#HMBlog: Tampa Bay's Beer Can Island goes for broke on Cryptocurrency
Pine Key—Affectionately known to the locals as Beer Can Island—has officially hit rock bottom, or rather, eight feet under water, thanks to Hurricane Helene. The storm had a blast, literally, taking out the concert stage, tiki bar, giant slide, and food truck. Then, because one hurricane wasn't enough, Hurricane Milton breezed through, giving the island the equivalent of a bad hair transplant.
This once-hot party spot is now as closed as a clam, expected to stay that way for another six to nine months. But in true entrepreneurial spirit, or perhaps desperation, Russell Loomis, one of the island’s owners sees this as a "reset." His new, plan? Dive into the murky waters of cryptocurrency.
Introducing $PineKey- this coin, available on pump.fun (seriously, who names these sites?), isn't just for laughs; it'll buy you food, drinks, and even a piece of this soggy paradise.
"We're building a whole new crypto-ecosystem on the island," Loomis said in a recent interview with the Tampa Bay Times, probably while nursing a beer with a mini floating umbrella in it. He envisions this as a groundbreaking first for private islands.
For a cool $1,000 in $PineKey, you too can own a share of this drowned dream. They've sold over 1,000 shares, with less than 500 left.
The island, nestled between Apollo Beach and MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa Bay, was once up for sale for $14.2 million. Apparently, no one was willing to shell out for a submerged Diddy Party.
Loomis and his crew are now playing adult Legos with architects, engineers, lawyers, and the county to rebuild. They're planning to elevate everything by at least 8 feet.
And if this crypto venture takes off, say goodbye to Beer Can Island and hello to Solana Island, named after the blockchain network that $PineKey lives on. Loomis has already jumped the gun, securing domain names and social media handles.
"There's really nothing like it on the planet," Loomis said, which, given the state of the island, might actually be true.