You're absolutely right about the confusion between $PEP and $PEPE. Ensuring accurate communication, especially in discussions about tokens or projects, is essential to avoid misleading or misinforming others.

As for your point on meme coins, the criticism you bring up is valid. Many meme coins, including forks of popular tokens like DOGE, often lack intrinsic utility. Their value tends to be driven by speculation, community hype, and their "moonshot" potential rather than any fundamental technological innovation or real-world application. Forking such coins typically adds little value unless there is a meaningful and well-defined use case or innovation tied to the new project.

This phenomenon highlights the speculative nature of some areas of the crypto market. However, some developers and communities argue that even meme coins can serve as gateways for new users into the blockchain ecosystem or foster unique subcultures and engagement. What are your thoughts on how meme coins could potentially evolve to offer real utility?

You're right that predicting the next big altcoin is part luck and part strategy. While some altcoins can surge 10x or more, there's no guaranteed way to predict it. However, focusing on established projects with strong communities, like ADA, ALGO, or DOT, is a more reliable approach. These coins have a proven track record, and while their gains might be slower, they come with less risk. High returns are possible, but they often depend on timing and external factors, so luck plays a big role in those big swings.

You're absolutely right to be cautious about centralized projects or "shitcoins." When a business or organization behind a cryptocurrency is centralized, it often means there's a single point of failure. If the organization faces issues like mismanagement, fraud, or external regulatory pressure, the entire value of the token or coin could collapse, leaving investors at a loss.

In the case of centralized tokens, the risk is higher because trust is placed in a single entity, rather than in a decentralized, open-source system where no one person or group has total control. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, for example, are designed to be decentralized, offering a degree of security that doesn't depend on one central organization.

Storing money in centralized tokens for the long term is risky, as the project could collapse if the organization behind it fails or loses credibility. People who invest in these projects might be speculating on short-term gains, but it's not a sound strategy for long-term wealth preservation.

For long-term security, many prefer decentralized, transparent, and community-driven projects that are less vulnerable to centralized failure. Ultimately, the value of a cryptocurrency should be driven by its fundamentals, community adoption, and technological advancements, not just by speculative hype.