A yellow-bellied marmot study conducted since 1962 in Gothic, Colorado, nearly came to an end after the National Science Foundation refused to renew its grant. To compensate, the team led by UCLA professor Daniel Blumstein and University of Ottawa professor Julien Martin created an OnlyFans account called OnlyMarms, which generated approximately $6,000 in tips. An independent group of crypto traders then launched the $OnlyMarms memecoin on Solana, whose creator fees raised more than $150,000 for the project. This study represents the second-longest ongoing tracking of individually identified wild mammals in the world, with a pedigree spanning 11 generations and 2,196 animals. The crypto funds provided the team with a reprieve during a gap in formal support, though the sustainability of this funding remains tied to sustained market interest.
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