Whales Exit $PEPE: Is This the End of the Meme Token’s Meteoric Rise?

The meme coin phenomenon $PEPE, which once fascinated the cryptocurrency world, is now encountering a possible turning point.

In a remarkable turn of events, whales—large investors with significant holdings—have started to offload billions of $PEPE tokens on exchanges, raising concerns about the future of this meme token. Among the most striking examples is a whale identified as 0xfbf, who has finalized their $PEPE trade with an astounding $11.1 million profit, achieving an impressive 11x return after holding the token for 1.22 years.

Currently, billions of tokens are now flooding exchanges. The market sentiment surrounding $PEPE is possibly showing signs of strain. The question remains: Is this the possible beginning of the end for $PEPE’s rally, or is it simply a strategic exit for smart investors?

One of the most lucrative trades in $PEPE’s brief history was made by Whale 0xfbf. This investor’s journey with $PEPE began in November 2023 when they withdrew 759.083 billion $PEPE tokens from Binance, at the average price of $0.000001314. At that time, the investment was worth about $998,000. For 1.22 years, this investor held onto those $PEPE tokens, timing their exit perfectly to take advantage of the exponential rise in the price of $PEPE.

Commencing in September 2024, the whale neatly started to place tokens back into Binance. Between September 18, 2024, and January 26, 2025, they meticulously sold their $PEPE holdings at an average price of $0.00001593, collecting around $12.1 million in total. When January 26, 2025, arrived, the whale politely closed out the final leg of their trade, depositing the remaining 430 billion tokens worth an estimated $6.39 million into Binance.

This meticulously arranged deal allowed the whale to walk away with an estimated $11.1 million in profit. It highlights the kinds of moneymaking opportunities that something like a meme coin can provide to a well-informed and well-timed investor.

Whale 0xfbf isn’t the only one cashing in on $PEPE. In recent days, a surge of whale activity has seen billions of $PEPE tokens sent to exchanges, such as Binance, for presumably equally lucrative trades. Here are some of the most notable transactions:

– 325.5 billion $PEPE, valued at $4.9 million, was transferred to Binance by marketparticipant.eth.

– $PEPE worth $2.85 million was received by 0xb1a2…6731 for selling 200.88 billion $PEPE.

– 140.83 billion $PEPE, with a value of $1.98 million, was moved to Binance by 0xC7ac…BE36.

The massive sell-offs have flooded the market with tokens and added downward pressure to the $PEPE price. Accordingly, many investors are now asking whether this is the beginning of a broader downturn for meme coins or if it is just whale profit-taking that will end soon.

For months, $PEPE has represented the triumph of meme coins. It has brought ludicrous returns to early adopters and has made it into the roster of retail favorites. Investors have emptied their bags, sending $PEPE to new lows, and uncertain market conditions have us questioning its next possible bottom.

Some see the whale selling as a sign the rally is over. Others think it could be a temporary phase. Still, analysts think cashing out could simply be what our whales do post-accumulation. And as for $PEPE? Reports suggest the altcoin still has what it takes to go up — if retail and smaller investors show up to buy.

Like any meme coin, the future of $PEPE will rely heavily on how much people like it, how much they talk about it, and how much they can get the community to back it. In history, meme coins have had a funny way of snapping back from sharp falls, often energized by people being interested in them again or by some really well-timed, ingenious announcements.

The prevailing sell-off represents a crucial juncture for $PEPE, as it pushes to the limits the strength of both its market and its community. The circulating supply of tokens is now at exchange levels that some might consider combustible. And that, in turn, raises the specter of a community that could be in the market and a token that could be in the danger zone.

Yet, the situation is also a chance for new investors. The new tokens could lower the $PEPE price enough to let new buyers step in at a discount. If we assume no further big selloffs from departing whales, the retail traders and smaller investors filling the gap left by the whales will leave the $PEPE token in a more stabilized situation than the one it’s been in for the past month and a half. And that may leave the $PEPE token in a better position to try resuming an upward trajectory than the one it was in during the latter half of July.

The recent sell-offs also point out the volatility and unpredictability of meme coins. They really are just that—coins with a meme. Potentially, though, they’re something with potential: not just to be the next Dogecoin, but to be something worth way more. By now, $PEPE should probably either be taken seriously as part of a new financial landscape or disregarded as something that can go belly-up any minute. For now, we maintain the illusion that it might just be something with potential, your next Doge, your next Shiba, because that’s a cheap thought and a precarious moment.

The market is now compelled to contend with the effect of these whale, or large holder, exits. Whether $PEPE can maintain its upward trajectory or will plummet under the weight of whale-induced oversupply is an open question. For now, though, $PEPE’s rise and fall surely encapsulate the two-in-one nature of meme coins as both speculative opportunities and scams.

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