Siqi Chen, the CEO and CFO of the startup finance platform Runway, reflected on an extraordinary moment in his career with a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.”I’ve had a lot of very memorable days on the internet over the past 30 years, but this one tops them all,” Chen wrote, hinting at a milestone or significant event that resonated deeply with him.While the details of the event were not elaborated in the post, Chen’s words reflect the passion and dedication he brings to his leadership at Runway, a platform focused on transforming how startups manage their financial operations.

The comment also underscores the evolving landscape of digital innovation, where key moments can have a profound impact on both personal and professional levels.Tech CEO Siqi Chen, of startup finance platform Runway, shared a profoundly personal and transformative moment on Thursday, declaring, “I’ve had a lot of very memorable days on the internet over the past 30 years, but this one tops them all,” in a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter).The comment came on the heels of an extraordinary community-driven fundraising effort for the Hankinson Lab at the University of Colorado, the only lab in North America researching craniopharyngiomas—a rare brain tumor affecting Chen’s young daughter, Mira.

On Tuesday night, Chen turned to X with an emotional plea, asking for donations to the lab. His request went viral after being amplified by prominent figures, including X CEO Linda Yaccarino. A GoFundMe campaign accompanying the plea quickly amassed over $230,000 in donations.The movement gained even greater momentum when a Pump.Fun user created a memecoin named Mira, inspired by Chen’s post. The coin skyrocketed to an $80 million market cap, driven by widespread support. Chen later revealed plans to liquidate his token holdings, with all proceeds—estimated at no less than $1 million—to be donated directly to the Hankinson Lab.“Even if we don’t sell a single token more, we’re going to send [the lab] at least $1M,” Chen affirmed in an update.

This remarkable story highlights how digital communities, cryptocurrency ecosystems, and social media can converge to achieve meaningful real-world impact, underscoring the power of collective generosity and innovation in addressing critical challenges.The unexpected rise of a charity memecoin named MIRA left tech CEO Siqi Chen stunned, as updates poured in on X (formerly Twitter) documenting its meteoric rise to an $80 million market capitalization. The coin, created by what appears to be a Pump.Fun beginner, was inspired by Chen’s plea for support for research into craniopharyngiomas—a rare brain tumor affecting his young daughter, Mira.

The story took an even more surprising turn thanks to X user Waddles, who purchased and transferred 50% of the MIRA coin supply to Chen shortly after its launch. This gesture suddenly made Chen’s stake in the memecoin worth millions, prompting him to plan to liquidate his holdings and donate all proceeds to the Hankinson Lab, the only lab in North America researching this rare condition.“When I saw the story about Mira and her illness, I thought it would be good to buy and send supply to you with the hopes of getting the SOL community behind a good cause on Christmas,” Waddles explained in an X post. “I’m really glad that it worked out the way that it has, and I hope that the money helps to find a cure both for Mira and anyone else with her condition.”This remarkable chain of events not only highlights the unique ways online communities and cryptocurrency projects can rally around meaningful causes but also showcases the generosity of individuals willing to use innovation for good.

Chen, moved by the outcome, has committed at least $1 million from the proceeds to support the Hankinson Lab’s groundbreaking research.After selling a portion of his stake in the MIRA memecoin, Siqi Chen outlined his structured plan for distributing the proceeds. On Thursday, he shared on X that starting at approximately 3 AM UTC on December 27, he would begin liquidating $1,000 worth of MIRA every 10 minutes. Chen emphasized that this process would continue perpetually, with any changes to the schedule being announced 24 hours in advance.

While he recognized that some traders may have exploited the situation for personal gain, Chen viewed the overall outcome as beneficial. “At the end of the day, the goal of raising funds for rare disease research has been achieved beyond expectations,” he noted. Despite fluctuations in MIRA’s value, Chen remained committed to ensuring that the project would generate significant contributions toward advancing research into his daughter’s rare brain tumor and similar conditions.Siqi Chen expressed gratitude for the unexpected success of the fundraising effort, stating, “At the end of the day, we set out to raise $200K and we will end up with at least $1M towards rare disease research. No matter what, this has been a win for the world.”

Following his announcement about liquidating the MIRA memecoin for charity, its market value experienced a decline, stabilizing at a market capitalization of around $20 million. A related memecoin, “kitkat,” inspired by Mira’s dog, also saw a brief surge, reaching a $3 million market cap before settling at approximately $150,000.Despite the market fluctuations, Chen highlighted the broader positive impact of the initiative, which not only exceeded its original fundraising goal but also brought global attention to the need for research into rare diseases.

Charity Memecoin MIRA Raises Over $1 Million for Rare Disease Research
by Zack Abrams, Crypto Ecosystems • December 26, 2024A heartfelt fundraising campaign by Siqi Chen, CEO of startup finance platform Runway, has turned into a groundbreaking charitable effort through the unexpected rise of the MIRA memecoin. With a commitment to transparency and impact, Chen announced that “100% of every penny we’ve made from this, across every kitkat/memecoin, including LP fees will be going directly to rare disease research (minus any tax obligations).”Chen initially sought to raise funds for the Hankinson Lab at the University of Colorado, which conducts vital research into rare pediatric brain tumors, including the condition affecting his daughter Mira. While his GoFundMe campaign gained traction, the creation of MIRA by a Pump.Fun user propelled the initiative to extraordinary heights.

The coin soared to a peak market capitalization of $80 million before settling around $20 million, with Chen pledging over $1 million for the lab. A secondary memecoin, kitkat, briefly eclipsed a $3 million market cap and similarly contributed to the cause.Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, an advocate for “positive-sum” applications of blockchain technology, had previously identified charity coins as a promising evolution of the memecoin phenomenon.”It feels like there is an unclaimed opportunity here to try to create something more positive-sum and long-lasting,” Buterin wrote in a blog post, critiquing earlier attempts while emphasizing their potential.

MIRA’s success exemplifies this vision, combining the viral appeal of memecoins with a meaningful cause.chen’s structured liquidation plan ensures the funds’ effective use, while his commitment to transparency has garnered widespread praise.”At the end of the day, we set out to raise $200K and we will end up with at least $1M towards rare disease research,” Chen wrote on X. “No matter what, this has been a win for the world.”MIRA’s journey illustrates the power of blockchain and global communities to effect real-world change, offering a template for future philanthropic efforts in the cryptocurrency space.

Chen initially sought to raise funds for the Hankinson Lab at the University of Colorado, which conducts vital research into rare pediatric brain tumors, including the condition affecting his daughter Mira. While his GoFundMe campaign gained traction, the creation of MIRA by a Pump.Fun user propelled the initiative to extraordinary heights.The coin soared to a peak market capitalization of $80 million before settling around $20 million, with Chen pledging over $1 million for the lab. A secondary memecoin, kitkat, briefly eclipsed a $3 million market cap and similarly contributed to the cause.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, an advocate for “positive-sum” applications of blockchain technology, had previously identified charity coins as a promising evolution of the memecoin phenomenon.”It feels like there is an unclaimed opportunity here to try to create something more positive-sum and long-lasting,” Buterin wrote in a blog post, critiquing earlier attempts while emphasizing their potential.MIRA’s success exemplifies this vision, combining the viral appeal of memecoins with a meaningful cause.Chen’s structured liquidation plan ensures the funds’ effective use, while his commitment to transparency has garnered widespread praise.”At the end of the day, we set out to raise $200K and we will end up with at least $1M towards rare disease research,” Chen wrote on X. “No matter what, this has been a win for the world.”

MIRA’s journey illustrates the power of blockchain and global communities to effect real-world change, offering a template for future philanthropic efforts in the cryptocurrency space.Zack Abrams is a seasoned writer and editor based in Brooklyn, New York, currently contributing to The Block. Previously, he served as Head Writer at Coinage, a Web3-focused media outlet. During his tenure, Zack co-reported an award-winning story on Do Kwon, which earned a 2022 Best in Business Journalism award from SABEW.His portfolio also includes an exclusive investigative piece exploring Sam Bankman-Fried’s legal defense strategy and a breakthrough report unveiling the identity of the hacker behind one of 2023’s most significant crypto hacks. Known for his in-depth storytelling and expertise in Web3 and blockchain, Zack continues to shed light on pivotal stories shaping the future of technology and finance.