Two Americans were arrested in Japan after allegedly climbing into a macaque enclosure at Ichikawa Zoo to promote a Solana-based meme token, according to the New York Times.
Video and photos circulating online appear to show 24-year-old Reid Jahnai Daysun scaling the enclosure fence in a costume advertising Just a Memecoin (MEMECOIN), while 27-year-old Neal Jabahri Duan is accused of filming the stunt. Both men have denied the charges. The incident—captured in clips that have gone viral, including an X post with more than 5.7 million views—prompted the zoo to file a damage report with Ichikawa Police and announce immediate countermeasures to protect the animals.
“We filed a damage report with the Ichikawa Police Station,” the zoo wrote on X, adding that it will prioritize animal safety by restricting filming, installing intrusion-prevention nets, and increasing patrols in sensitive areas. The zoo said no animals were harmed and none showed signs of distress after the intrusion.
The Just a Memecoin social account urged followers to “respect local laws and never put yourselves, others, or any animals at risk,” calling wild energy part of the culture but insisting safety comes first. The project also offered a donation of ¥1,000,000 (about $6,300) to the zoo.
The stunt had an immediate market effect: MEMECOIN’s token jumped roughly 35% over the past seven days and is trading near $0.0118 with an approximate $11.9 million market cap, per CoinGecko. That move sits alongside activity around PUNCH, a separate Solana meme token tied to the zoo’s most famous macaque, Punch—who went viral for carrying a stuffed Ikea toy and being ostracized by other monkeys. PUNCH once surged to a market cap above $43 million at its peak; it currently sits around a $2.35 million market cap and was roughly flat in the last 24 hours.
The episode highlights the persistent interplay between internet virality and meme-token markets—and underscores the risks when promotion crosses legal and ethical lines.
Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news
