Two Crypto Firms Launch Unique Wagering Project on Mice Endurance

Two crypto firms, Pump.science and Hedgehog Markets, are launching a project that allows people to wager on the athleticism of laboratory mice treated with life-extending compounds.

Weekly Testing and Betting
Each week, mice receive potential life-extending compounds and undergo endurance tests. Participants can view video footage of individual mice, preliminary data, and insights from past experiments to predict which mouse will last the longest on a rotating rod.

The endurance test involves placing the mice on a rotating rod, a standard measure for motor function and vitality in aging research. The effectiveness of the given longevity compounds is assessed based on how long the mice remain on the rod as its speed increases.

Participants can place wagers on the performance of these mice using the Solana-based prediction platform Hedgehog Markets. The mice will be named, and testing will last for eight weeks.

A Novel Initiative
This initiative follows a surge in prediction market volumes during the U.S. presidential election, with Polymarket’s trading volume exceeding $9 billion last year.

Betting on Science

“By streaming real-time mouse endurance tests with prediction markets, we’re ushering in a new and engaging model for scientific discovery,” stated Benji Leibowitz, founder of Pump.science. Hedgehog Markets CEO Kyle DiPeppe added that “prediction markets have shown power in sports and politics; we are now bringing that power to science.”

Supported by the Solana Foundation, Pump.science operates as a crypto-powered research protocol aimed at launching and funding scientific experiments, particularly in longevity studies popular in Silicon Valley.