On April 1, 2026, false information about the death of a 193-year-old turtle named Jonathan, considered the oldest land animal in the world, spread on the social network X (formerly Twitter). An account claiming to be veterinarian Joe Hollins announced the supposed death of Jonathan, although this information was later debunked. Despite the hoax, the themed memecoin JONATHAN on the Solana blockchain experienced a rapid surge, rising by more than 1400% in a short period of time.
This is reported by Finway
Viral News and Market Reaction
After the publication about Jonathan’s death appeared, the account that spread it was deleted, but the note itself remained accessible. The information quickly gained popularity, picked up by several major media outlets without verifying its authenticity. Only later did it become known that the turtle was alive and well, as confirmed by the real veterinarian Joe Hollins. The real Hollins emphasized:
“I think on X, a person impersonating me is asking for cryptocurrency donations, so this is not even an April Fools’ joke. This is fraud,” the veterinarian stressed.
However, the wave of discussions and emotional background led to a sharp increase in the price of the JONATHAN memecoin on Solana. Within a short time, its price reached an all-time high of $0.00038 — an increase of over 1400%, after which it retreated to lower values.
Project History and the Memecoin Phenomenon
The JONATHAN memecoin was launched in the summer of 2025. At the same time, there is no evidence that the person who spread the fake news about the turtle’s death is connected to this cryptocurrency project. It is known that similar situations have occurred before — memecoins often experience sharp price increases due to viral or trending news. For example, a similar dynamic was observed with the PUNCH token, which became popular after a story involving an abandoned baby Japanese macaque.
Jonathan is not only the oldest turtle on the planet but also the oldest land animal, having spent most of his life on the island of Saint Helena.