Elon Musk Revives Crypto Hype With Wild ‘Kekius Maximus’ Meme

Elon Musk has returned to X (formerly Twitter) after four months with a new post that has caught the attention of the crypto space. The post features a cartoon frog dressed as Captain America, playing video games on a couch. A rocket is pictured in the background, which may reference SpaceX and the often-used phrase in crypto circles, “to the moon.”

The character in the image is called “Kekius Maximus.” Musk introduced the name in December 2024 when he briefly changed his account name on X to match the meme. The earlier version showed the frog in Roman armor. The new version is more casual and comic-style.

Kekius Maximus will soon reach level 80 in hardcore PoE pic.twitter.com/Cg5ttuqjvX

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 31, 2024

PEPE Meme Coin Sees Spike After Post

The post quickly drew responses, especially from holders of the PEPE meme coin. Many users replied with their own frog-themed memes. Some even showed the frog as Donald Trump, smiling beside U.S. flags, suggesting excitement about market trends.

After Musk’s tweet, PEPE rose by 7% and is now trading at $0.000006688. While there is no direct mention of PEPE in the post, the price moved shortly after the image went live. The trading volume for the coin also increased.

Bitcoin Moves Alongside Meme Coin Rally

Bitcoin rose by nearly 10% the same day, touching $83,000 before dropping slightly to $81,578. The jump in both meme coins and top digital currencies came as markets reacted to other outside factors, including U.S. trade policy changes.

While some believe Musk’s post played a role in the crypto price movement, there is no confirmed link. His influence on meme-related coins has been seen before, though his recent post did not mention any token directly.

DOGE and Government Policy Update

Despite frequent references to Dogecoin in the past, Musk made it clear in a recent statement that the U.S. government has no plans to use any cryptocurrency at this time. This includes DOGE. He said, “Despite my personal enthusiasm for DOGE, the government isn’t adopting it at this time.”

Musk currently leads the Department of Government Efficiency, known by the acronym D.O.G.E. The name appears to be a playful nod to the meme coin, though there is no indication the agency is working with it in any official way.

Market Shifts Tied to Trade Moves

The broader market also saw movement following updates on U.S. trade policy. President Trump paused new tariffs for 90 days but raised tariffs on Chinese goods by over 100%. This came after China kept a 34% tariff on U.S. products.

These changes affected both stock and crypto prices. Many traders are watching both Musk’s online activity and global trade updates closely. The timing of Musk’s meme post, combined with market shifts, fueled talk across financial and social platforms.