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Crypto Traders Face Backlash for Launching Memecoins Using Jesús de Miguel’s Image

Crypto Traders Face Backlash for Launching Memecoins Using Jesús de Miguel’s Image

Pump.fun traders faced criticism for creating tokens using the footballer’s name and images following news of his death.

Written by Rahul Dhingra, Edited by Rohan Pal | Updated: 4 November 2026 17:19 IST

Crypto Traders Face Backlash for Launching Memecoins Using Jesús de Miguel’s Image

Photo Credit: X/CD Tenerife

CD Tenerife confirmed the death of forward Jesús de Miguel at the age of 30

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Highlights

Two tokens named MIGUEL and Miguel appeared on X
Traders shared screenshots showing profits from the tokens
Charlie Kirk’s death also sparked similar token launches

Memecoins using the name of Jesús de Miguel have been the topic of controversy among cryptocurrency traders ever since the football club CD Tenerife reported his passing at age 30 following an injury sustained during a match. The club conveyed its condolences and added that his family had requested maximum respect for their privacy, and thanked them for their supportive messages. The Canary Islands regional government mentioned that the forward had died after sustaining a serious injury in Monday's game against FC Andorra at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium.

Traders Face Backlash Over Memecoins Featuring Images of the Deceased Footballer

The screenshots posted on X revealed tokens marked “MIGUEL” and “Miguel,” together with mentions of the death of the football player and pictures of him in the Tenerife kit. In a screenshot posted by the anonymous account Loshmi, a trading board revealed a trade valued at $175.64 (roughly Rs. 16,600) with a profit of $84.99 (roughly Rs. 8,000) next to a token marked “MIGUEL.” The trading board also mentioned news about the death of the Spanish football player following a collision with the goalkeeper.

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The screenshot positioned a black-and-white picture of De Miguel right above the token position. The text that accompanied the screenshot started with his death notice at the age of 30, prior to showing the position's value in dollars and profit. A second post, relayed through a different series of posts, featured another token known as “Miguel,” described at the start with “RIP Jesús.” The trading card displayed a $169.25 (roughly Rs. 16,000) stake and $90.29 (roughly Rs. 8,500) in profits below a news piece about the striker.

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Visionary of the Family, in yet another post, encouraged traders to look at the limitations of making profits by using people's lives. In this post, the account used the criticisms made by Meme Detective in its embedded post, where it pointed out how Pump.fun users used someone's death for quick profits. The criticisms revolved around the use of real people's deaths in trading, and both posts criticised the act despite the relatively low profits shown.

A similar incident happened when US conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in September 2025. A wave of meme-style cryptocurrency tokens emerged, igniting rapid speculative trading across multiple platforms. Within hours, tokens bearing Kirk's name appeared, including “RIPCharlieKirk” on Solana's Pump.Fun, which surged more than 53,000 percent, reached a $5 million (roughly Rs. 47.3 crores) market cap in less than an hour. A token called Stop Tokenising Death ($STD) was launched to respond to this sudden growth, as a means to protest and raise ethical awareness of capitalising on human tragedies.

Cryptocurrency is an unregulated digital currency, not a legal tender and subject to market risks. The information provided in the article is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice, trading advice or any other advice or recommendation of any sort offered or endorsed by NDTV. NDTV shall not be responsible for any loss arising from any investment based on any perceived recommendation, forecast or any other information contained in the article.

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Further reading: memecoins, Crypto markets, footballers

Rahul Dhingra

Email Rahul Dhingra

Rahul Dhingra is a crypto writer at Gadgets 360, where he covers the exciting world of Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, Defi and Web3. Before joining Gadgets 360, he worked as a content specialist for a European-based Crypto Exchange. Rahul loves storytelling, not just through the written word but also through the visual medium. Beyond his professional life, Rahul is a sports fanatic. Whether it’s cricket or football, his passion for the game is contagious. More