Memecoin Traders Raise Millions for Rare Cancer Research After Father’s Emotional Plea
A profit-driven frenzy turned into an unexpected act of generosity as a charity-themed memecoin generated nearly $100 million in trading volume. While many speculators faced financial losses, the effort ultimately succeeded in raising over $1 million for rare cancer research.
On Thursday, the MIRA token, launched on the Pump.Fun platform, surged from zero to an $80 million market capitalization following a heartfelt plea from Siqi Chen, founder of the financial planning app Runway. Chen revealed on social media platform X that his daughter, Mira, had been diagnosed with a rare brain tumor and emphasized the lack of research funding due to the condition’s rarity.
Chen’s initial GoFundMe campaign aimed to raise $300,000 for research at the Hankinson Lab at the University of Colorado. As donations began pouring in, Chen shared his Ethereum wallet address in response to community requests, later adding Solana and Bitcoin addresses for additional contributions.
The turning point came when a user on Pump.Fun—a platform allowing anyone to create a token for under $2—launched the MIRA token, attaching it to an image of Chen and his daughter. While initially created without clear utility, the token quickly gained traction after X user @Waddles_eth purchased 50% of the supply and gifted it entirely to Chen, who then amplified the token’s visibility on social media.
This spark ignited a viral wave. MIRA’s price soared from fractions of a penny to a peak of $0.08, propelling Chen’s token holdings from $400,000 to over $18 million. Trading volume exceeded $85 million across more than 130,000 transactions, making MIRA the most actively traded small-cap token within 24 hours.
“I’ve been online for 30 years and have seen a lot, but this is by far the craziest day of my life,” Chen posted on X. He announced plans to liquidate $1,000 worth of MIRA every 10 minutes indefinitely, promising transparency for any schedule changes.
Despite the token’s price plummeting 80% from its peak, the initiative achieved its goal. “At the end of the day, we set out to raise $200K, and we will end up with at least $1M towards rare disease research,” Chen wrote.
The response from the crypto community has been overwhelmingly positive. Many pointed out how memecoins, often dismissed as speculative or frivolous, can also drive meaningful social impact. “This is beautiful and quite crazy. This is why crypto exists: to simplify the movement of assets,” wrote user @mbaril010.
The story’s catalyst, @Waddles_eth, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. “When I saw the story about Mira, I hoped the Solana community would rally behind a good cause. I’m really glad it worked out this way and hope the funds contribute to finding a cure.”
While memecoins are often criticized for their reliance on hype and viral appeal, the MIRA token’s success story offers a glimpse into their potential to drive real-world change. As 2025 approaches, this event might signal the beginning of a new era for “crypto for good.”
