Marmot Research Saved by Solana Traders' Unlikely Meme Coin
The ongoing study of marmots in Gothic, Colorado has been preserved thanks to an unconventional funding source - Solana traders on OnlyFans. The team behind the research, led by Daniel Blumstein, was facing a setback when the National Science Foundation declined their request for continued support.
With the project at risk of losing its uninterrupted record, Blumstein turned to an unexpected solution: creating a G-rated OnlyFans account called OnlyMarms. The platform allowed visitors to leave tips for photographs and videos of marmot life, generating around $6,000 in its first months. However, it was not enough to cover the costs of recurring fieldwork.
A group of independent crypto traders later created a Solana meme coin called $OnlyMarms through Pump.fun, directing its creator royalties to the research project. The token's royalty system generates fees that accrue to a wallet controlled by the lab, allowing the team to claim them as donations. To date, the community has raised over $150,000 for marmot research.
The study, which began in 1962 and is now led by Blumstein and Julien Martin, has produced a detailed genealogy of the marmot population. The project's record spans six decades and includes observations on family lines, health, behavior, reproduction, and survival across generations.