PEPE Fans Send #DeleteCoinbase Trending After ‘Hate Symbol’ Newsletter

This isn’t the first time #DeleteCoinbase has trended on Twitter

article-image

Ezume Images/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

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.”

Loading Tweet..

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:

Tags

Upcoming Events

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Brooklyn, NY

SUN - MON, JUN. 22 - 23, 2025

Blockworks and Cracked Labs are teaming up for the third installment of the Permissionless Hackathon, happening June 22–23, 2025 in Brooklyn, NY. This is a 36-hour IRL builder sprint where developers, designers, and creatives ship real projects solving real problems across […]

recent research

Research Report Templates.png

Research

The convergence of DePIN and energy generation aims to address modern grid challenges by incentivizing distributed generation.

article-image

However, they noted there’s now an increased risk that unemployment and inflation will rise in the coming months. 

article-image

The network’s most ambitious upgrade since the Merge brings validator streamlining, smart account UX and doubled blobspace to Ethereum

article-image

Debate over extra Bitcoin use cases has returned, two years on from Ordinals

article-image

Altcoin season may be on a permanent pause as the market matures and paths grow more selective

article-image

Today’s blockchains are more like nervous systems without a brain — wiring without will

article-image

A number of blockchains make use of the Solana Virtual Machine