A prank gone crypto: a false obituary for Jonathan — the nearly 200-year-old Seychelles giant tortoise who lives on St Helena — briefly sent ripples through the Solana token market after an April Fool’s Day hoax went viral.
What happened
- An individual claiming to be Jonathan’s veterinarian posted that the island’s famous tortoise had died. The post ballooned to roughly 1.7 million views and was picked up by multiple outlets before the author admitted it was an April Fool’s joke, mocking those who believed it.
- After the hoax unraveled, the poster added, “Yes, he's still alive. Did anyone send crypto?” and displayed a Solana contract address tied to a meme token called “Oldest Animal” (ticker: JONATHAN). The same contract address appeared in the account bio and profile.
Token impact and market behavior
- The JONATHAN token was created in July 2025 and remained obscure for most of its life, only briefly passing a $40,000 market cap last month.
- During the hoax it spiked to an approximate $380,000 market cap on Thursday, according to DEXScreener, before retracing to roughly $50,000. That surge translated into very small profits for traders — the two most profitable addresses made under $2,500 combined — and the top winner had actually exited their position two days before the stunt, missing larger gains.
Donation question and ambiguity
- It’s unclear whether the poster explicitly solicited cryptocurrency donations or whether people mistook the token contract for a personal Solana wallet address. At least one post on the account referenced “taking a donation,” but subsequent posts promoted the JONATHAN meme coin rather than giving clear instructions for donating.
Official reassurance
- The Governor’s Office of St Helena, Ascension & Tristan posted that Jonathan is alive and well, noting a team continues to monitor his health. A proof-of-life photo of the tortoise eating leaves was provided to the Guardian to put the story to rest.
Why crypto traders should care
- The episode is a reminder of how quickly social media virality and misinformation can move small-cap tokens on chains like Solana. Meme coins can spike on viral attention but often reverse just as fast, and contract addresses displayed on profiles can be confusing or exploited. As always, verify official sources, confirm contract addresses independently, and treat donation requests tied to viral claims with extreme caution.
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