PENGU on the rise: Korean demand and open interest increase by over 50%

Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) is booming with weekly sales exceeding $8,8 million and platforms like OpenSea and Rarible driving its growth..

The PENGU cryptocurrency has consolidated a new high, driven primarily by explosive Korean demand and a substantial increase in open interest exceeding 50%.

This phenomenon is capturing the attention of the global market, positioning PENGU not only as an asset with growing valuation, but also as a benchmark in the adoption and evolution of the NFT and memecoin space within the Solana ecosystem.

In a digital environment saturated with projects, the rise of PENGU shows how a strategic combination of community support, significant local adoption, and financial dynamics can overcome competitive challenges and generate sustained and growing value.

Explosive Korean demand boosts PENGU

Amidst all this activity, the Korean market's share stands out as one of the main drivers behind PENGU's meteoric rise. Currently, nearly 38% of PENGU's total trading volume is executed in pairs against the South Korean won (KRW), reflecting a significant increase from the 32% recorded at the beginning of July 2025.

This localized demand translates into a 21% increase in PENGU's value in a single day, surpassing other popular memecoins on the Solana network. South Korean exchanges like Upbit report historic trading volumes for PENGU, while OTC markets in Seoul show a steady and increasing flow of buy orders.

This entire movement is supported by a dynamic group of young, high-net-worth investors and cryptocurrency enthusiasts, who value not only the speculative potential but also aspects such as the community and future technological developments linked to the token.

Influence of the Korean youth community

Furthermore, the Hana Bank Wealth Report 2025 reveals that one in three wealthy young people in South Korea are actively investing in cryptocurrencies, with a marked preference for emerging digital assets like PENGU.

These young investors provide critical liquidity and increasingly sophisticated knowledge, creating a favorable and stable environment for projects like PENGU to thrive within the region.

Open interest increases by more than 50%

Derivatives markets reflect impressive growth in open interest PENGU, exceeding 50% in just two days and reaching an all-time high of over $435 million.

This increase in open interest indicates the confidence of the investment community, with a balanced distribution between long and short positions, suggesting a technically healthy and robust market. Whales, or large investors, represented in at least 22 significant positions reported on Hyperliquid, are strategically accumulating the token while engaging in controlled profit-taking that maintains price stability.

The significant increase in open interest reflects not only a higher volume of open derivatives contracts, but also a virtuous cycle of trust and liquidity in the token.

This dynamic is crucial for PENGU to maintain its position as a leading memecoin with institutional backing and healthy speculative interest, fostering sustained growth scenarios and reducing the risk of extreme volatility.

PENGU price is around $0,044

PENGU is currently trading at around $0,044, slightly below its recent all-time high of $0,057.

This price represents a significant milestone, as it contrasts with the token's lower market capitalization compared to giants like Dogecoin, signaling significant appreciation potential. Analysts note that with the imminent launch of related ETFs and innovations within the NFT ecosystem, PENGU could experience additional growth of between 150% and 200% in the short to medium term.

On the other hand, the price increase accompanied the surpassing of PENGU's market capitalization over BONK, positioning it as the benchmark memecoin on Solana. It also serves as a proxy for meme tokens thanks to its liquidity and growing volume, fueled by continued adoption by both retail and institutional traders. Technically, indicators show that a rebound from current levels could seek new weekly highs, generating well-founded optimism.

NFTs and partnerships strengthen the currency

In parallel with the financial growth, the NFT ecosystem linked to PENGU experienced a significant resurgence. Minimum prices for the Pudgy Penguins collection rose from 9 ETH to over 16.2 ETH, coinciding with the project's fourth anniversary. Furthermore, progress is being made on the development of a battle-royale game that integrates the utility of NFTs with new gaming experiences, generating a virtuous cycle of adoption and attention.

Thus, important partnerships with renowned brands such as Lufthansa and NASCAR have expanded the reach and utility of NFTs, boosting their value and market positioning. These collaborations not only increase visibility but also facilitate the creation of new products and experiences that strengthen the narrative and utility of the token and its ecosystem.

And this entire boom in the Pudgy Penguins NFT market is reflected in weekly sales exceeding $8,8 million, with exchange platforms like OpenSea and Rarible driving the buying, selling, and development of new NFTs. Additionally, NFT development tools enable large-scale creation, enabling artists and developers to expand the ecosystem around PENGU and its applications.