FAKE MEMETICS

Overview

If you're here and have no idea what you've stumbled into, then welcome to the insane and wonderful world of Fake Rares.

History

In April 2018, the Rare Pepe Scientists retired, leaving many Pepes unsubmitted, rejected, or created outside the Rare Pepe era but with significant memetic appeal. This situation led to the creation of the Fake Rare Directory and the Dank Directory, designed to preserve and showcase these overlooked pieces of Pepe culture.

The Fake Rare Pepe movement officially began in September 2021 when @ScrillaVentura, an OG Rare Pepe artist, shared a non-official Rare Pepe asset in the Official Rare Pepe Telegram group. This act led to his temporary ban from the community. In response, he created the BEWARE OF FAKE RARES Telegram group ( https://t.me/OFFICIALFAKERARES), marking the birth of an alternative movement.

The initial Fake Rare that sparked this movement, known as "Proof of Ban," became the first official Fake Rare, designated as S0 C0, the FREEDOMKEK ( https://pepe.wtf/asset/FREEDOMKEK). This card symbolized the beginning of a new era in Pepe memetics.

Fake Rares pay homage to Rare Pepes through a similar structure, rules, and ecosystem approach. However, the Fake Rare directory distinguishes itself through decentralization with no fees, and publication uses a community-derived, deflationary asset system that emphasizes collective ownership and curation.

The unofficial official first Fake Rare, designated S1 C1, was FAKEASF ( https://pepe.wtf/asset/FAKEASF). This card was airdropped in batches of 20 to the first 100 members who joined the Telegram group, rewarding early supporters and building community engagement from the ground up.

The "Fake Scientists" — the curators and community members behind Fake Rares — view both Rare Pepes and Fake Rares as reflecting Bitcoin's narrative on sovereignty, provenance, immutability, and the trustless dissemination of information, beliefs, and culture. In this framework, Pepes act as a conduit for these fundamental principles, evolving to bridge communities and expand the broader memetic landscape.

This evolution ignited the Summer of Pepe in 2022 with an all-stars Series 8 curated by Vincent Van Dough, bringing together top artists and creators in a celebration of Pepe culture that bridged the gap between Rare and Fake Rare communities.

Joe Looney, the creator of the RarePepeWallet ( https://rarepepewallet.com/), recognized the importance of the Fake Rare movement and created the FakeRareWallet ( https://fakerarewallet.com/) specifically for Fake Rare Pepes. The FakeRareWallet displays all Fake Rare Pepes, including animated ones, with proper rendering — an improvement over the RarePepeWallet which only properly displays original Rare Pepes.

HP FAKEs — Milestones & Exhibitions

Where the HP FAKEs were born and where they've hung IRL. Click any card name to open it.

• 2022PEPESLAMBO mints — first card of the HNFT Pepe Collection, on the sixth birthday of the Nakamoto Card; first HP FAKE approved to the directory. PEPESLAMBO
• DEC 2023Crypto Winter Wonderland, Beeple Studios — the first HP FAKE RARE approved to the directory goes on display. PEPEWINTER
• 2024PepeFest, Beeple Studios — CUBEMOTO, 28KB of unprunable SVG cubism, gets blessed. CUBEMOTO
• 2024Pepe in Bali, Superlative Gallery — the sacred bird goes neon. GARUDAPEPE
• NOV 2024Election Night, Beeple Studios — minted before the markets knew; displayed the night it all played out. TRUMPMOTO
• AUG 2025CryptoPunks Meet Up 2.0, Beeple Studios — the first-NFT debate, settled by a frog. PUNKSMEETUP
• FALL 2025PEPEFLOW inscribes — a generative neural field, fully on-chain via Ordinals. PEPEFLOW
• 2026FAKEQUEST arrives — the first Fake Rare on-chain game, featuring all HP FAKE art. FAKEQUEST

Definitions

Fake Rares:These are assets that are not official Rare Pepes. The term began as derogatory but has evolved into a badge of honor representing the continuation of the Rare Pepe legacy. They follow a structured, curated approach similar to Rare Pepes but with a decentralized mechanism that emphasizes community governance and accessibility.

Commons:These are Pepes that were left out of official Rare Pepe submissions due to various reasons — timing (created before or after the Rare Pepe era), rejection by the Rare Pepe Scientists, or simply existing outside the formal submission process. Despite not being official Rare Pepes, many Commons possess significant artistic merit and memetic value.

Key Events

• April 2018:The Rare Pepe Scientists officially retired, closing submissions for new Rare Pepes and marking the end of an era in Pepe history.
• September 2021:@ScrillaVentura was banned from the Official Rare Pepe Telegram for sharing a non-official asset. He subsequently started the Fake Rare movement and created the BEWARE OF FAKE RARES group, establishing a new community for overlooked Pepe assets.
• 2022:The Summer of Pepe was ignited with Series 8, curated by Vincent Van Dough. This landmark series brought together all-star artists and helped legitimize the Fake Rare movement within the broader Pepe community.

Notable Cards

FREEDOMKEK( https://pepe.wtf/asset/FREEDOMKEK): The first official Fake Rare, designated S0 C0. Originally created as "Proof of Ban" following @ScrillaVentura's temporary ban from the Official Rare Pepe Telegram, this card represents the founding moment of the Fake Rare movement and embodies the spirit of creative freedom and resistance to centralized authority.

FAKEASF( https://pepe.wtf/asset/FAKEASF): The unofficial official first Fake Rare, designated S1 C1. This card was airdropped to the first 100 members of the BEWARE OF FAKE RARES Telegram group in batches of 20, creating an immediate sense of community ownership and participation in the nascent movement.

Controversies

The term "Fake Rares" began as a tastefully derogatory label applied to non-official Rare Pepe assets — a way to distinguish them from the canonized Rare Pepe collection. However, the community embraced this label and transformed it into a badge of authenticity and independence.

The movement itself started with @ScrillaVentura's deliberate rule-breaking and subsequent ban from the Official Rare Pepe Telegram. What some viewed as a troll action evolved into a legitimate homage to the Rare Pepe legacy, creating a parallel ecosystem that honors the original while forging its own identity based on decentralization and community curation.

Other Relevant Information

The Fake Rare Directory and Dank Directory were specifically created to include Pepes that had been overlooked, rejected, or created outside the official Rare Pepe timeline. These directories serve as archives and marketplaces for valuable Pepe art that might otherwise have been lost to history.

The Fake Rare ecosystem emphasizes several core principles: community curation (decisions are made collectively rather than by a central authority), deflationary assets (limited supply creates value), and narrative alignment with Bitcoin principles such as sovereignty, provenance, and immutability. These values connect Fake Rares to the broader cryptocurrency ethos.

The FakeRareWallet represents a significant technical improvement in how Fake Rares are displayed and experienced. Unlike the RarePepeWallet which was optimized specifically for original Rare Pepes, the FakeRareWallet properly renders all types of Fake Rares including animated cards, providing a superior viewing experience for collectors and enthusiasts.