PEPE Fans Send #DeleteCoinbase Trending After ‘Hate Symbol’ Newsletter
This isn’t the first time #DeleteCoinbase has trended on Twitter
Ezume Images/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks
Supporters of memecoin pepe are taking to Twitter to once again say “delete Coinbase.” The crypto exchange recently sent out a newsletter labeling the Pepe the Frog meme, which PEPE invokes, a “hate symbol” co-opted by far-right groups.
With over 70,000 tweets containing the hashtag #DeleteCoinbase, it’s safe to say that its newsletter sparked not just a conversation, but a revolt.
In the email, Coinbase cited the Anti-Defamation League’s view on Pepe the Frog as an internet symbol.
Read more: Pepe’s Pump Has Memecoin Fans Excited — But Red Flags Abound
“The [PEPE] token is based on the Pepe the Frog meme, which first surfaced on the internet nearly 20 years ago as a comic-strip character. Over time it has been co-opted as a hate symbol by alt-right groups, according to the Anti-Defamation League,” Coinbase wrote.
Twitter users were quick to point out that Coinbase wasn’t necessarily representing the entirety of the ADL’s views on the Pepe the Frog meme.
Jason Cline, a creator on Instagram and TikTok, retweeted a screenshot of the ADL’s blog post on Pepe the Frog, where the organization is quoted as saying, “The majority of uses of Pepe the Frog have been, and continue to be, non-bigoted.”
There were a fair number of users who weren’t just saying delete Coinbase, but upped the ante by claiming they’d close their accounts. One tweeter claimed they’re selling all their Coinbase shares and moving their assets onto Gemini.
#DeleteCoinbase trended in 2019 when they acquired Italy-based analytics startup Neutrino. Executives of that company were involved with the controversial surveillance unit Hacking Team which sold intrusion and surveillance capabilities to oppressive governments.
Coinbase later said it fired team members previously associated with Hacking Team.
Coinbase also made waves in 2020 when CEO Brian Armstrong urged staff to adopt a corporate policy of political neutrality to avoid discussing social justice issues in the office.
Blockworks reached out to Coinbase, which responded by pointing out the disclaimer at the bottom of the newsletter that said views expressed by the author are not necessarily shared by Coinbase or its employees.
Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:
- The Breakdown: Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily.
- 0xResearch: Alpha in your inbox. Think like an analyst.
- Empire: Crypto news and analysis to start your day.
- Forward Guidance: The intersection of crypto, macro and policy.
- The Drop: Apps, games, memes and more.
- Lightspeed: All things Solana.
- Supply Shock: Bitcoin, bitcoin, bitcoin.
