Crypto Saves Fading Science Project from Funding Cuts
A 64-year-long study on yellow-bellied marmots was on the brink of collapse due to funding issues, but a cryptocurrency token has come to its rescue.
The study, which started in 1962 and was originally funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), had seen its renewals stop coming under the Trump administration. The lab needed $75,000 to $100,000 per year to continue its work, but the NSF's funding had been cut off.
UCLA professor Daniel Blumstein tried to raise money for the study by putting the marmots on OnlyFans in June, but it only raised about $6,000. However, a cryptocurrency token called OnlyMarms (ONLYMARMS) was created and its fees were set to flow directly to the lab.
The token, which trades on Solana, has seen significant trading volume, with over $120,000 raised in just two weeks. Its price peaked at $0.0036 on August 4 but has since dropped to around $0.0014.