An email sent out to Coinbase customers describing the Pepe meme as a “hate symbol” co-opted by alt-right groups has drawn significant ire from the PEPE memecoin community.
Prominent crypto influencer Borovik.eth shared a screenshot of the email newsletter from May 10 to his 96,000 followers, which cites a 2016 decision from the Anti-Defamation League to place the frog-themed character in its database of online hate symbols.
Why is @coinbase sending out emails telling people that $pepe is an alt-right hate symbol?? pic.twitter.com/UNzClQlwwv
— borovik.eth (@3orovik) May 11, 2023
Fans and holders of the frog-themed memecoin were outraged at the description of the token, sparking calls for Coinbase to issue an apology, and users to start deleting their accounts with the crypto exchange.
Pseudonymous Twitter user and solidity developer Kenobi declared that Pepe is not a symbol of hate and that he would be moving funds to the United States-based crypto exchange Gemini as a result, completing his tweet with the hashtag: “#deletecoinbase”
I will be closing my personal and business accounts with @Coinbase and moving them to @Gemini.#PEPE IS NOT A SYMBOL OF HATE@brian_armstrong, the $PEPE community DEMANDS that you retract your vulgar statement about #PEPECOIN!!#DELETECOINBASE, SHORT $COIN
— Kenobi (@OG_Kenobi_Hello) May 11, 2023
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