Crypto, humanity, and science: DeFi community comes together to fund Hankinson Lab rare disease research

On Christmas Day, Siqi Chen, a tech CEO and father, turned to social media with a heartfelt plea to raise funds for research into a rare and dangerous brain tumor afflicting his daughter, Mira. His call for help touched thousands, leading to an unexpected launch of a cryptocurrency that will fund the research in Hankinson Lab to fight rare diseases.

“If you could press a button that cures your child’s brain tumor in exchange for ending your life immediately, every parent would hesitate for zero seconds before fighting to be the first to press it,” Chen wrote on X. 

He continued to share details about the condition and the ongoing research, pleading with his followers and amplifying the urgency of his request. “But there is always a move,” he added as he asked followers to support Dr. Todd Hankinson’s research at the Hankinson Lab.

though there is still no cure, with the help of our research team, we have already helped dr. hankinson's lab identify promising new drugs for mira's tumor.

but we need your help.

because of its rarity, research and funding for this disease has been severely lacking. pic.twitter.com/783fDyTT48

— Siqi Chen (@blader) December 25, 2024

Within hours, he had raised $75,000 of his $100,000 goal. Overwhelmed by the response, Chen and his wife pledged to match every dollar beyond the initial target, up to $100,000, potentially bringing the total funds raised to $300,000. “Yi and I are in tears,” Chen shared on X. “We are so grateful to all of you.”

A memecoin rises: MIRA is meant for funding Hankinson Lab’s research

Merely minutes after Chen gave his story and created a GoFundMe account, the crypto community started asking for his digital currency wallet addresses. A cryptocurrency enthusiast created a Solana-based memecoin, $MIRA, to contribute to the fundraising effort. 

“Some random guy in 20 minutes made a SOL memecoin called $MIRA to help with research fundraising and sent me half the entire supply,” Chen shared, adding a photo that showcased the coin’s value had already reached $400,000.

uh so some random guy 20 minutes made a SOL memecoin called $MIRA to help with research fundraising and sent me half the entire supply and it's now worth like $400K and i literally don't know what to do because i certainly don't want to rug a bunch of random people https://t.co/P78bLq52fB

— Siqi Chen (@blader) December 26, 2024

Chen then assured his supporters that all proceeds from the coin would go directly to rare disease research. “I intend to sell 10% of my supply sometime today to contribute to Hankinson Lab,” he announced, emphasizing transparency. “I will not sell anything more without announcing 24 hours in advance.”

He went on to create a poll asking the community if he could sell an extra 10%, citing his aim not to “rug” anyone. Chen described the reaction from netizens, who overwhelmingly voted for him to sell the extra tokens, saying it was the “craziest day of his life.”

Chen’s handling of the situation highlighted his commitment to integrity. “I know this is a memecoin. I know this is pump,” he wrote. “But this has exceeded all my expectations already. Once again, $0 of this has or will ever go to me directly…every penny will go to rare disease research.”

Mira’s condition, Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma, is an extremely rare and complex tumor. Although benign, its location in a critical area of the brain poses significant risks and is associated with some of the worst quality-of-life outcomes among survivable brain tumors. 

over the past few months, yi and i have been working with Dr. Todd Hankinson at the U of Colorado, who runs the only lab in the world focusing on this tumor.

thanks to his research, mira is part of a trial of a biweekly iv that we pray will be able to control tumor growth. pic.twitter.com/Ekhf7fu8lv

— Siqi Chen (@blader) December 25, 2024

Chen revealed that Mira is currently enrolled in a clinical trial led by Dr. Todd Hankinson at the University of Colorado, aimed at slowing the tumor’s growth.

“Dr. Hankinson’s lab is doing groundbreaking work,” Chen stated. “Every dollar raised will go directly to support this critical research.” The CEO’s GoFundMe page reiterated his commitment to transparency, emphasizing that no funds would be retained by his family.

Crypto and DeSci to improve medicine on the rise

Chen’s story highlights a broader movement within the cryptocurrency and biotech sectors: the rise of decentralized science (DeSci). BIO Protocol, a decentralized biotech company, responded to one of Chen’s posts by stating, “Science funding will be one of crypto’s major use cases in the next cycle. DeSci is happening before our eyes.”

Science funding will be one of crypto’s major use cases in the next cycle

DeSci is happening before our eyes

Rare diseases which often get overlooked by pharma are a prime example@endrarediseases is gearing up to launch in early 2025 https://t.co/64ENV7DHIO

— BIO Protocol (@bioprotocol) December 26, 2024

BIO Protocol is a network of Biotech Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (BioDAOs) that fund and develop new therapeutics. The organization’s mission is to address funding gaps in areas such as rare diseases, longevity research, and emerging health challenges. 

Binance Labs, the venture capital arm of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, invested in BIO Protocol in November to expand its network and support new projects.

BIO Protocol’s founder, Paul Kohlhaas, has been instrumental in introducing intellectual property non-fungible tokens (IP-NFTs) to the DeSci ecosystem. These tokens enable the sale of scientific, and intellectual property, fostering collaboration and innovation. 

One notable project, VitaDAO, focuses on longevity research and has attracted funding from major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer. Other BioDAOs under the BIO Protocol’s umbrella have achieved significant milestones. 

HairDAO became the first DAO to file a scientific patent in December 2023, while VitaDAO funded the launch of Matrix Biosciences earlier that year. BIO Protocol’s network, which includes eight BioDAOs, reached a market cap of $200 million last year.

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