Escape of 43 Monkeys Spurs Surge in Ape-Themed Meme Tokens

On November 6, 43 rhesus macaques escaped from the Alpha Genesis research center in Yemassee, South Carolina, triggering a sharp rise in the value of ape-themed meme coins, as reported by Decrypt.

Specifically, on November 7, the Solana-based token Monkey (MONKEY) surged by 49%. Apes Go Bananas (AGB) also experienced a daily increase of 14% during the same period.

Users on the social network X proposed theories about the reasons behind the animals’ escape. Some speculated about a government conspiracy aimed at disrupting the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

“release the monkeys” https://t.co/JZwzs4oeM6 pic.twitter.com/cwwbYYvJuK

— FOMO Capital (@FOMOCapitalLLC) November 7, 2024

Others recalled plots from the films “Outbreak” and “Planet of the Apes”.

Meanwhile, the Yemassee Police Department warned residents of the dangers of approaching the macaques and advised reporting their whereabouts to 911.

Alpha Genesis uses monkeys in clinical trials for drugs, including those for treating brain diseases.

Back in mid-September, an investor spent 6 SOL ($815) to purchase 30.1 million Moo Deng meme tokens, named after a popular baby hippo from Thailand. By the end of the same month, the asset’s valuation had reached $9.4 million.