About Pepecoin
Pepecoin (PEP) is a layer-1 cryptocurrency with its own blockchain. A fair-launched, proof-of-work network built for the Pepe community. It belongs to the Bitcoin family of coins, runs on the Scrypt algorithm, and is merge-mined alongside Litecoin and Dogecoin, meaning it inherits security from two of the largest PoW networks in crypto.
No one owns or controls Pepecoin. There was no pre-mine, no ICO, no VC allocation, and no founder treasury. Every coin in circulation was earned through mining, which means there's no central party that can rug pull holders, change supply unilaterally, or shut the network down. Consensus is achieved through a simple set of rules followed by all nodes on the network.
Pepecoin is a true cryptocurrency, not a smart contract token like PEPE or SHIB on Ethereum or the many other Pepe-themed ERC-20s.
Official websites: pepecoin.com or pepecoin.org
A Fair Launch in 2024
Pepecoin launched on January 30, 2024, created by Dogecoin community members Zordiak and Karzo as a Dogecoin fork built around the Pepe meme. From day one, 100% of the supply was distributed through public proof-of-work mining — the same fair-launch model used by Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Dogecoin. No insiders received early coins. No team wallet was set aside. The chain went live and miners began earning blocks the same way anyone else could.
That fair-launch heritage is the foundation of Pepecoin's decentralization. It isn't a marketing claim, it's a consequence of how the chain started.
Secured by Merged Mining
One of Pepecoin's most important technical features is merged mining with Litecoin and Dogecoin. Activated at block 42,000, merged mining lets miners produce blocks for all three chains simultaneously without using any additional hash power. The result: Pepecoin is secured by hash power from two of the largest Scrypt networks in the world, making 51% attacks dramatically more expensive than they would be on a standalone meme chain.
Pepecoin is and always will be 100% proof-of-work. No exceptions.
Tokenomics
Pepecoin uses a halving block reward schedule similar to Bitcoin's, with rewards cut in half every 100,000 blocks. After block 600,000, the reward stabilizes at a fixed 10,000 PEP per block, ensuring miners always have an incentive to secure the network.
| Block range | Reward per block |
|---|---|
| 1–99,999 | 500,000 PEP |
| 100,000–199,999 | 250,000 PEP |
| 200,000–299,999 | 125,000 PEP |
| 300,000–399,999 | 62,500 PEP |
| 400,000–499,999 | 31,250 PEP |
| 500,000–599,999 | 15,625 PEP |
| 600,000+ | 10,000 PEP |
The smallest divisible unit of Pepecoin is the Ribbit: one Ribbit equals 0.00000001 PEP, the same precision as a satoshi on Bitcoin. The official currency symbol is Ᵽ (P with stroke).
Coin vs. Token: Why It Matters
The terms "coin" and "token" get used interchangeably, but they describe fundamentally different things.
A coin is the native asset of its own blockchain. Bitcoin lives on the Bitcoin blockchain. Ether lives on Ethereum. Pepecoin lives on the Pepecoin blockchain. Building a coin means building (or forking and maintaining) an entire network — consensus rules, mining, node software, the works.
A token is an asset created on top of someone else's blockchain, usually through a smart contract. Tokens like USDT, USDC, PEPE, and SHIB all live on Ethereum (or other host chains) and depend on those host chains to function.
This distinction has real consequences:
Creation difficulty. Launching a coin requires a working blockchain. Launching a token can take an afternoon and a few lines of Solidity. The volume of meme tokens reflects this because they're cheap to spin up.
Control and risk. Token contracts often include functions that let creators mint new supply, freeze wallets, or drain liquidity pools. A coin on its own blockchain has none of these levers. Whatever the protocol allows is what exists.
Listings and infrastructure. Tokens are easy for exchanges to list because they slot into existing infrastructure on their host chain. Coins require dedicated integration work, which is a higher bar, but also a signal that an exchange has committed real engineering to support the asset.
Examples of Coins
- Bitcoin (BTC) — the first cryptocurrency, launched 2009
- Litecoin (LTC) — Bitcoin fork focused on faster transactions
- Dogecoin (DOGE) — the original meme coin
- Ether (ETH) — native asset of Ethereum
- Pepecoin (PEP) — the first proof-of-work coin for Pepe
Examples of Tokens
- Tether (USDT) — dollar-pegged stablecoin
- USD Coin (USDC) — dollar-pegged stablecoin
- Pepecoin Eth (PEPE) — Ethereum-based meme token
- Shiba Inu (SHIB) — Ethereum-based meme token
Pepecoin Facts
Triple Mineable
Litecoin, Dogecoin, and Pepecoin can be mined simultaneously using a process called merged mining.
Fast
Transactions take just a few minutes to fully confirm.
Secure
The network is secured using Litecoin and Dogecoin's hashrate.
Low Fees
Transaction fees are very low, often less than a penny.
Fair
No rug pulls. Even the devs had to purchase or mine the initial coins.
A Coin
Unlike the many meme smart tokens, Pepecoin is a true cryptocurrency like Bitcoin.
PoW Forever
Pepecoin is and will always be 100% Proof of Work.
Familiar
Pepecoin belongs to the Bitcoin family of coins.
Wallets
Pepecoin has its own wallet and also works with a number of other popular crypto wallets.
Exchanges
Pepecoin can be purchased on a number of popular exchanges.
Kraken 
Mexc 
CoinEx 
Alchemy Pay 
LetsExchange 
SimpleSwap 
StealthEX 
Trocador 
Biconomy 
XT 
AscendEx 
StakeCube Market Watch
See price history and other stats about Pepecoin:
Mining Pepecoin
Pepecoin is mined using the scrypt proof-of-work algorithm, the same algorithm used by Litecoin and Dogecoin. Because of merged mining, miners can produce blocks for all three chains simultaneously without using any additional hash power — when a miner solves a Litecoin or Dogecoin block, that same work can also produce a Pepecoin block.
This has two important consequences. First, Pepecoin's network security benefits directly from the existing scrypt mining ecosystem, which represents some of the largest sustained proof-of-work hash power in crypto. Second, mining Pepecoin is accessible to anyone already mining Litecoin or Dogecoin: it costs nothing extra in terms of hash power or electricity to add Pepecoin to a merge-mining setup.
For miners new to scrypt or merge mining, getting started involves choosing mining hardware (typically scrypt ASICs), connecting to a mining pool that supports merge mining for PEP, and configuring your miner with the appropriate stratum endpoint and wallet address.
Pepecoin Resources
A collection of useful resources for exploring the Pepecoin network and ecosystem. All of these are official or community-vetted tools.
Block Explorers
Block explorers let you look up transactions, addresses, and blocks on the Pepecoin chain in real time.
- PepeBlocks — feature-rich explorer with a node map
- PepecoinExplorer — official explorer
- Pepeplorer — community-built alternative
- Peppool — mempool-focused explorer
Faucets
Faucets distribute small amounts of PEP for free, useful for getting started or testing transactions.
Developer Resources
- Pepecoin GitHub — source code for Pepecoin Core and related tools
- Pepecoin Node Map — live map of network nodes
- Mining Pool Stats — list of mining pools supporting Pepecoin
Community
Compare Pepecoins
Understand the technical differences between the PEP Coin and the PEPE Meme Token.
| Feature | Pepecoin | Pepecoin Ethereum | Pepecoin 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Symbol |  |  |  |
| Ticker | PEP | PEPE | PEPECOIN |
| Website | pepecoin.com pepecoin.org | pepe.vip | pepecoin.io |
| Launch | 2024 | 2023 | 2016/2023 |
| Layer-1 Blockchain | Ethereum Token | Ethereum Token | |
| Part of Bitcoin Family | |||
| Halving | |||
| Burn | |||
| PoW Coin | |||
| Inscriptions | |||
| Avg. Transaction Fees | $0.007 | $9.93 | $9.93 |
| Community Driven |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pepecoin?
Pepecoin (PEP) is a Layer 1 proof-of-work cryptocurrency, launched on January 30, 2024 as a code fork of Dogecoin. It runs on its own blockchain, uses the scrypt algorithm, and is merge-mined alongside Litecoin and Dogecoin. Pepecoin was fair-launched with no pre-mine, no ICO, and no team allocation — every coin in circulation was earned through public mining.
Is Pepecoin (PEP) different from the Pepe token (PEPE)?
Yes — they are completely separate projects. Pepecoin (PEP) is a Layer 1 blockchain with its own network, similar to Bitcoin or Dogecoin. PEPE is an ERC-20 token that runs on top of the Ethereum blockchain and was launched in 2023, a year before Pepecoin. The two share the Pepe meme as inspiration but have no technical or organizational connection.
A quick way to tell them apart: Pepecoin addresses start with the letter
P (for example, PoAGLLWhs3B6C6nJL26wEG79DuK6jHYP28).
PEPE is held in Ethereum-style addresses that start with 0x.
What is the official Pepecoin website?
The official Pepecoin project lives at pepecoin.com (also accessible at pepecoin.org). Pepecoin News is an independent community resource and is not officially affiliated with the Pepecoin development team.
Who created Pepecoin?
Pepecoin was created by Zordiak and Karzo, two brothers and longtime Dogecoin community members ("Shibes"). Since launch, many community members have contributed to the project, making Pepecoin a genuinely community-driven cryptocurrency.
What blockchain was Pepecoin forked from?
Pepecoin is a code fork of Dogecoin — meaning the Dogecoin code was used as a starting point for Pepecoin's own independent blockchain. Dogecoin was selected for its long-standing reliability, existing merge-mining support with Litecoin, and developer familiarity.
This is not a hard fork in the traditional sense. Dogecoin holders did not receive any Pepecoin during launch — Pepecoin began at block 0 as a brand new chain, and every coin had to be mined.
Coins vs. Tokens
There are two basic types of cryptocurrencies, coins and tokens. Tokens exist as smart contracts on a parent network like Ethereum or Solana. Coins, on the other hand, have their own blockchain. Some blockchains use Proof-of-Work (e.g. Bitcoin) while others use Proof-of-Stake (e.g. Ethereum). Ethereum is a coin, Tether is a token (created via a smart contract) on Ethereum.
Pepecoin is a coin with its own blockchain. It uses Proof-of-Work just like Bitcoin. You can think of Pepecoin as "Bitcoin with a frog logo."
What is the currency symbol for Pepecoin?
The Ᵽ character (aka "P with Stroke") is the official currency symbol for Pepecoin.
What is a Ribbit?
A Ribbit is the smallest unit of Pepecoin, equivalent to one one-hundred-millionth of a PEP:
0.00000001 PEP = 1 Ribbit
This is analogous to satoshis on the Bitcoin network.
Was there a pre-mine for Pepecoin?
No. Pepecoin was fair-launched with zero pre-mine and zero allocation for the team, founders, or venture capitalists. From block 1, every Pepecoin in circulation has been earned through public proof-of-work mining — the same model used by Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Dogecoin.
What is the Pepecoin block reward schedule?
Pepecoin block rewards halve every 100,000 blocks until block 600,000, after which the reward stays at 10,000 PEP per block forever to ensure miners always have an incentive to secure the network.
| Block range | Reward per block |
|---|---|
| 1–99,999 | 500,000 PEP |
| 100,000–199,999 | 250,000 PEP |
| 200,000–299,999 | 125,000 PEP |
| 300,000–399,999 | 62,500 PEP |
| 400,000–499,999 | 31,250 PEP |
| 500,000–599,999 | 15,625 PEP |
| 600,000+ | 10,000 PEP |
How do I get started with Pepecoin?
You'll need a wallet that supports Pepecoin. The official desktop wallet is Pepecoin Core, and other supported wallets include Coinomi (mobile/desktop), Komodo (multi-coin), and Tangem (hardware). You can buy PEP on supported exchanges including Kraken, MEXC, CoinEx, and others. See our Wallets and Exchanges sections for complete lists.
Why are there so many Pepe cryptocurrencies?
Creating a token on an existing blockchain takes minutes — anyone with basic technical skills can deploy one. Creating a coin with its own blockchain, like Pepecoin, requires building and maintaining an entire network: consensus rules, mining infrastructure, node software, and exchange integrations. The volume of Pepe-themed tokens reflects how easy tokens are to create.
Pepecoin was built with the goal of being the definitive Pepe cryptocurrency — the one with its own blockchain, its own community, and the durability that comes from being a true coin rather than a contract on someone else's chain.
Does Pepecoin work with MetaMask, Uniswap, or other Web3 services?
No. Like Bitcoin and Dogecoin, Pepecoin is not compatible with Ethereum-based Web3 services. Pepecoin has its own ecosystem of wallets, explorers, and exchanges. Anything claiming to be Pepecoin on MetaMask or Uniswap is a different token, not the real PEP.