PEPE vs. New Meme Coins—Are Old Legends Ready to Rule or Will They Fade?

Meme coins are a unique corner of the crypto market, driven more by community and culture than by technical use cases. Among them, PEPE has been one of the most recognizable names. Inspired by the well-known internet character Pepe the Frog, this Ethereum-based token quickly became a favorite for traders who enjoy the playful side of digital assets.

In mid-September 2025, PEPE is priced at about $0.0000109 after slipping slightly from recent highs. While this may seem like a small number, the token has a massive supply, and its overall market value is around $4.6 billion. Despite the short-term dip, PEPE managed to record a 5.5 % weekly gain earlier in the month performing better than Bitcoin’s small rise and keeping pace with other meme coins in the market.

What stands out with PEPE is the confidence of whales. Blockchain data revealed that one new wallet purchased more than 1.5 trillion PEPE tokens, worth about $15 million at its peak. This kind of activity suggests that some traders believe PEPE still has room to grow, even when prices pull back.

While PEPE has established itself, it is not without competition. Several new meme coins are trying to capture attention and investment. One of the most prominent challengers is Little Pepe, which has branded itself as an “evolution” of the original. By mid-September, Little Pepe had raised over $25 million in presale funds, with token prices rising more than 120% during this stage alone.

Another contender is Pepeto, a project that mixes artificial intelligence themes with meme culture. Pepeto has already attracted nearly $7 million in presale money and around 39,000 holders, showing the excitement for fresh concepts in the meme coin world. These newcomers often add features like staking rewards, token-burning mechanisms, or gamified elements to make themselves stand out.

Compared to them, PEPE has kept its approach simple, no presale, no complicated tokenomics, and a fixed supply since its launch in April 2023. Supporters argue that this “purity” is what gives PEPE its cultural staying power, while others say newer coins are more innovative and better designed for long-term engagement.

One of the main reasons PEPE remains relevant is its active community. Recently, the “Frog Army” organized a decentralized vote to add a token-burning mechanism, where 1% of trading fees would be used to permanently remove tokens from circulation. More than three-quarters of participants supported this change. By adopting ideas from rivals, PEPE shows that even older meme coins can evolve while staying true to their identity.

In contrast, new coins like Little Pepe rely heavily on flashy marketing, giveaways, and presale hype to build their base. While this can attract quick attention, the number of actual token holders is still relatively small compared to PEPE’s community. At present, PEPE has over 250,000 active addresses, while Little Pepe has around 39,000 and Pepeto closer to 20,000. This difference highlights the challenge for newcomers, raising money is one thing, but building a lasting community is much harder.

For investors and traders, meme coins carry both excitement and risk. PEPE’s long history and exchange listings on major platforms like Binance and Coinbase provide a sense of stability. On the other hand, new projects can deliver large returns during their presale or early trading stages but may collapse once the hype fades. Regulation could also play a role in shaping the future of meme coins. The European Union’s MiCA framework has already begun paying closer attention to highly volatile assets, which could affect both PEPE and its challengers. Established projects may handle these changes better since they are already listed on regulated exchanges, while smaller projects could face hurdles.

Market signals suggest PEPE is in a balanced position. Its Relative Strength Index (RSI), a tool used by traders to gauge momentum, sits at 53 neither overbought nor oversold. This means that if Bitcoin’s price climbs back above $115,000, PEPE could benefit from renewed momentum. New coins like Little Pepe may draw attention with giveaways and promotions, but investors should watch carefully for what happens once the tokens begin trading on open markets.

 

 

The Ongoing Competition Between PEPE and New Meme Coins

The contest between PEPE and newer meme coins is about more than just price changes. It raises the question of what helps a cryptocurrency project last in the rapidly changing crypto world. Some believe long-term success comes from strong community support and cultural influence, while others think new ideas and stories keep a project alive. PEPE has already shown it can remain popular after its viral start, but new coins must prove they can keep people interested once the first excitement is over. This outcome could influence the future of meme coins overall.

This rivalry shows how meme coins have changed from being jokes to becoming a major part of the crypto market. Whether PEPE stays in the lead or a new coin takes over, it is clear that meme coins rely on both community involvement and cultural impact to endure over time.