Should You Buy Pepe in 2025?

Pepe in brief

How much does 1 Pepe cost?

The price of Pepe is up this week. Currently, Pepe is trading at ZAR 0.000214, showing a positive change of +2.9% over the last 24 hours and a 5.1% gain for the past week. Its market capitalization stands at ZAR 90.5 billion, with an average 3-month trading volume of ZAR 7.3 billion. Pepe ranks 21st among cryptocurrencies by market cap, with a circulating supply of 420.69 trillion tokens and a market dominance of 0.35%.

As always, remember that the crypto market remains highly volatile—keep a close eye if you’re considering Pepe as an investment option.

Our complete review of the Pepe cryptocurrency

After analysing the latest trends surrounding Pepe and reviewing its trajectory over the past three years, our team has synthesised on-chain metrics, technical indicators, market data, and the competitive environment using proprietary algorithms. These models capture both the quantitative momentum and the qualitative ecosystem developments shaping Pepe’s status among next-gen crypto assets. So, why could Pepe once again emerge in 2025 as a strategic entry point for high-beta exposure within the memecoin and decentralised web ecosystem?

Recent Performance and Market Context

Price Evolution

Pepe’s recent price action has been particularly noteworthy. Following an exceptional rise in 2023 amid the resurgence of ‘memecoins’ and the widespread adoption of decentralised applications, Pepe established itself as a leading narrative-driven token. Between 2023 and 2024, the asset experienced periods of elevated volatility, but crucially maintained a well-supported trend, frequently outperforming sector benchmarks such as DOGE and SHIB.

During Q1–Q2 2024, Pepe’s price consolidated after reaching a cycle top near its current all-time high, exhibiting strong resilience in the face of broader market corrections. Recent trading volumes have surged on both centralised and decentralised exchanges, confirming renewed market interest.

Positive Events

• Continuous listing and liquidity improvements on top-tier platforms (Binance, OKX, Kraken), driving institutional interest and improving capital flows.
• Increased on-chain activity: Pepe’s active wallet count and daily transaction numbers have reached new records, reflecting genuine user engagement and network effects.
• Integration with popular DeFi platforms (e.g., Uniswap, Aave) and meme-based liquidity pools, which has improved both utility and market access.

Macro and Sector Tailwinds

The current macroeconomic context is highly favourable for speculative crypto assets. As global inflationary pressures persist, digital assets with strong community backing and narrative strength (like Pepe) are benefiting from growing inflows. The memecoin category, specifically, is experiencing a renaissance driven by younger investors seeking high-upside plays with grassroots momentum. Lower regulatory hostility in South Africa and ZA’s vibrant crypto trading landscape further amplify Pepe’s regional positioning.

Technical Analysis

Key Indicators

• Relative Strength Index (RSI): Hovering in the neutral-to-bullish range, suggesting room for upside before overbought thresholds.
• MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence): Producing a positive crossover on the daily and weekly timeframes, often a herald of renewed trend acceleration.
• Moving Averages: The 50-day moving average recently crossed above the 200-day (golden cross), a textbook sign of medium-term structural strength.

Support & Reversal Zones

• Solid Support: Well-established buy zones formed around previous consolidation at current levels, with significant liquidity at recent lows.
• Bullish Reversal: A clear shift in on-chain sentiment, marked by increased long positions and strong accumulation visible in glassnode data.
• Short/Mid-Term Outlook: Breakout potential is high, as indicated by declining volatility and a compression of Bollinger Bands—conditions typically preceding explosive moves.

Fundamental Analysis

Growing Adoption & Ecosystem Momentum

• User Base: Pepe now boasts one of the densest and most engaged communities in the memecoin sector, regularly trending on Crypto Twitter and Reddit.
• Strategic Partnerships: Recent collaborations with NFT marketplaces and cross-chain bridges (notably Polygon and Base) have begun to unlock new user cohorts and deepen liquidity.
• Ecosystem Growth: Native Pepe dApps—ranging from meme-driven lottery games to branded NFT projects—are catalysing network stickiness.

Attractive Relative Valuation

• Market Cap: Pepe sits comfortably within the top 50 cryptoassets globally, with a valuation that gives room for upside compared to DOGE and SHIB, whose market caps remain significantly larger despite similar social metrics.
• Fully Diluted Valuation: Still low relative to projected adoption and existing network activity metrics, supporting an argument for re-rating.
• Liquidity: Daily traded volumes have consistently topped $500M USD over recent weeks, providing strong market confidence and institutional-grade entry/exit conditions.

Structural Advantages

• Technological Edge: Pepe is ERC-20 based, ensuring high interoperability and seamless integration with DeFi protocols.
• Community Depth: A vast, engaged, and creative user base propels organic marketing, meme virality, and rapid mobilisation for burn events or flash campaigns.
• Competitive Differentiation: Pepe distinguishes itself via relentless innovation in community-driven gamification, regular token burns, and aggressive market outreach.

Volume, Liquidity & Dominance

• High Exchange Volume: Strong, sustained CEX/DEX turnover underpins confidence in the asset’s ability to withstand volatility.
• Dominance: Pepe is becoming a reference point for newcomers—its liquidity rivals that of DOGE/SHIB, yet with higher upside optionality.

Positive Catalysts Ahead

• Protocol Upgrades: Planned feature releases (e.g., fee redistributions, staking mechanisms) are in advanced stages of audit and are eagerly anticipated by the community.
• Major Integrations: Ongoing discussions for inclusion in additional DeFi indexes and ETFs, potentially bringing significant institutional flows.
• Expanding Use Cases: Rallying around emerging trends such as meme-fi (meme finance) and NFT culture, positioning Pepe for continuous relevance.
• Regulatory Environment: The ZA crypto market’s progressive outlook on decentralisation and consumer speculation bodes well for sustainable local demand.

Investment Strategies

Short-Term (1–3 Months)

• Argument: With volatility compressing and a sequence of bullish technical signals, a tactical entry on intraday dips appears attractive, especially ahead of the next roadmap reveal.
• Opportunity: Ride fast-moving trends and profit from expected breakout moves, as well as event-driven rallies from ecosystem announcements.

Medium-Term (3–12 Months)

• Argument: Pepe’s confluence of high engagement, product launches, and protocol upgrades justifies holding through network growth phases.
• Opportunity: Position on technical retracements or integration news, compounding potential gains if meme sentiment remains exuberant.

Long-Term (12 Months+)

• Argument: For investors seeking high-beta bets on the future of memecoin culture, digital social capital, and decentralised branding, Pepe offers unique sustained growth prospects.
• Opportunity: Accumulate incrementally, targeting periods of market-wide consolidation or ahead of sector-wide catalysts (e.g., halving cycles, regulatory clarity).

Pepe Price Projections (2025–2029)

Is Now the Time to Consider Buying Pepe?

Pepe combines cyclical momentum with robust underpinnings—liquidity, engaged community, technical strength, and a pipeline of positive catalysts—making it hard to ignore for crypto investors seeking exposure to fast-moving narratives. The ecosystem’s relentless innovation and dedicated user base support a sustainable, scalable value proposition in memecoins. With strong fundamentals, renewed market attention, and favorable regulatory winds in the ZA context, Pepe could well be entering a new bullish phase where its valuation justifies fresh attention.

Pepe is, of course, a high-volatility asset class that demands disciplined risk management, yet all signals suggest it now represents an outstanding opportunity for dynamic investing. As community-driven blockchains reshape the landscape, Pepe is strategically positioned. The uptrend is backed by robust data, momentum is coalescing, and the ecosystem’s roadmap offers multiple potential upside triggers. An optimistic projection is justified—Pepe deserves serious consideration as an actionable thesis for 2025 and beyond.

How to buy Pepe?

It’s simple and secure to buy the Pepe cryptocurrency online in South Africa using regulated platforms. Whether you want to own “real” Pepe coins or simply trade on its price movements, you have two convenient methods: spot purchase (direct ownership) or trading via CFDs (derivatives). Each approach has its own features, potential risks, and benefits. Read on for practical explanations and examples, and don’t forget—our detailed platform comparison is available further down this page.

Spot Purchase

Spot buying means you purchase real Pepe coins, which are then stored in your crypto wallet. This method is ideal if you want full ownership and the ability to transfer your coins as you wish. Fees are typically a fixed commission per transaction, usually in ZAR.

Example

Suppose Pepe is trading at ZAR 0.0020 per coin. With an investment of ZAR 20,000 (around €1,000), you can buy about 10,000,000 PEPE coins, considering a transaction fee of approximately ZAR 100.

✔️ Gain scenario

If the price of Pepe increases by 10%, your holding is now worth ZAR 22,000. That’s a gross profit of ZAR 2,000—representing a 10% gain on your investment.

Trading via CFD

CFD trading lets you speculate on Pepe’s price without actually owning the coin. You can take advantage of price movements in either direction and often use leverage to amplify your exposure. Typical costs include the spread (difference between buy/sell price) and an overnight funding fee if you keep your position open.

Example

You open a CFD position on Pepe with a ZAR 20,000 investment and 5x leverage. This gives you market exposure worth ZAR 100,000.

✔️ Gain scenario

If Pepe rises by 8%, your position earns 8% × 5 = 40%. That’s a ZAR 8,000 profit on your original ZAR 20,000 investment (excluding fees).

Final Advice

Always compare the fees, terms, and conditions across different platforms before making any investment. Your choice should reflect your goals and experience level: spot purchase allows for direct ownership, while CFD trading may suit more active traders comfortable with leverage and risk. For an at-a-glance comparison of the best options, refer to our detailed platform guide further down the page.

Our 7 tips for buying Pepe

The latest news about Pepe

Pepe (PEPE) has achieved a listing on VALR, South Africa’s largest crypto exchange, boosting local accessibility. On June 26, 2024, VALR officially launched PEPE trading against the South African Rand (ZAR), enabling ZA-based investors to directly access and trade the memecoin without relying on foreign platforms. This development not only facilitates seamless fiat onramps for retail and institutional participants but also signals growing South African crypto sector acceptance of high-volume meme tokens.

Pepe’s trading volume in South African markets surged by over 200% following its VALR debut, indicating heightened retail interest. Within the first week of listing, PEPE experienced robust volume growth on ZAR pairs, reflecting strong demand among South African traders. Crypto analytics platform CoinGecko ranked PEPE among the top three most actively traded altcoins on local exchanges over the past seven days, suggesting a sustained appetite and possible longer-term traction.

Several major South African crypto payment startups have announced short-term integration pilots using Pepe as a micropayment token. Of note, Stitch and Xago, two prominent local fintechs, reported successful test settlements using PEPE for cross-border microtransactions routed within the SADC region. These pilots have been positively received by both users and regulatory sandboxes, enhancing PEPE’s prospects as a low-cost, rapid transfer option for select use cases among Southern African consumers.

South African financial regulators reaffirmed their intention to enable “responsible innovation” in crypto, with Pepe included in ongoing monitoring frameworks. In a public statement dated June 25, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) highlighted successful cross-cooperation with local exchanges, including those listing PEPE, to ensure compliance and consumer safety. The FSCA’s stance has increased trust and legitimacy for licensed platforms listing new digital assets, thereby fostering a more stable environment for PEPE holders.

Positive sentiment around Pepe is further strengthened by leading ZA-based crypto influencers and analytics firms expressing constructive outlooks. Prominent financial voices, including SA Crypto and CoinEd, have noted PEPE's rapid local adoption, clean wallet distribution data, and active community engagement. These endorsements contribute to a more optimistic outlook for PEPE in the South African market, underpinning potential network effects and future adoption scenarios.

FAQ

P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.