Memecoins have once again captured the attention of the media due to the booming market capitalization of speculative tokens, which now stands at over $20 billion, fueled by the recent surge of PEPE. 

Memecoins have been a part of the cryptocurrency space since the creation of Dogecoin in 2013, with some investors making significant profits, while others have suffered losses. However, the emergence of PEPE as a new player in the memecoin market has caused a buzz in recent weeks, as the token has attracted the attention of enthusiastic memecoin investors. 

As previously reported, PEPE experienced a surge in value of 2,000% shortly after its launch in late April 2023, which is primarily attributed to the widespread hype surrounding the project on Twitter over the past month.

The Pepe website itself includes a disclaimer stating that the PEPE token is a meme coin with no inherent value or expectation of financial gain. The project also clarifies that it has no formal team or roadmap, and the token is purely for entertainment purposes and serves no practical use.

Nansen, a data analytics firm, has provided valuable insights and takeaways regarding the recent increase in PEPE's market capitalization. Research analyst Xin Yi estimated that the total value of the memecoin market is approximately $20 billion, with the top five tokens including DOGE, SHIB, PEPE, BABYDOGE, and FLOKI, accounting for more than $18 billion of the total market value.

According to data from Nansen Query, there has been a significant surge in the token value and market capitalization of PEPE compared to the other top five memecoins. However, it is important to note that the provided infographic may not provide a comprehensive analysis, as the data for PEPE only reflects its listing on CoinGecko, which occurred a few weeks after its initial release.

According to Yi, who spoke to Cointelegraph, the social aspect of memecoins continues to play a crucial role in shaping investor sentiment and driving market activity. This is exemplified by the influence of high-profile figures like Elon Musk, whose promotion of Dogecoin has become infamous, as well as the proliferation of Twitter bots that amplify memecoin hashtags and contribute to their relevance on the platform:

Previously, it was discussed how Nansen utilizes wallet labeling and trade tracking to provide data analytics and insights into the activities of "smart money" cryptocurrency traders and holders. Recently, there has been a notable increase in the number of smart money holders investing in PEPE, as indicated by on-chain data analyzed by Yi. However, it should be noted that investing in memecoins, such as PEPE, can be a risky gamble, since many other memecoins are known to be involved in pump-and-dump or rug-pull schemes. This means that although there may be a few thousand traders who profit from the rise in memecoin value, there are also significant risks associated with such investments:

Yi highlighted that memecoins carry inherent risks that can result in liquidity shortages. This is because significant token holders may choose to sell their holdings, causing smaller investors to suffer losses.

After its launch and gaining popularity among investors, PEPE was listed on several cryptocurrency exchanges including OKX, MEXC Global, Bitget, Gate.io, and Huobi.