LUCE Memecoin Surges 100% Amid Pope Francis Death News—But Long-Term Holders Still Deep in the Red

The Vatican-themed LUCE memecoin saw an unexpected resurgence today, rocketing over 100% after news broke of Pope Francis’ passing. The Solana-based token—originally launched in late 2024 to coincide with the Vatican’s Jubilee Year mascot announcement—had been languishing for months before today’s dramatic surge.

According to CoinMarketCap, LUCE climbed from a low of $0.00892 to a high of $0.02711 before retracing. At press time, LUCE is trading around $0.014—still over 50% above yesterday’s levels but significantly off its intraday peak.

The sudden rally appears to be fueled by speculative trading in reaction to the global headlines surrounding the Pope’s death. Francis, who had been hospitalized for pneumonia, had recently shown signs of recovery and even made a public Easter appearance, including a high-profile meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance. His death nevertheless shocked the global community, and crypto traders quickly responded.

Meme Traders Capitalize on Tragedy

While much of the Catholic world mourned the Pope’s passing, traders jumped on the opportunity to revive interest in LUCE and a host of newly launched tokens with names like “POPE” and “FRANCIS.” According to Dexscreener, several of these microcap memecoins have exploded in value, with the FRANCIS token surging 217% in the past 24 hours.

LUCE alone generated over $50 million in 24-hour trading volume—a 515% increase—pushing its market cap back above $14 million. However, it remains a shadow of its former self, having previously peaked at $0.3272 in November 2024 following a perpetual contract listing on Bybit.

Major Profits Turn to Pain for LUCE Holders

Despite today’s price rally, LUCE is still down more than 95% from its all-time high. The meme token had attracted significant attention last year during its launch, with traders reporting six-figure profits. One Solana wallet famously turned $10,000 into $666,000 by trading LUCE at its peak.

But not everyone was so lucky.

According to blockchain analytics from Lookonchain, one long-term holder who invested in 19.14 million LUCE tokens at $0.0275 saw his portfolio soar to over $5.2 million—only to watch it crash as interest in the token faded. Holding too long, the trader ended up booking a $335,000 loss after the memecoin nosedived 70% this year.

Is LUCE a Meme Resurrection or a Final Candle?

While today’s spike offered a glimmer of hope for bagholders, the future remains uncertain. The broader memecoin market has cooled significantly in 2025, and LUCE is still down more than 63% year-to-date. Unless another media frenzy or cultural moment reignites interest, the current momentum may be short-lived.

For now, LUCE’s revival looks more like a reflexive bounce than a full-scale comeback. But as meme traders have shown time and again, even a narrative as serious as a papal death can be turned into speculative fuel.