- LUCE token has surged 45% with daily trading volume increasing to $60 million following Pope Francis’s death.
- Prediction markets show Cardinal Pietro Parolin leading papal succession odds at 37%, with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle at 27%.
- Pope Francis, who died at 88, had been a prominent critic of AI technologies, calling them “the highest-stakes gamble of our future.”
Pope Francis’s death on Easter Monday has triggered significant activity in cryptocurrency markets and prediction platforms as traders respond to the news. The pontiff’s passing has created financial opportunities for those looking to capitalize on the historic event through various digital assets and betting markets.
The Solana-based meme coin LUCE, named after the Vatican‘s Holy Year 2025 cartoon mascot, jumped approximately 45% following the announcement of the Pope’s death, according to CoinGecko data. The token is currently trading at $0.013, with its 24-hour trading volume skyrocketing to $60.27 million from just $5 million the previous day.
Despite carrying a warning that it has no official affiliation with the Vatican, LUCE has attracted nearly 44,800 holders. However, the token remains down around 95% from its November peak when it reached $0.30.
Betting on Papal Succession
Following Catholic tradition, cardinals will soon gather for a papal conclave to elect Pope Francis’s successor through secret ballot. This process has prompted the emergence of betting markets focused on who will next lead the Catholic Church.
Prediction data from Myriad Markets, operated by Decrypt’s parent company Dastan, shows Italy‘s Cardinal Pietro Parolin currently leading with a 37% probability of succession. The Philippines‘ Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle follows at 27%, while bets on other candidates collectively account for 34% of predictions.
Church officials will convene the conclave within the next three weeks to select the new leader for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Pope Francis’s Legacy and Views on Technology
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who took the name Francis upon his election in 2013, was the first non-European pope in approximately 1,300 years. Born in Argentina, the young Bergoglio once worked as a nightclub bouncer in Buenos Aires before leading Argentina’s Jesuit congregation at age 36. He died at 88 following complications from a stroke and cardiovascular collapse.
Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis frequently voiced concerns about technological advancements. In late 2023, he described Artificial Intelligence as “the highest-stakes gamble of our future,” calling for its development to “serve humanity’s best potential.”
The pontiff also denounced the use of AI in warfare, stating firmly: “No machine should ever choose to take the life of a human being.”
The conclave’s decision in the coming weeks will determine who will lead the Catholic Church into an increasingly technological future that Pope Francis approached with both caution and moral clarity.
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