New 'Black Mirror' Episode Focuses on Pump.fun-Like Livestream Stunts – Decrypt

A determined man commits an act of self-inflicted violence on a livestreaming website within the hopes of amassing a windfall of digital cash from strangers. Sound acquainted? 

No, we’re not speaking about outrageous exploits associated to meme coin buying and selling sensation Pump.enjoyable. Or effectively, not explicitly. We’re outlining the plot of an episode within the newest season of “Black Mirror.”

The primary installment of the hit Netflix sci-fi sequence’ newest season, which debuted Thursday, facilities on a plot that seems ripped from true tales concerning the viral Solana meme coin generator.

The episode, titled “Frequent Individuals,” weaves the story of a cash-strapped husband who—within the purpose of paying his spouse’s mounting medical payments—begins livestreaming himself performing more and more excessive acts of self-harm in return for higher sums of digital money despatched by nameless viewers.

The plot sounds an terrible lot like comparable incidents which have occurred in relation to Pump.enjoyable tokens over the past 12 months. Final summer season, as an illustration, a budding meme coin entrepreneur set his total physique on hearth within the hopes of sending his personal meme coin hovering. The stunt, which was streamed stay on-line, left the dealer with third-degree burns and nil earnings.

The “Black Mirror” episode in query doesn’t characteristic self-immolation—nor does it explicitly reference Pump.enjoyable. It as a substitute sees a miserable-looking Chris O’Dowd putting numerous delicate physique elements in a mousetrap, throughout livestreams on a fictional website referred to as “Dum Dummies.”

The pretend website isn’t outright described as crypto-related, both. However crypto merchants have rushed to embrace the plot level as a direct reference to Pump.enjoyable—a improvement that many have described as bullish, regardless of the present’s grim themes.

In traditional meta trend, the present has now prompted quite a few Pump.enjoyable customers to launch their very own “Black Mirror” themed tokens, trying to squeeze some revenue out of the information cycle. As is usually the case, particularly amid a meme coin market downswing, all of them have since crashed.

Whereas some stunt streams associated to Pump.enjoyable meme cash came about on different platforms, the launcher debuted its personal livestreaming service final 12 months—however pulled the plug on the characteristic in November after allegations swirled that customers have been harming themselves and animals throughout streams on the positioning. On the time, the Pump crew stated that staggering spikes in livestreams on their website had overwhelmed their capability to average such content material.

Simply final week, the positioning quietly revived its livestream web page. Alon Cohen, one in all Pump.enjoyable’s founders, emphasised that the positioning has rolled out elevated moderation and new tips to make sure consumer security. That characteristic has now rolled out to all Pump.enjoyable customers, the platform introduced Friday.

Edited by Andrew Hayward