Peanut the Squirrel
| Peanut the Squirrel | |
|---|---|
| Token | |
| Ticker | $PNUT |
| Contract | 2qEH…pump |
| Chain | Solana |
| Launched | 2024-10-31 |
| Launchpad | pump.fun |
| Status | Active |
| Also known as | pnut peanut |
| Market | |
| Price | — |
| Market cap | — |
| Liquidity | — |
| Volume (24h) | — |
| Change (1h) | — |
| Change (24h) | — |
| Links | |
| DEX Screener · Birdeye · GMGN · Solscan · pump.fun | |
Peanut the Squirrel (ticker PNUT) is a Solana memecoin named after a pet squirrel seized and euthanised by New York State officials in October 2024.[1] Created by an anonymous party on pump.fun, it was listed on Binance on 11 November 2024 and peaked at a $2.25 billion market cap three days later.[2][3][5]
Lore[edit]
Peanut was kept by Mark Longo, who took him in as an orphan about seven years earlier and ran his social media accounts, which had more than 600,000 followers.[1] According to Longo, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation seized Peanut and a raccoon named Fred on 30 October 2024 and euthanised both.[1] The case drew comment from Elon Musk, JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr. in the days before the 2024 US presidential election.[2]
By 3 November 2024 the Solana PNUT token had reached about $120 million in market cap; copies launched on BNB Chain, and a Fred-themed token, FRED, also traded.[1] On 11 November Binance listed PNUT for spot trading with a "Seed Tag", alongside Act I: The AI Prophecy, and PNUT rose from $129 million to $447.5 million within hours.[3] It hit an all-time high price of $2.44 on 14 November 2024.[4] Coinbase added PNUT to its listing roadmap on 11 December 2024.[4]
In May 2025 PNUT rose 55% in a day, trading about 80% below its peak, in a rebound that also lifted Moo Deng and CHILLGUY.[6]
Timeline[edit]
- 2024-10-30: Peanut seized and euthanised, according to Longo[1]
- 2024-10-31: coin launches on pump.fun[3]
- 2024-11-03: market cap around $120 million[1]
- 2024-11-11: Binance spot listing[3]
- 2024-11-14: all-time high; market cap $2.25 billion[4][5]
- 2024-12-11: Coinbase adds PNUT to its roadmap[4]
- 2024-12-16: Longo sends Binance a cease-and-desist letter[7]
Controversies[edit]
Longo did not create PNUT. NPR's Planet Money reported that he said the creators "didn't include me and my family", that he sought a share, and that coins he launched himself collapsed.[2] One of them, "Justice for Peanut and Fred" (JFP), which he called the "only real PNUT coin", fell more than 95%; some traders accused him of trading on Peanut's legacy.[7]
In December 2024 Longo sent Binance a cease-and-desist letter alleging that its listing and promotion of PNUT infringed his copyright and trademarks, including a photo of Peanut in a cowboy hat and the marks "PEANUT THE SQUIRREL", "P'NUT" and "PNUT". It demanded compliance by 31 December 2024.[5][7] Binance did not respond publicly at the time.[5]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Viral squirrel 'Peanut' triggers Solana memecoin frenzy, Cointelegraph, 2024-11-03
- ^ The Parable of Peanut the meme coin: How a real-life squirrel became a cryptocurrency, NPR Planet Money (via HPPR), 2025-03-26
- ^ 'Binance Effect': Peanut the Squirrel, Act I: The AI Prophecy Meme Coins Skyrocket, Decrypt, 2024-11-11
- ^ Peanut the Squirrel Meme Coin Jumps on Coinbase Plans as Gigachad Hits All-Time High, Decrypt, 2024-12-11
- ^ Binance accused of IP theft over PNUT token by Peanut the Squirrel owner, Cointelegraph, 2024-12-16
- ^ Last Year's Viral Meme Coins Are Back From the Dead as Solana and Ethereum Gain, Decrypt, 2025-05-09
- ^ Binance Faces Cease-and-Desist Over Its Listing of PNUT Meme Coin, Decrypt, 2024-12-16