Pepe Unchained, an Ethereum-based meme coin project known for its custom layer-2 chain and gamified staking features, has announced its migration to Arbitrum. As part of the transition, the team launched a new $PEPU token and replaced its previous infrastructure. This transition comes in response to the deprecation of Custom Gas Tokens (CGT) used in OP Rollups and involves launching a new PEPU token smart contract.
Originally built using OP Stack technology through a partnership with Conduit, Pepe Unchained operated its own Optimium chain with CGT support. However, with the announcement that CGT support is being phased out, the Pepe Unchained crypto project team decided to decommission their existing infrastructure and move to a new layer-2 blockchain. The new deployment retains the project’s branding and ecosystem functionality but replaces the underlying tech with an Arbitrum-powered environment.
Migration of Pepe Unchained to Arbitrum Layer-2 and Token Smart Contract Change
According to the official Pepe Unchained blog post published on May 28, 2025, the team has completed the migration of their blockchain infrastructure. As part of this transition, a new smart contract for the PEPU token has been launched: 0x93aA0ccD1e5628d3A841C4DbdF602D9eb04085d6. The layer-2 chain will continue to use PEPU as its gas token, but it is now deployed using Arbitrum instead of Optimism.
Pepe Unchained Token Airdrop to All Holders and Stakers Across Ethereum and Legacy Layer-2
To support a smooth migration for the Pepe Unchained community, the team has taken snapshots of all wallet addresses holding PEPU on both Ethereum Layer 1 and the former layer-2 blockchain. Airdrops will be distributed to all holders on a 1:1 basis using the updated Pepe Unchained token.
The first round of airdrops began on May 28, 2025, at noon UTC for all holders of unstaked tokens on the Ethereum mainnet. A second airdrop is scheduled for June 6, 2025, targeting users who held staked tokens on either the Ethereum staking contract or the staking contract deployed on the legacy layer-2 network. Users with unbridged tokens from the old layer-2 and those with unclaimed presale tokens will also be included in the second round.
The blog post also clarifies that staking rewards accrued on the old network will be honored. Eligible users will receive both their original stake and earned rewards in their Ethereum wallets.
Liquidity Pool Strategy for Migrating PEPU Token Trading to New Smart Contract
Another section of the latest Pepe Unchained news explains how the team transitioned liquidity to the new Pepe Unchained token. Since the liquidity in the previous Uniswap pool was locked, the team used a workaround by selling old PEPU tokens into the existing liquidity pool to recover the paired ETH. This process effectively drained the old pool, allowing the team to access the ETH needed to seed the replacement pool.
The recovered funds were then used to create a new Uniswap liquidity pool for the newly deployed token, which has now been locked again. According to the team, this method allows Pepe Unchained to maintain liquidity continuity and price stability while transitioning between smart contracts.
Trading for the new version of the PEPU token is now live on Uniswap. Centralized exchanges that previously supported the old token have temporarily halted trading to perform internal 1:1 swaps for their users. According to the team, trading will resume on these platforms once the swap process is completed by the cryptocurrency exchanges themselves.
Updated Roadmap: Relaunch of Pump Pad and Developer Grants
With the migration finalized and the new token contract deployed, the Pepe Unchained project has resumed work on its core ecosystem features. One of the primary utilities, the Pump Pad gamified launchpad, is scheduled to return shortly after the new chain goes live.
The team notes that the new Pump Pad will be re-optimized with performance improvements and bug fixes. Users will once again be able to participate in gamified project launches and interactive campaigns, which previously served as a major attraction for the Pepe Unchained community.
Additionally, the project has reactivated its developer grants initiative under the "Pepe Frens With Benefits" (FWB) program. The application portal is now open to developers interested in building tools, integrations, or dApps within the Pepe Unchained crypto ecosystem.
Pepe Unchained Crypto Project Plans Expanded Staking Program
Another major announcement in this update is the return of staking. The team has confirmed that staking will not only return but also expand with new incentive models and reward structures. According to the team, the increased total supply of the new Pepe Unchained token is intended to support a more sustainable and generous staking environment, though such expansion also introduces inflation, which could put downward pressure on the token's price.
Pepe Unchained stated that community interest in staking remains strong, and the goal is to reward long-term holders while also contributing to the overall health of the network. Exact details of the updated staking program are expected to be shared in the coming weeks.
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