How Elon Musk Launched a New Wave of Meme Coins on the Cryptocurrency Market

Tesla’s CEO has once again caught the attention of the crypto community by taking a series of actions on social media that led to significant fluctuations in meme coin prices. Updating Elon Musk’s profile on the X platform triggered a wave of events across the entire cryptocurrency sector. The developments unfolded rapidly, demonstrating the influence of opinion leaders on market behavior.

Changing Avatar and Surge of Interest in PEPE

The entrepreneur rebranded his X profile, replacing his photo with an image of the popular internet meme — PEPE the frog holding a joystick. This simple action caused a massive influx of attention to the eponymous meme coin. Riding the wave of interest, PEPE experienced substantial growth, fueled by trading volume exceeding $1 billion.

As of March 13, 2026, the PEPE meme coin is trading at $0.00 with a 24-hour increase of +8.68%. This movement illustrates how actions by influential figures can directly impact cryptocurrency market fluctuations. Simultaneously, Musk changed his account name from “Elon Musk” to “Kekius Maximus,” demonstrating his commitment to internet culture and video games.

Rise of KEKIUS: A New Star in the Meme Ecosystem

Alongside the activity around PEPE, a young project called KEKIUS (Kekius Maximus) is attracting speculative investors’ attention. The coin’s name directly correlates with Musk’s new online alias, further boosting interest in the project.

Over the past seven days, KEKIUS has shown a growth of +1.13%, stabilizing at $0.01. Notably, this coin recently experienced a explosive increase of 497.56% in one week, reaching a price of $0.005667. However, KEKIUS remains a relatively new asset and is traded exclusively on decentralized exchanges, implying a high level of risk for market participants.

From Memes to Power: Elon Musk Leads the Department of Efficiency

An unexpected turn of events was Musk’s appointment to a leadership position in the U.S. government. With Donald Trump’s arrival in the White House, Musk was appointed head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E). This appointment, made jointly with well-known crypto figure Vivek Ramaswamy, demonstrates the growing influence of leaders from the tech and finance sectors on government policy.

The mission of D.O.G.E. is ambitious — to save $2 trillion in federal spending, matching the U.S. budget deficit for 2024. To achieve this, a 75% reduction in government employees is planned, which could lead to widespread layoffs across federal agencies. This political move reflects a push toward radical restructuring of the government apparatus.

International Conflict: Tensions Between Musk and Berlin

On the geopolitical stage, tensions with Germany have escalated. The German government accused Musk of attempting to interfere in the federal elections scheduled for February. The conflict arose after Musk published an article supporting the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, stating: “Only AfD can save Germany.”

Musk’s stance provoked a sharp reaction from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who categorically rejected such claims. Moreover, the column led to the resignation of the chief editor of Welt am Sonntag in protest against the publication. This incident highlights the growing influence of powerful figures on political processes in different countries and raises questions about the responsibility of their actions in the digital age.