The price of LUCE, a Solana-based meme coin themed around the Vatican’s Holy Year 2025 mascot, has surged dramatically following the death of Pope Francis. On some exchanges, LUCE jumped as much as 134%, reaching a high of $0.02517 before settling at around $0.015. CoinMarketCap data shows LUCE previously dropped below $0.009 before its latest rebound, which saw the token’s trading volume rise to nearly $50 million in 24 hours—a 515% increase.
The coin, which debuted in October 2024 shortly after the Vatican revealed its Jubilee mascot, quickly gained traction and reached a peak market cap above $80 million within two days of launch. Despite being unaffiliated with the Vatican, LUCE now has around 44,800 holders and a current market cap of roughly $15 million, according to data from GMGN.Ai. The token’s liquidity stands at $1.8 million, and its price remains down 95% from its November peak of $0.3272.
Following the Pope’s death, the cryptocurrency world saw a rise not only in LUCE but also in other Solana-based meme coins themed around him. Tokens such as FRANCIS, POPE, RIP POPE, and simply RIP—with imagery of the late pontiff—emerged rapidly, with FRANCIS gaining over 115% shortly after launch.
While interest in meme coins had faded in early 2025, the renewed spotlight led to a temporary resurgence. A previous buyer of 10 million LUCE tokens with $10,000 worth of SOL recorded over $666,000 in profits during the coin’s 2024 peak. However, another investor who purchased 19.14 million LUCE tokens at $0.0275 ended up losing $335,000 after the price plummeted.
LUCE’s dramatic movement also coincides with gambling markets reacting to the upcoming papal conclave. Prediction platforms place Italy’s Cardinal Pietro Parolin as the frontrunner with 37% odds, followed by the Philippines’ Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle at 27%. Other candidates make up the remaining 34%. The conclave, which will determine the next leader of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church, is expected to take place within three weeks.
