Can a Meme Coin Fund the Future of Scientific Research? – Decrypt

What if you can take advantage of meme coins for something more meaningful than speculation, hype and occasional rug pulls?

How about scientific research and expanding human life?

That's the vision behind it pump.sciencea distributed science protocol inspired by the popular Solana-based meme coin launchpad, pump.fun.

On Thursday, Pump.Science opened its door online Storefrontthe public can use the platform to purchase supplements created by researchers.

The first product, Urolithin A, claims to support cell health by recycling damaged mitochondria to increase energy and counter age-related declines.

Pump.science co-founder Benjamin Leibowitz explained that FDA supplement monitoring differs based on several factors, including whether there is a history of ingredients and safe consumption of foods in general.

“Only supplements that meet certain criteria must pass the FDA,” Leibowitz said. Decryption. “What happens naturally, what we eat, contains certain standards for supplements that don't need to pass the FDA. They're called “generally considered safe.”

Its regulatory distinction allows Pump.Science.Science to introduce longer-lived supplements to the market than traditional medicines, consistent with a decentralized approach to scientific funding.

Launched in September 2024 at Solana Breakpoint by Benjamin Leibowitz, Paul Kohlhas and Gillian Casarini, Pump.Science is the Solana blockchain platform that allows researchers to tokenize their experiments and create a market for early longevity compounds and supplements.

“Pump.Science pulled inspiration from Pump.Fun and wanted to meet users where they were,” says Leibowitz. “What made Pump.fun successful is how easy it is to fire a Meme Coin. We want to start a scientific experiment with ease.”

Pump that scientific research

Pump.Science is part of the growth sector of Web3 known as distributed science or Desci. Decentralized Science uses blockchain and decentralized finance to make research more transparent, collaborative, and independent of traditional financial institutions.

Public and private sector investments in longevity research have risen $5 billion This was down from the first half of 2024, the $9 billion in 2022. In addition to fundraising concerns, the National Institutes of Health cuts Indirect Research grant to 15% flats in February.

“Venture capital money doesn't extend lifespans. It becomes a drug because they are the most profitable,” Leibowitz said. “That's exactly how the system works. They follow profits.”

Leibowitz said these obstacles make decentralized finance an attractive alternative to longevity researchers. By using smart contracts, DAOs and tokenized incentives, Desci allows direct funding, open publishing, and peer-to-peer verification, increasing accessibility and integrity of scientific discovery while reducing bias and barriers.

How Pump.Science works

The idea behind Pump.Science is to provide a tokenized research pipeline that guides projects from initial proposals to commercialization. Researchers submit ideas, launch tokens to raise funds, and conduct experiments at stages.

Tokenized Research Pipeline

• Idea Submission: Scientists propose research projects and pay three SOL fees.
• Worm Trial: The first stage tests the worm's compounds.
• Flight Trial: If the results are promising, the study will move to fruit fly.
• Mouse Test: Further verification is carried out in mice through endurance tests.
• Human Exams: Participants use wearable technologies such as Apple Watches and Fitbits.
• Commercialization: Compounds can be sold as supplements if demand is present.

When addressing concerns about transparency and integrity, Leibowitz highlighted the protections introduced by Pump.science.

“We handle a lab with a very reputable, white signage. They need to live stream data for accountability and maintain a full audit trail that records everything, including monitored compounds,” he said. “Our agreements also prohibit insider trading and ensure that the lab cannot trade these tokens.

The key is to partner with a trusted lab that follows a well-verified procedure. ”

He did not enter specific details, but Leibowitz said the lab is being compensated for their research.

Leibowitz acknowledges the difficulty of attracting labs to the platform, while engaging the community, especially during the recession of cryptocurrency markets.

“It was easy to get attention and direct with a market capitalization of $400 million,” he said. “However, since token prices fell, it has been extremely difficult to maintain a passionate community.”

Beyond market fluctuations, he noted that the bigger challenge is to balance the community with a focus on long-term vision and short-term profits.

“We're not a meme coin. We're building infrastructure that helps people live longer,” Leibowitz said. “But when the community only cares about the price of the token and that price is beyond our control, that was the most difficult part.”

By adopting the same playbook as Meme Coins, Pump.Science aims to attract crypto traders and enthusiasts to the world of scientific funding.

Instead of passively giving to research, token holders participate in a system in which the volume of transactions themselves funds the experiment and creates an independent cycle of investment and discovery.

“The key aspect here is gamification, but this is more exciting than memecoin because there is always new data to analyze and make transactions,” Leibowitz said. “If you're a gamer, there are games you play as your data is released, and you need to make it fun.

“Making science fun will attract more people,” he said.

edit Sebastian Sinclair