UCLA marmot researchers launch OnlyFans; meme coins follow

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles launched an OnlyFans account called OnlyMarms to raise funds for a long-running study of yellow‑bellied marmots. The field project, based in Colorado near Rocky Mountain National Park, began in 1962.

The account was started after traditional research funding became harder to secure. A graduate student gave the account its name and the team promised subscribers “uncensored marmot content.” The account has generated about $4,000 so far.

Project leaders estimate the study needs between $75,000 and $100,000 per year to support graduate students and fieldwork-funding that federal grants once covered. Professor Daniel Blumstein called the funding situation “appalling” and noted researchers are seeking new revenue sources.

The team has pursued other income ideas, including a partnership with a Colorado brewery to produce a “Marmot Tears” IPA and a public “Fat Marmot Week” competition.

Separately, more than ten meme tokens using the OnlyMarms name or theme have appeared on the Solana blockchain. The creators of those tokens are not publicly known. Blumstein confirmed the UCLA team did not create the tokens.

Blumstein described token activity in which independent creators asked the researchers to register transactions so the team would receive transaction fees, and called one token “a meme coin for good.”

Earlier examples show internet-famous animals have attracted speculative crypto activity. In 2024, a Solana token tied to a viral pygmy hippo briefly reached a market capitalization near $680 million and later received listings on major exchanges.

Researchers plan to continue fieldwork and outreach while they pursue more stable funding sources.