Kraken Lists PEPECOIN (PEPECOIN) for Trading
Kraken has listed PepeCoin (PEPECOIN) and opened trading as of February 18, 2026. PEPECOIN began in March 2016 on a proof-of-work chain, was fairly mined with no pre-sale or insider allocation, and migrated to Ethereum in 2023 via a UTXO Swap that preserved its chain state and history. The token underpins a Web3 ecosystem including Kekspace (a social MMO with DeFi utilities), Smug Messenger (encrypted messaging on XMTP), and Pepe Paint (an NFT launchpad). Deposits must use networks supported by Kraken to avoid loss. Trading via Kraken App and Instant Buy will be enabled once sufficient liquidity exists. Geographic restrictions may apply. Kraken reiterates its policy of announcing listings only shortly before launch and directs users to its listings page and roadmap for future tokens.
Neutral
Listing a meme-themed token like PEPECOIN on a major exchange is noteworthy but not inherently market-moving. Positive effects: increased accessibility and on‑exchange liquidity can attract speculative inflows, supporting short-term price spikes. Negative/limiting factors: PEPECOIN’s meme nature, absence of institutional backing, and potential geographic restrictions reduce sustained demand. Kraken’s note that app trading and Instant Buy depend on liquidity suggests initial volume may be low and volatile. Historical parallels: prior listings of meme tokens (e.g., DOGE, SHIB) produced short-term rallies around exchange listings, followed by volatility and mean reversion as speculative interest cooled. For traders: expect high short-term volatility around market open and liquidity milestones; use tight risk controls, monitor order-book depth and spreads, and watch social/derivative markets for momentum. Longer-term impact depends on real utility adoption of associated Web3 apps and sustained community engagement—if adoption is limited, PEPECOIN may remain speculative and correlation with broader crypto risk-on moves will likely dominate.