Why did Elon Musk Change His Name to Kekius Maximus?
Elon Musk changed his name on X (formerly Twitter) to “Kekius Maximus” on December 31 of the previous year. This unexpected change of name, which included a profile picture of the infamous meme character Pepe the Frog dressed as a Roman gladiator, has made headlines in the crypto market. Lets dig deeper at the reason and market impact of this change.
The Rise and Fall of KEKIUS
Following Musk’s name change on January 1, 2025, the memecoin associated with his new X profile name KEKIUS, experienced a surge of over 900%, rising from $0.20 to a peak of approximately $0.0059 within hours.
This rise was fueled by Musk’s huge social media influence, as he has over 210 million users on X. However, the excitement ended as Musk changed back to his original name in X, just two days later. KEKIUS too had to suffer, as it fell by 377%, dropping to around $0.00124.
The Context Behind “Kekius Maximus”
The name appears to be a blend of “kek,” a term popularized by internet trolls and associated with alt-right movements, and Maximus Decimus Meridius, the heroic character from the film Gladiator.
This duality has led to speculation about Musk’s intentions, whether he is merely engaging in meme culture or endorsing ideologies. Elon Musk’s profile picture further complicates this situation. By featuring Pepe the Frog, an image that has been used by various online hate groups.
Speculation and Market Reaction after the Change
The recent changes in the value of KEKIUS shows us a lot about the nature of cryptocurrency markets, particularly those driven by social media trends. Musk’s previous comments and tweets about cryptocurrency have shown that he can influence the crypto market very easily.
What’s Next In the Crypto Market?
Elon Musk’s name change stunt to “Kekius Maximus” shows us his ability to change and influence the crypto market through social media. Whether this latest episode will have lasting impact on KEKIUS or signify a broader trend in meme culture within crypto remains to be seen.
As we move towards the new year, it is sure that the crypto market is going to get bigger and new trends, price fluctuations and regulations will make headlines and we at Cryptojist are going to give you all the news and crypto stories in an exciting and informative way.
