Elon Musk Post About ‘Executed’ Squirrel Drives Meme Coin PNUT to $130 Million Market Cap

BE[IN]CRYPTO
03 Nov 2024
  • Following Elon Musk’s outrage over the death of Peanut the Squirrel, the PNUT meme coin hit a $130 million market cap.
  • Data shows that both whales and retail market participants bought into the hype as the meme coin soared in three days.
  • While, PNUT's price initially hit $0.14, it has retraced and the market cap has fallen below the $100 million threshold.

Solana-based meme coin Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT) skyrocketed to a $130 million market cap within just three days, a remarkable feat for a coin that was relatively unknown just days prior.

The surge came after Tesla CEO Elon Musk commented on the sudden passing of the popular squirrel, sparking a frenzy among traders. This unexpected attention drove PNUT’s price and market cap to unprecedented levels. Here’s a closer look at how it unfolded.

Elon Musk’s Reaction Fuels Massive Meme Coin Purchase 

Three days ago, Mark Long, caretaker of Peanut the Squirrel, disclosed that New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) had taken the animal from him. Longo, in his post on the social media platform, also mentions that the agency took a Raccoon he had reduced alongside the squirrel. 

Later on, more details came out about the confiscation that the aminal had died while in the agency’s custody.

This development sparked outrage on social media, with Elon Musk condemning the agency’s actions. A US Congressman, in a now-deleted post, also criticized the NYSD DEC for its role in the animal’s demise. 

“The government is a mindless and heartless killing machine.” Musk said about the matter.

Moments after this, meme coin traders, popularly called “degenerates,” began to buy the PNUT meme coin in droves. According to smart money platform GMGN, some of those first set of buyers put in thousands of dollars, which accelerated the token’s upward movement. 

Read more: How to Buy Solana Meme Coins: A Step-By-Step Guide

PNUT Meme Coin Accumulation. Source: GMGN

PNUT Market Cap Rises, Falls Amid Profit-Taking

Following extensive media coverage of Peanut the Squirrel’s demise, whales began buying the meme coin in large volumes. 

For example, Lookonchain data reveals that one whale sold 5,100 Solana tokens to acquire 8.99 million PNUT, worth approximately $839,207. 

Around the same time, these whales also purchased First Convicted RACCON (FRED). As whales poured in, retail investors followed, creating significant buying pressure that pushed PNUT’s market cap above $130 million.

PNUT Whales Purchase. Source: Lookonchain

Meanwhile, the massive buying pressure ensured that Peanut the Squirrel’s price hit a peak of $0.14. Trading volume around the Solana meme coin also surpassed $300 million at some point.

However, according to Gecko Terminal, PNUT’s market cap has decreased to $93.98 million. The price, on the other hand, has dropped to $0.094 due to the profit-taking by early buyers of the meme coin. 

Read More: 11 Top Solana Meme Coins to Watch in November 2024

Peanut the Squirrel Performance. Source: GeckoTerminal

In addition, should the PNUT meme coin’s price rebound, it could surpass that of Moo Deng (MOODENG), another animal-themed meme coin whose market cap is about $151 million as of this writing. 

Top crypto projects in the US | October 2024
Coinbase Explore
Coinrule Explore
3Commas Explore
Uphold Explore
Chain GPT Explore
Top crypto projects in the US | October 2024
Coinbase
Coinrule
3Commas
Uphold
Chain GPT

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

Most Discussed

  1. 1
     
     
     
     
  2. 2
     
     
     
     
  3. 3
     
     
     
     
  4. 4
     
     
     
     
  5. 5
     
     
     
     
  6. 6
     
     
     
     
  7. 7
     
     
     
     
  8. 8
     
     
     
     
  9. 9
     
     
     
     
  10. 10