Traders are betting on various squirrel-themed memecoins on the Solana 
 SOL -3.48%
-based platform Pump.fun following news that New York wildlife officials euthanized a pet named Peanut. 

The squirrel, something of a minor internet fascination before being detained on Oct. 30 and put to death two days later, has become the latest cause célèbre among conservative commentators who describe the incident as a gross misuse of state power. 

Peanuts virality, and subsequent immortalization on the blockchain in the form of memecoins, speak to the strange political environment ahead of the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday. Some believe that memecoins act as a barometer for public interest.