On Christmas Day, technology CEO and father Siqi Chen took to social media with a heartfelt plea to raise funds for research into a rare and dangerous brain tumor affecting his daughter, Mira. Their call for help reached thousands of people, leading to the unexpected launch of a cryptocurrency that will fund research at Hankinson Lab to combat rare diseases.
“If you could press a button that cures your child’s brain tumor in exchange for ending your life immediately, every parent would hesitate zero seconds before fighting to be the first to press it.“Chen wrote in X.
He continued to share details about the condition and the ongoing investigation, pleading with his followers and amplifying the urgency of his request. “But there is always a movement” he added while asking his followers to support Dr. Todd Hankinson’s research at the Hankinson Laboratory.
Although there is no cure yet, with the help of our research team we have already helped dr. Hankinson’s lab identifies promising new drugs for Mira’s tumor.
but we need your help.
Due to its rarity, there has been a severe lack of research and funding for this disease. pic.twitter.com/783fDyTT48
– Siqi Chen (@blader) December 25, 2024
Within hours, he had raised $75,000 of his $100,000 goal. Overwhelmed by the response, Chen and his wife pledged to match every dollar beyond the initial goal, up to $100,000, potentially bringing the total funds raised to $300,000. “Yi and I are crying.“Chen shared on X.”We are very grateful to all of you..”
A memecoin emerges: MIRA is intended to fund Hankinson Lab research
Just minutes after Chen told his story and created a GoFundMe account, the crypto community began asking him for his digital currency wallet addresses. A cryptocurrency enthusiast created a Solana-based memecoin, $MIRA, to contribute to the fundraising effort.
“Some random guy in 20 minutes created a SOL memecoin called $MIRA to help with research fundraising and sent me half of the total supply.” Chen shared, adding a photo showing that the coin’s value had already reached $400,000.
uh so some random guy in 20 minutes made a SOL memecoin called $MIRA to help with research fundraising and he sent me half of the total supply and now it’s worth like $400K and I literally don’t know what to do because I certainly don’t I want to attack a group of random people https://t.co/P78bLq52fB
– Siqi Chen (@blader) December 26, 2024
Chen then assured his followers that all proceeds from the coin would go directly to rare disease research. “I intend to sell 10% of my supply today to contribute to Hankinson Lab.”he announced, emphasizing transparency. “I will not sell anything else without giving 24 hours notice.“
He went on to create a survey asking the community if he could sell an additional 10%, citing his goal of not “mistreating” anyone. Chen described the reaction of netizens, who overwhelmingly voted for him to sell the additional tokens, saying it was the “craziest day of his life.”
Chen’s handling of the situation highlighted his commitment to integrity. “I know this is a memecoin. “I know this is a bomb,” he wrote. “But this has already exceeded all my expectations. Once again, $0 of this has gone or will go to me directly…every penny will go to rare disease research.“
Mira’s condition, adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma, is an extremely rare and complex tumor. Although benign, its location in a critical area of the brain poses significant risks and is associated with some of the worst quality of life outcomes among brain tumors that can survive.
For the past few months, Yi and I have been working with Dr. Todd Hankinson at the University of Colorado, who runs the only lab in the world focusing on this tumor.
Thanks to her research, Mira is part of a trial of a biweekly IV that we hope can control tumor growth. pic.twitter.com/Ekhf7fu8lv
– Siqi Chen (@blader) December 25, 2024
Chen revealed that Mira is currently enrolled in a clinical trial led by Dr. Todd Hankinson of the University of Colorado, which aims to slow tumor growth.
“Dr. Hankinson’s lab is doing groundbreaking work.” Chen stated. “Every dollar raised will go directly to supporting this critical research.” The CEO’s GoFundMe page reiterated his commitment to transparency and emphasized that his family would not withhold any funds.
Crypto and DeSci to improve medicine are on the rise
Chen’s story highlights a broader movement within the cryptocurrency and biotech sectors: the rise of decentralized science (DeSci). BIO Protocol, a decentralized biotech company, responded to one of Chen’s posts by stating: “Scientific funding will be one of the main use cases for cryptocurrencies in the next cycle. DeSci is happening before our eyes.”
Scientific funding will be one of the main use cases for cryptocurrencies in the next cycle
DeSci is happening before our eyes
Rare diseases that are often overlooked by the pharmaceutical industry are a prime example. @endrarediseases is gearing up for launch in early 2025 https://t.co/64ENV7DHIO
– BIO Protocol (@bioprotocol) December 26, 2024
BIO Protocol is a network of Biotechnology Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (BioDAO) that fund and develop new therapies. The organization’s mission is to address funding gaps in areas such as rare diseases, longevity research, and emerging health challenges.
Binance Labs, the venture capital arm of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, invested in BIO Protocol in November to expand its network and back new projects.
BIO Protocol founder Paul Kohlhaas has been instrumental in introducing intellectual property non-fungible tokens (IP-NFT) into the DeSci Ecosystem. These tokens allow the sale of scientific and intellectual property, encouraging collaboration and innovation.
One notable project, VitaDAO, focuses on longevity research and has attracted funding from major pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer. Other BioDAOs under the BIO Protocol umbrella have achieved important milestones.
HairDAO became the first DAO to file a scientific patent in December 2023, while VitaDAO funded the launch of Matrix Biosciences earlier that year. The BIO Protocol network, which includes eight BioDAOs, reached a market capitalization of $200 million last year.
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