Memecoins carrying the name and photographs of Spanish footballer Jesús de Miguel have triggered criticism across the cryptocurrency community. The tokens appeared shortly after CD Tenerife confirmed the striker's death on November 3, raising concerns over traders using personal tragedies to make money.
De Miguel, 30, died after suffering a serious injury during a match against FC Andorra on November 2. He was taken to hospital following an on-field collision and later died. CD Tenerife confirmed the news and requested privacy for his family.
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Screenshots shared on social media platform X showed two cryptocurrency tokens using variations of the footballer's name. Some posts also included his photographs in Tenerife's team shirt and references to his death.
One screenshot shared by an account called Loshmi showed a token named ‘MIGUEL’. The trading panel displayed a position worth USD 175.64, with a reported profit of USD 84.99.
Another screenshot showed a token called ‘Miguel’ with the description beginning ‘RIP Jesús’. Its trading panel displayed a position valued at USD 169.25 and a profit of USD 90.29. These figures appeared in screenshots shared online and do not confirm that the displayed profits were successfully withdrawn.
The activity drew strong reactions from cryptocurrency users. Several accounts criticized traders for turning the footballer's death into an opportunity for speculative trading. Responding to the screenshots, Loshmi criticised those buying and selling tokens linked to deceased individuals.
“I genuinely don’t care what your reasoning behind it is,” the account wrote.
Another account, Visionary of the Family, also questioned the practice. It shared criticism from Meme Detective, which accused Pump.fun users of using the tragedy to generate quick profits. The controversy has renewed attention on moderation practices at Pump.fun, a platform known for allowing users to create memecoins. The company has previously outlined measures to remove inappropriate token names, images, descriptions and comments.
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The company has also said it increased its human moderation team and invested in automated monitoring systems. However, the identities of the creators behind the De Miguel-themed tokens have not been established. There is also no confirmation that his family authorized the tokens or received any proceeds from their trading.