Scientists Turn to OnlyFans and Crypto for Funding Amidst Declining Research Grants
Researchers at UCLA, grappling with dwindling traditional funding for a decades-long wildlife study, have found an unexpected lifeline in the unconventional corners of internet culture. The project, which has meticulously tracked yellow-bellied marmots in Colorado since 1962, has launched an OnlyFans account and inadvertently inspired a cryptocurrency trend.
“OnlyMarms” Account Offers “Uncensored” Wildlife Content
The initiative, dubbed “OnlyMarms,” was conceived by Professor Daniel Blumstein as securing research grants became increasingly challenging. A graduate student coined the account’s name, and the team embraced the playful premise, promising subscribers “uncensored marmot content.” Blumstein noted that the platform has also served as a novel avenue for reaching new audiences.
“Maybe this is a different audience than, you know, most of our science communication reaches,” Blumstein told NPR in an interview. “That’s great. Turns out, it’s even bigger than this.”
The OnlyFans account has so far generated approximately $4,000. However, Blumstein emphasized that the marmot project requires an annual budget of $75,000 to $100,000 to support graduate students and fieldwork, a level of funding once consistently provided by federal grants.
Meme Coins Emerge Inspired by Marmot Research
The UCLA marmot project has also captured the attention of the cryptocurrency community. Several meme coins inspired by “OnlyMarms” have surfaced on the platform Pump.fun. While the creators of these tokens remain unidentified and their direct connection to the UCLA research team is unconfirmed, Blumstein stated that the researchers themselves did not initiate their creation.
“People have independently created a meme coin and told us to grab the transaction—to register it, and then we get the transaction fees. And that is blowing up,” he explained. “Apparently, this is a meme coin for good that people like.”
This phenomenon is not unprecedented, as internet-famous animals have previously inspired cryptocurrencies. In 2024, the Solana token Moo Deng, based on a viral pygmy hippo, launched on Pump.fun and briefly achieved a market capitalization of around $680 million before being listed on major exchanges, including Coinbase.
Broader Efforts to Secure Funding
Beyond online ventures, the researchers have also engaged in other fundraising efforts. They have partnered with a Colorado brewery to create a “Marmot Tears” IPA and organized a public “Fat Marmot Week” competition.
Blumstein views these unconventional funding strategies as a stark reflection of the current state of scientific funding in the United States. He expressed dismay at the necessity of such measures, contrasting it with the research funding landscape during his graduate school years.
“No. It’s appalling,” he stated. “What we’re doing is destroying the scientific structure and the university-federal partnerships that made us great, made us rich, made us the scientific leaders of the world. It’s being taken apart, and that’s really sad.”
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