Kekius Maximus Meme Coin Soars 120% After Elon Musk Name Change, But Scam Warnings Raise Concerns
A meme coin inspired by Elon Musk’s latest profile update has taken the crypto community by storm, with Kekius Maximus (KEKIUS) soaring more than 120% in a matter of hours. The rally was ignited after Musk temporarily rebranded his X (formerly Twitter) account to “Kekius Maximus,” complete with an AI-generated gladiator-style profile picture.
The result? A digital token that had been trading quietly in the background suddenly vaulted to a four-month high of $0.06, according to CoinGecko. Its market capitalization surged to $57 million, a significant jump—but still far below its all-time high of $181 million and January price peak of $0.4011, which also followed Musk-related hype.
Musk’s Influence Strikes Again
Musk, known for his unpredictable and often meme-fueled impact on cryptocurrency markets, has not acknowledged any involvement with the KEKIUS token. However, investors are no strangers to his online behavior triggering buying frenzies—most notably with Dogecoin.
This time, the coin’s meme-laced identity, blending imagery from the "Gladiator" film and the Pepe the Frog meme, resonated with Musk’s audience. With no official endorsement, a simple profile change once again set off a chain reaction of speculative buying, fueled by fear of missing out (FOMO).
Beneath the Hype, Red Flags Surface
While some investors are riding the wave, others are raising alarm bells. Crypto analysts warn that opportunistic developers may be exploiting the sudden attention to push questionable or outright malicious projects under the Kekius banner.
One widely circulated warning described a Kekius-themed token whose contract allegedly gave its team control over 99% of the token supply, a classic indicator of a potential scam.
“$KEKIUS [...] is a blatant obvious scam, don’t buy this garbage,” one analyst cautioned, pointing to the risk of large-scale dumps that could leave retail investors with worthless tokens.
Temporary Spike or Lasting Trend?
Prior to Musk’s rebrand, KEKIUS showed minimal trading activity or market movement. Its newfound momentum could vanish just as quickly as it appeared, particularly if retail enthusiasm fades or the broader market sentiment shifts.
Analysts caution that meme coin rallies driven by influencer actions rarely sustain long-term value unless backed by real development or community utility. Without a clear roadmap or fundamentals, KEKIUS may struggle to maintain its current valuation.