PNUT
New York killed a pet squirrel. Elon tweeted. A $2.5 billion meme coin was born.
Ticker
$PNUT
Chain
solana
ATH Market Cap
$2,500,000,000
Launch Date
2024-10-30
Contract
Peanut was a rescue squirrel with hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, owned by Mark Longo in New York. In October 2024, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation seized and euthanized Peanut over alleged rabies concerns. The internet erupted. Elon Musk called the government a "mindless and heartless killing machine." The story became a flashpoint in the 2024 presidential election, symbolizing government overreach. A Solana meme coin launched immediately. After Trump's election win, Musk posted "America was saved by a squirrel and a meme coin" and PNUT exploded — surging 2,400% in 30 days, getting listed on Binance (crossing $1B market cap within 48 hours of listing), and reaching a peak around $2.5 billion. It was the perfect storm of viral tragedy, political timing, and Elon amplification.
