How Musk's Meme Coins Are Shaking Up the Crypto Market

Elon Musk’s unique move of changing his social media profile on X caused a huge buzz in the cryptocurrency market. The Tesla CEO unexpectedly altered his account appearance, which instantly affected the value of popular meme coins and drew the attention of investors worldwide.

PEPE: Wave of interest after Musk’s profile update

When Musk transformed his avatar into the iconic PEPE frog meme and renamed his profile to “Cekius Maximus,” the market responded with a sharp jump. The well-known meme coin PEPE experienced a significant surge, with inflows exceeding $1 billion. At the time of the initial move, the coin’s price increased by 3% to $0.0000188.

As of March 19, 2026, the current PEPE price stands at $0.00, down 3.80% over the past 24 hours. Despite the current correction, the meme coin’s volatility remains a characteristic feature of the market, reacting to every action of a prominent entrepreneur.

KEKIUS: New player in Musk’s ecosystem

The direct connection between Musk’s profile name and the new coin KEKIUS sparked trader interest. This digital asset gained significant attention due to its concept and association with a well-known public figure. Last week, KEKIUS showed an impressive growth of 497.56%, reaching $0.005667.

Currently, KEKIUS is trading at $0.01, down 9.62% over the week. It is important to note that this coin remains a young asset, mainly available on decentralized exchanges, which limits its liquidity and increases risk for retail investors.

Musk appointed head of D.O.G.E. and his role in government policy

Beyond crypto movements, Elon Musk has taken on a responsible position in the U.S. administration. The transition of Donald Trump to the head of state led to the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.), headed by Musk together with Vivek Ramaswamy. This structure aims to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion, aligning with the U.S. budget deficit for 2024.

Implementing such a plan involves cutting the government workforce by 75%, potentially leading to mass layoffs in federal agencies. Musk’s actions are influencing not only financial markets but also the economic policy of the world’s largest power.

Musk’s conflict with Berlin: impact on Germany’s elections

Musk’s entrepreneurial activity extended far beyond the crypto space when he became involved in political debates in Europe. The German government accused the well-known businessman of attempting to influence the upcoming elections in February.

The tension was sparked by Musk’s article, in which he openly supported the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, stating: “Only AfD can save Germany.” Such a direct political statement provoked sharp disapproval from Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The consequences of Musk’s move were significant: the chief editor of Welt am Sonntag was forced to resign in protest against the publication of such a categorical political statement. This incident demonstrates Musk’s growing influence on the global political arena and his willingness to interfere in domestic processes of various countries.