The shocking death of U.S. activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday, September 11, 2025, at Utah Valley University in Utah has shocked the nation and stirred the crypto market.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot while speaking during his “American Comeback Tour,” causing sadness and shock to people. But within hours of the news, multiple meme coins inspired by his name appeared online. Some claim to seek justice while others appear purely for profit.
RIPCharlieKirk and JusticeforCharlie, whose prices went through the roof within minutes. The RIPCharlieKirk token increased by 53,000% within an hour and had a market value of $5 million, although the value decreased after that. JusticeforCharlie increased by 32,000%, hitting the highest point of $7 million. There were many such tokens that surfaced within the market too but were very volatile and had their prices swinging a great deal.
Early buyers reaped great profits, however, latecomers have lost a lot on their investments fast. Most of these coins had no real development team, or practical use, which made them risky and mostly for speculation. This trend is similar to that past political-themed coins, including those inspired by the U.S. President Donald Trump, which also rose quickly and then crashed.
Crypto community reacts: Is it a tribute or exploitation?
However, many in the crypto space have criticized these coins. Some said it is wrong to make money from people’s grief.
One post on X said, “Launching scam tokens to profit from someone’s death is despicable.” Analysts reported developers behind CHARLIE and IRYNA tokens earned nearly $2 million from these coins.
Others argued that some tokens were meant as a tribute. One X user wrote, “This is not just a coin – it’s a movement for justice. Every trade isn’t just speculation, it’s a way to support Iryna.”
Similar Trends have Happened in the Past
Meanwhile, this is not a new trend. In 2024, the PNUT coin appeared after a squirrel named Peanut was euthanized. Tokens inspired by Elon Musk as the “Dogefather” also appeared before. But the Charlie Kirk and Iryna Zarutska tokens are different because they are linked to real human tragedies.
Analysts noticed insider selling, fake wallet activity, and sudden crashes, which show the coins were risky for many investors.
Charlie Kirk was also known as a supporter of cryptocurrency and the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. His death has left a void in the crypto community, with some hoping these tokens honor his memory while others see them as pure exploitation.
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