Meme coins tied to the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk surged on Solana-based launchpads, generating millions for token creators and early traders and prompting a fierce ethical debate across the crypto community.
Within 24 hours four tokens linked to the event were minted and traded. The largest reached a reported $36 million market cap. According to data from the Solana launchpad Pump.fun, token deployers collected about $563,000 in creator royalties, while DEX Screener shows the top five traders across those tokens realized roughly $1.6 million — bringing combined gains to more than $2 million.
Trading activity drove a spike in volume on PumpSwap, the decentralized exchange where many of these coins traded, lifting daily volume to about $533 million — a three-month high. Pump.fun’s rules reportedly do not ban tokens that reference killings, and the platform did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Reactions in crypto were split. Some market participants called profiting from death “sickening,” arguing memes should avoid tragedies. Others — including prominent pseudonymous traders — said meme coins are publicity-driven and that “anything is fair game” in a permissionless market, even if the result feels dystopian.
This episode is not unprecedented: meme coins have previously capitalized on false death rumors, extremist themes, and recent murder cases. Some deployers have used proceeds to fund victims’ families, while others have kept earnings. Observers say the pattern illustrates a wider reality: in permissionless token ecosystems anyone can create thematic coins in seconds, and cultural events rapidly become tradable assets.
Why it matters: The incident highlights how decentralized, low-friction token launches can monetize real-world tragedies and forces the industry to weigh free-market norms against community standards and platform moderation.
Source: Decrypt. Read the original coverage for full details.