Meme Token for a Cause? The Story of MIRA and Rare Disease Research

TLDR

• Siqi Chen started a GoFundMe to help raise awareness and funds for his daughter’s illness.
• After going viral on X, the campaign has raised nearly a quarter million dollars.
• A meme token on Solana named after his daughter also went viral, making even more money for disease research as the only US lab focusing on this particular illness.

What happens when a tear-jerking plea for rare disease funding crosses paths with the chaotic world of internet meme coins? You get a story like this one — both heartwarming and slightly wild, showing how crypto can do more than just fuel speculative trading frenzies. 

This one hit us right in the feels. Here’s the breakdown of how a personal tragedy, the power of social media, and a playful yet impactful meme coin resulted in a ton of cash being raised for rare disease research. 

A Father’s Plea for Help 

On December 26, Siqi Chen, the CEO of startup finance platform Runway, turned to X with a heartfelt request. 

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Chen’s young daughter, Mira, had been diagnosed with a rare type of childhood brain tumor called craniopharyngioma. The Hankinson Lab at the University of Colorado — the only lab in North America researching this condition — urgently needed funding. 

Chen started a GoFundMe campaign, hoping to raise $200,000 for the lab. Thanks to signal boosts from influential X users, including X CEO Linda Yaccarino, Chen’s fundraiser quickly grew, surpassing the initial target and raising over $240,000 at the time of writing. 

But things were about to take a surprising turn.

The Rise of $MIRA, Charity Meme Coin 

Just hours after Chen’s plea, a Pump.Fun user — apparently inspired by Mira’s story — created a meme coin called $MIRA. For the uninitiated, Pump.Fun is a platform where anyone can launch a cryptocurrency without worrying about the complexities of seeding liquidity. 

This gesture was already unexpected, but what happened next truly left Chen (and many others) stunned. 

Soon after $MIRA launched, an X user named Waddles stepped up with a bold move, purchasing 50% of the coins and transferring them to Chen. 

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This act of goodwill got the ball rolling, and soon enough, $MIRA drew attention from traders. The token soared as memers all around the globe got into the spirit of giving, and the little meme that could hit a staggering market capitalization of $80 million. Yes, you read that right — a meme coin created by a stranger had an unrealistically high value just days after its inception. 

From Meme Coin to Charity Windfall 

While meme coins are no stranger to volatility, this one carried an enormous opportunity for real-world impact. Chen, realizing the potential, set a strategy to ensure the funds raised through $MIRA would directly benefit rare disease research. 

On December 28, he shared an update announcing his plan to liquidate $1,000 worth of $MIRA tokens every 10 minutes, starting at 3 AM UTC the next day. He also promised full transparency, committing to provide 24 hours’ notice if his liquidation schedule changed. 

“At the end of the day, we set out to raise $200K, and we will end up with at least $1M towards rare disease research,” Chen wrote. “No matter what, this has been a win for the world.” 

Chen included the funds from KitKat alongside the $MIRA proceeds, announcing that “100% of every penny we’ve made from this, across every KitKat/meme coin, including LP fees, will be going directly to rare disease research (minus any tax obligations).” 

Are Memes a New Platform For Charitable Giving? 

The story of $MIRA highlights both the chaotic potential and unexpected altruism within the crypto space. Traditionally, meme coins are seen as gimmicks — designed for pump-and-dump schemes or surface-level entertainment. But this example flips that script, showing how a playful concept can rally people and generate substantial support for a meaningful cause. 

It also demonstrates the power of community, both in crypto and on social media platforms like X. Here, individuals from vastly different spheres came together to turn a personal tragedy into worldwide action. 

Sure, the volatility of $MIRA underscores the speculative nature of meme coins, but this story also raises an intriguing question for the crypto-curious world —can tokens really be tools for good? That’s a great question. And it’s honestly too early to tell if this is a sign of how things will go in the future or just a bunch of guys on the internet getting into the holiday spirit.

Behind the faceless screens, crypto communities have the power to rally around causes. The goodwill of users like Waddles and others made this campaign possible. Chen’s detailed plan to liquidate tokens and his commitment to transparency built trust in an otherwise erratic market. 

For now, the story of $MIRA serves as a testament to what’s possible when technology meets compassion.