Key facts
- Scientists have raised over $100,000 to fund a 60-year marmot research project.
- Funding was secured through an OnlyFans account and a new cryptocurrency meme coin, $OnlyMarms.
- The $OnlyMarms meme coin, created by supporters on the Solana blockchain, raised more than $88,000 in two weeks.
- The research project was facing termination due to science funding cuts.
Scientists studying marmots have secured over $100,000 in funding, largely through a newly created cryptocurrency meme coin called $OnlyMarms. This initiative aims to continue a 60-year research project threatened by science funding cuts.
The continuous study of marmots across the US west was facing termination after funding cuts imposed by the Trump administration. In response, researchers launched an OnlyFans account, named OnlyMarms, featuring non-explicit images of the rodents. This effort raised approximately $6,000.
A more significant boost came from a marmot-themed cryptocurrency, $OnlyMarms, created by outside supporters. This meme coin has raised over $88,000 in two weeks by donating transaction fees to the study. Combined with other donations, the project has secured enough funding to continue for another year.
Researchers expressed surprise and relief at the success of these unconventional funding methods. The study, initiated in 1962 by Kenneth Armitage, is one of the longest-running animal monitoring projects globally and has documented the impact of climate change on marmots, including increased body mass and a significant die-off due to lack of snow insulation during hibernation.
The project's leaders acknowledged that while these funds provide a crucial lifeline, they are not a sustainable substitute for traditional government funding. The use of cryptocurrency for scientific funding is seen as ironic, given the administration's science funding cuts.