Iryna Zarutska Solana meme coin emerges as public outcry intensifies over viral video

Days after the killing of Ukrainian refugee, Iryna Zarutska, a new meme coin surfaced on Solana. 

The 23-year-old woman lost her life on August 22 after being fatally stabbed by a co-passenger on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina. Roughly two weeks later, footage of the incident went viral on social media. The graphic video sparked an online outrage around the public security, criminal justice system, and more. 

According to CNN, the public outcry on the internet also inspired the creation of the “Justice for Iryna” meme coin. Citing the X-Alpha data, the outlet noted that accounts like Dontcallmetyo, Whalewatchalert, and 0xlake contributed to the buzz around the cryptocurrency that quickly soared to $8.45 million in market capitalization. 

Per CoinGecko, the price of Iryna Solana meme coin has fallen nearly 50% within the last 24 hours, while it has been down by more than 60% since its all-time peak. The website shows the meme coin’s current market cap at $7.45, as of this writing. Highlighting the volatility, CNN remarked: 

“In the long run, the “Justice for Iryna” (IRYNA) memecoin is unlikely to stay relevant. Like most tragedy-driven tokens, it appears to be a short-term trend fueled by shock value and viral attention.” 

Apart from the memecoin, the late Ukrainian woman’s case has led to nationwide uproar, with many voicing their support for the victim. 

Iryna Zarutska GoFundMe raised more than $224, after the video of the stabbing incident went viral 

A verified fundraiser supporting the family of Iryna Zarutska, the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee fatally stabbed in Charlotte, has raised nearly $90,000.

Donate or share to support https://t.co/EfrSSrPL1H

— GoFundMe (@gofundme) September 8, 2025

The 23-year-old Ukrainian woman, who relocated to the US due to war in her home country, was traveling on a light rail train in Charlotte, NC, on August 22. Per the viral video, another passenger, wearing an orange hoodie, stabbed her with a pocket knife. Iryna is seen falling unconscious at the end of the clip. 

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, they apprehended a person of interest, Decarlos Brown Jr., who has been arrested multiple times. Before the case received national attention, a GoFundMe was launched to support Iryna Zarutska’s family. 

With an initial goal of $30,000, the fundraiser reached $25,000 within the first few days of its creation. Over the last three weeks, the case has received countrywide support, with the community raising $224K against a new goal of $280K. 

Donate to this campaign

givesendgo . com / iryna https://t.co/wciUGu6sPF

— Eoghan McCabe (@eoghan) September 10, 2025

A GiveSendGo campaign, created by the Intercom CEO/founder Eoghan McCabe, has also raised $28,000. McCabe has also shared his plans of painting murals of Iryna across prominent US locations, something that got the attention of Elon Musk. The SpaceX founder has also pledged $1 million for the cause.