I just realized that the story of Pepe the Frog is much deeper than just a sad face on social media. It’s truly fascinating.

Looking back from the beginning, Pepe the Frog first appeared in 2005 in the comic Boy's Club by American artist Matt Furie. At that time, it was just an ordinary character, but a small detail changed everything — Pepe says "Feels good, man" while taking a dump with his pants down. This phrase became the first meme, and from there, everything started.

But the real turning point came in 2008 when Pepe the Frog appeared on 4chan. Here, the community began actively modifying its expressions and phrases — Sad Pepe, Smug Pepe, Feels Bad Man, and many other variations emerged. Each version conveyed a different emotion: sadness, loneliness, anger, happiness.

Interestingly, Pepe the Frog later became a political symbol. During 2015-2016, right-wing Americans used it in campaigns, including supporting Donald Trump. This sparked major controversy — the Anti-Defamation League even listed some versions as hate symbols, although the creator Matt Furie opposed such uses.

But in the crypto community, the story is different. On 4chan, "Rare Pepe" appeared — unique versions considered collectible art pieces, even sold at high prices. Pepe the Frog then became an inspiration for both NFTs and crypto tokens, including projects built on Counterparty. I’ve seen many Pepe variations in the blockchain space.

In fact, creating a custom Pepe for your community is a pretty good idea — maybe "Pepe Zát" with a philosophical take on blockchain, or an exclusive rare Pepe. It’s both historic and a way to connect with modern communities.