A developer named Mikol who works on the Solana blockchain is currently recovering from severe burns he suffered during a livestream event to promote his meme coin, TruthorDare (DARE). In the strange challenge that was streamed on a platform called X, Mikol poured alcohol on himself and ran through fireworks before accidentally catching fire. Prior to creating DARE, Mikol was a Soundcloud rapper. Pump.fun, a Solana-based platform, was where he introduced DARE just a week ago. Now, his small group of investors are contributing towards his treatment at a trauma center in Miami.
Mikol shared a video message on X, formerly known as Twitter, to update his followers on his condition. He assured them that despite the accident, he and his team are still committed to the Dare community. He mentioned that he is currently healing and expects to be in recovery for a few days. Mikol expressed his determination to come back stronger and more motivated than ever before.
According to Decrypt, a firefighting expert estimated that approximately 35% of Mikol’s body may have suffered third-degree burns. While some individuals have mocked Mikol’s situation, others have praised him for his dedication to his token. Many cryptocurrency commentators on social media have used this incident as a cautionary example of the risks associated with the meme coin culture.
Psychologist Nadja Bester, who is also a co-founder of the engage-to-earn investment platform AdLunam, stated that the crypto industry often attracts individuals with a high tolerance for risk, which is beneficial for innovation. However, she warned about the dangers of the degen culture, where risky behavior is glorified. Bester explained that platforms like Pump.fun, which incentivize extreme actions in exchange for attention and potential financial gain, create a feedback loop that leads to increasingly dangerous stunts.
Mikol set himself on fire in an attempt to promote his token, DARE, which currently has a market value of only $265,000 on Dexscreener. The price of DARE has dropped by 70% to $0.0002643 in the past 24 hours with low trading volumes. Prior to this incident, Mikol’s Soundcloud biography mentioned his disappointment with his online popularity, highlighting his low average number of streams per track.
Despite some positive developments in his career, such as receiving streaming equipment from his followers and having aspirations for a car and rented apartment, Mikol took shock value to a new extreme by involving fireworks in his livestream. As the situation escalated, his friends tried to extinguish the flames, but they ran out of water and lacked proper firefighting equipment. Panic ensued as Mikol cried out for help and expressed his need for medical attention.
Crypto blogger Polynya commented on the incident, stating that meme coins with offensive themes only serve as a means for the most obnoxious individuals to accumulate wealth at the expense of others.
Source: Pixabay (Image of an AI-generated crypto trader)
