Owner of Instagram-famous squirrel slams PNUT holders, launches new meme coin

In a now-deleted X post, the owner of Peanut the Squirrel, Mark Longo, has seemingly threatened to sue PNUT holders for copyright infringement while launching his own meme coin.

After accusing the PNUT community of profiting off his pet’s story, Mark Longo, the owner of Peanut the Squirrel, has announced plans to sue holders of the token and has launched his own coin, JUSTICE, in protest.

In a now-deleted follow-up post on X, Longo threatened legal action against PNUT holders. He accused them of profiting off his story after New York State Department of Environmental Conservation agents euthanized his pets, Peanut the squirrel and a raccoon named Fred, following an incident where Peanut bit an officer.

Peanut’s euthanasia sparks outcry

In late October, DEC agents seized Peanut and Fred from Longo’s home due to violations of state laws prohibiting the keeping of wild animals. Despite Longo’s claims that the animals were released into the wild, Peanut’s continued appearances in social media posts led to a raid by officials on Oct 30, per a New York Times report.

Tragically, both Peanut and Fred were euthanized on Nov. 1, after a bite from Peanut raised concerns about rabies. However, tests later confirmed that neither animal had the disease.

The euthanasia of Peanut, combined with the controversy surrounding the DEC’s actions, sparked a widespread outcry. The incident gained further attention when Elon Musk tweeted in support of Peanut, turning the squirrel into a symbol of freedom and government overreach.

Squirrel_Dad launches his own meme coin

After the euthanasia, the crypto community launched a meme coin called (PNUT), inspired by the squirrel’s internet fame. The token’s price surged following its Binance listing, driving widespread interest and speculation, but it began to decline steadily afterward, with critics suggesting it may be another pump-and-dump scheme typical of the meme coin market.

Longo, who had built a loyal following for Peanut, expressed frustration at how the PNUT community used his pet’s legacy for financial gain without offering him compensation.

In response to the overwhelming success of PNUT, Longo launched his own token dubbed JUSTICE as a way to assert control over his narrative and distance himself from the PNUT community. The token quickly gained attention, reaching a $13 million market cap, with its price soaring more than 50,000% in the 24 hours leading up to press time, per data from DEX Screener.