in 2008, a miracle happened. Users began remixing Pepe’s face, adding new expressions, creating variations for different emotions — Sad Pepe, Smug Pepe, Feels Bad Man. The meme became a universal tool for expressing feelings.

Transformation of the Symbol

Throughout the 2010s, Pepe meme went through several stages of reinterpretation. Initially, it was simply a vessel for expressing emotions — sadness, anger, happiness, loneliness. The artist created something archetypal, universal.

But in 2015–2016, something happened that split society. The meme was appropriated by alternative movements in the USA and used for political purposes. The Anti-Defamation League even listed some versions among hate symbols. Matt Furie himself actively protested against this misuse of his creation.

Second Birth in the Crypto Community

Here, the story takes a turn. The crypto community, always on the lookout for memes and inside jokes, picked up Pepe and gave it a second life. “Rare Pepe” began appearing on 4chan — unique remixes that people started collecting and even trading as collectible digital assets.

This naturally evolved into the era of NFTs. Projects based on Counterparty and other blockchain platforms used Pepe as the basis for tokens and digital collections. Pepe the Frog became a bridge between internet culture and the Web3 economy.

The crypto community reinterpreted the symbol, restoring its original purity but with a new meaning — it was no longer just a way to express emotion, but an asset, a collectible item, a component of decentralized culture.

What’s Next?

Today, Pepe remains one of the most recognizable internet symbols, and its influence in the crypto space is only growing. From the 2005 comic to a meme-culture icon, from political battles to blockchain assets — the journey of this character shows how the internet transforms symbols and meanings.