How Far Would You Go to Promote Your Meme Coin?
Leland King Fawcette, creator of a Solana-based meme coin, is undertaking a daring mission to break the record for traveling through all 50 U.S. states in the shortest time. He’s live-streaming his journey on the Pump.fun platform, hoping to boost his 50STATES meme coin along the way.
Fawcette set out on his journey on June 11 from White River Junction, Vermont, aiming to reach Honolulu by 7:33 PM EDT on June 19. At the time of writing, he had already completed 47 out of the 50 states in just seven days, but he still had a long way to go, especially through vast Western states.
“The hardest part is crossing the bigger states. You can drive for hours without seeing much, and they are so vast that it feels endless,” said Fawcette during his live stream.
Breaking Barry Stiefel’s Record
In 1998, Barry Stiefel set the current record for completing the journey in 8 days and 7 hours. Fawcette is using modern technology and a more efficient route to break this record.
“I can’t believe Barry did it back then without satellite navigation. It seems almost impossible now, but I’m determined to see if it’s truly doable with today’s tools,” Fawcette said.
In May 2022, a group of three men completed the challenge in just over five days, but Fawcette is attempting the feat solo.
Fawcette launched his meme coin, 50STATES, on June 11, the first day of his record attempt. The coin was created on Pump.fun, a platform that has become popular among meme coin creators, replacing third-party sites for such events.
Fawcette's meme coin quickly peaked with a market cap near $1 million before falling sharply to around $180,000. Some observers are suspicious about potential price manipulation, while others remain hopeful for a recovery.
“I believe in what Leland’s doing, but the community can be skeptical,” said trader Leonardo Sant. “He’ll break the record, no doubt about it.”
Live Streaming for Meme Coin Promotion
The trend of using live streaming to promote meme coins has gained traction over the past year. In 2024, a viral livestream involving shocking stunts to promote a meme coin kicked off a wave of similar events. Since then, Fawcette has introduced various livestreamed meme coin launches, though many have failed, often due to the manipulation of token supplies by bots.
Fawcette’s approach to livestreaming meme coins has led to some extreme and controversial moments. For example, one livestream featured a man setting himself on fire for a meme coin launch, resulting in serious injuries. Livestreaming for meme coin promotion is now seen as a new wave of viral and often risky content.
Blockchain Expert