Bodega Cat Allegedly Killed by Self-Driving Car Gets Second Life via Meme Coins

A beloved bodega cat has died after allegedly being hit by a self-driving car in San Francisco, according to local reports. While locals mourn the loss of a feline friend, crypto degens have started creating and pumping meme coins in its honor… or at least to profit from its rising profile.

KitKat, also known as the “mayor of 16th Street,” was a local celebrity who “brought joy to so many people,” shop owner Mike Zeidan told The San Francisco Standard. The nine-year-old cat lived at Randa’s Market, a liquor store in San Francisco, but was found dying on the street in the early hours of Tuesday morning and rushed to an emergency vet before passing away.

An anonymous 311 complaint, a non-emergency report made to the local government, alleged that the cat was hit by a driverless Waymo taxi.

“The Waymo hit the liquor store’s cat that was sitting on the sidewalk next to the transit lane. Killed the neighborhood’s baby,” the 311 complaint reads. “The Waymo did not slow down, swerve, or even try to avoid the cat in any way. Waymo should not be on the street if they can’t spot small animals in the dark.”

Waymo did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s request for comment.

Crypto degens looking for the next hot meme coin trend have latched onto the story. At least five meme coins on Solana and BNB Chain have been deployed that feature the name and likeness of the now-deceased furry friend.

One Solana token launched via Pump.fun named KitKat hit an all-time high market cap of $14.66 million before crashing 99% to a $4,000. Another Pump.fun token of the same name is currently at a $4.3 million market cap, down by half from its $8.6 million high.

Those genuinely outraged by the incident are calling for Waymo to be banned, the company to be sued, or for self-driving cars to be taken off the road entirely. 

Meme coin traders, however, are likely more interested in how potentially profitable the token could be. For that reason, traders have repeatedly tagged Tesla owner Elon Musk on social media in the hopes that he’ll acknowledge the incident.

The hope is to turn KitKat into a martyr akin to Peanut the Squirrel, who was euthanized last year by New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), citing rabies concerns. The pet squirrel’s death was turned into an unlikely political movement during the election, sending the associated meme coin skyrocketing to a $2.4 billion market cap, according to DEX Screener. It’s now down 95% from that peak.

“PNUT and KITKAT happened EXACTLY one year apart… this CANNOT be a coincidence,” one of the meme coin X accounts posted. “Early PNUT vibes,” crypto influencer James Wynn added. “It reminds me of when I first bought PNUT at [a] $27K market cap,” another investor said.

Ironically, Randa’s Market appears to have launched its own Solana token, putting a contract address in its Instagram bio. But the token has seen only modest traction so far, resting at a $1.6 million market cap as traders favor meme coins promoted by notable crypto influencers.

Randa’s Market did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s request for comment.

This is not the first time that crypto traders have looked to profit from tragic incidents. Degens have pumped meme coins playing off the death of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk, the rumored passing of then-President Joe Biden, and even tokens sympathizing with Nazi ideologies.  

Ultimately, traders are often just looking to make a profit on any asset that they can find, regardless of the vibe. Many have told Decrypt that they do not cast moral or ethical judgments on which tokens they do or don’t buy—it’s all just a game of “buy low and sell high.”

The tragic passing of a local legend has now been transformed into a speculative race to the bottom.

“We’re heartbroken to share that our beloved store cat, KitKat, has passed away,” Randa’s Market posted on Instagram. “He brought warmth, smiles, and comfort to everyone who walked through our doors. Thank you to all who loved him as much as we did. The store won’t be the same without his little paws padding around.”