Cambridge Professors Paid in Meme Coins for Lectures

Knowledge pegged to Pepe.

By Sophie Malik – Satirical Markets Writer

Academia Meets Absurdity

Cambridge University has always been seen as a bastion of tradition, prestige, and scholarship. Gowns, centuries-old libraries, and Latin mottos define its image. But according to viral rumours, the university has adopted a bizarre payment system for its professors. Instead of salaries in sterling, they are allegedly receiving their wages in meme coins.

Screenshots posted online showed salary slips decorated with cartoon dogs and frogs. One caption read: “Your monthly compensation: 200 PepeCoin, 500 Shiba Inu, and one limited-edition ElonToken.”

Professors in Panic

Clips quickly surfaced on TikTok showing professors complaining about their wallets. One economics lecturer allegedly sighed, “My pension vanished when Doge dipped.” A physics professor joked in a parody interview, “I can explain quantum mechanics, but not why my salary is tied to Pepe memes.”

Students gleefully joined the fun. A viral meme showed a professor mid-lecture with text overlay: “Will teach for clout.”

Fake or Real?

Instagram polls revealed 54 percent of voters believed the rumour. “Feels real,” one commenter said, “universities already pay in prestige.” Another argued, “Fake, but it makes sense. Academia runs on memes anyway.”

The rumour blurred satire and plausibility, making Cambridge’s reputation for eccentricity the perfect backdrop.

Meme Avalanche

Memes flooded social feeds. One edit showed the Cambridge crest replaced with Pepe the Frog. Another depicted Newton’s apple falling with the caption “Gravity is temporary, Pepe is forever.”

Parody job adverts appeared online: “Wanted: Lecturer in History. Payment in Doge, exposure, and free Wi-Fi.”

Top Comments from the Internet

• “Finally, salaries are less stable than academia itself.”
• “Professors rugged harder than my portfolio.”
• “At least PepeCoin comes with memes. Sterling doesn’t.”

University Spin

The university, of course, denied the rumour. Yet silence from the faculty fuelled speculation. A parody press release claimed: “Our compensation reflects the volatility of modern knowledge.”

Alleged insiders joked that philosophy lecturers received CloutTokens while mathematicians were rewarded in fractions of Bitcoin. Whether true or not, the memes kept multiplying.

Why It Resonates

The rumour resonates because academia already feels underfunded and undervalued. Professors often complain they are rewarded with prestige rather than pay. Satirising this with meme coins turns a serious issue into something hilarious yet painfully familiar.

An LSE education analyst commented, “Universities have long underpaid staff while raising tuition fees. Meme coin salaries simply make the absurdity explicit.” That quote itself became a meme, captioned with images of Cambridge dons wearing Doge hats.

Satirical Vision of the Future

Imagine higher education fully tokenised. Students paying tuition in “EssayCoin.” Libraries charging entry in “Knowledge NFTs.” Graduation certificates minted on-chain and instantly tradable.

A parody poster already circulates: professors tossing mortarboards into the air while glowing QR codes hover above them. Tagline: “Learn to Earn.”

Student Response

Students found the rumour too good to ignore. One undergrad joked, “If my professor gets paid in memes, I should get graded in likes.” Another quipped, “At least Pepe salaries keep tutorials entertaining.”

Street interviews in Cambridge showed tourists laughing at the idea. “It’s already expensive here. I’d believe they pay people in Monopoly money.”

The Bigger Picture

Behind the humour lies a critique of how education is managed. Staff often strike for better wages, while universities market themselves with gimmicks. Meme coin salaries parody the sense that knowledge itself is undervalued, reduced to entertainment for spectators online.

Cultural critics argue the rumour resonates because meme culture has already invaded academia. From students writing essays with AI to professors turned into viral TikToks, universities now compete not just on research but on relevance.

Conclusion

Whether Cambridge professors are truly paid in meme coins is irrelevant. The rumour has already gone viral, cementing itself in Britain’s meme economy. For some, it’s a laugh. For others, it reflects deeper truths about underpaid staff and overvalued branding.

So the next time you walk past Cambridge’s historic halls, don’t just admire the architecture. Imagine professors inside checking their wallets. Because in 2025, even knowledge might be pegged to Pepe.

By Sophie Malik – Satirical Markets Writer
sophie.malik@londonews.com