Internet star Hayley Welch, also known as “Hawk Tua Girl,” said Friday that she is “cooperating fully” with lawyers representing those affected by the recent collapse of the cryptocurrency meme coin $HAWK. ” he said.
Earlier this month, Welch helped launch a cryptocurrency named after her viral catchphrase. Within hours of the digital coin becoming available, its price plummeted and the 22-year-old influencer faced accusations of fraud. At the time, Welch's team blamed “snipers” – bots programmed to buy tokens shortly after they were launched and sell them when prices spiked – for causing the market cap fluctuations. .
Investors in the $HAWK coin filed a lawsuit Thursday against the coin's creator, accusing the company, its founder Clinton So, Tua the Moon Foundation, and social media influencer Alex Larson.・Mr. Schultz was accused of illegally advertising and selling the virtual currency they claim to be. Not properly registered with the SEC.
The lawsuit, a copy of which was reviewed by NBC News, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. It does not name Welch as a defendant.
Welch responded to the lawsuit in a post on X on Friday, calling on those who have “experienced a loss in connection with this” to contact the law firm Berwick PLLC.
“I take this situation very seriously and would like to appeal to our fans, affected investors and the broader community,” she said. I wrote. “I fully cooperate and support the legal teams representing the individuals affected, and am committed to uncovering the truth, holding those responsible accountable, and resolving this matter. .”
A spokeswoman for Mr. Welch did not respond to a request for additional comment Friday.
Berwick PLLC, affiliated with law firm Wolf Popper LLC, said that while the $HAWK token's market capitalization had “soared” to $491 million since its launch on December 4, “the value of the $HAWK token has plummeted. As a result, the sharp rise was short-lived.” Within hours, it had increased more than 90% to below $100 million. ”
“Due to this extreme volatility, many investors, particularly first-time crypto investors drawn into Hayley Welch’s involvement, faced significant financial losses,” the companies said in a statement. news release Friday.
Wolf Popper LLP and Burwick Law said in a statement that they “seek to recover on behalf of Plaintiff and the Class' purchase of $HAWK tokens.”
After spending several months growing his brand, Welch jumped into the crypto boom. Since June, when her interview went viral online, she has found success with the launch of Hawk Tua-themed merchandise, a podcast called Talk Tua, and an AI dating assistant app called Pookie Tools. I was able to do it.
In the days leading up to $HAWK's release, she promoted $HAWK in several posts on X. luckshe previously said she thought cryptocurrencies were “just a scam” and “an easy way to lose money.” However, she said that after attending several crypto conferences, she started thinking it was a “good way to interact with fans.”
In a Dec. 4 post on X after the initial controversy, Welch said she and those behind the coin were not selling any of their holdings.
Memecoins are cryptocurrencies inspired by internet memes, such as DOGE (named after the iconic Doge meme) and MOODENG (named after the viral baby pygmy hippopotamus). Performance in the market can be volatile, relying primarily on hype caused by social media trends. But some meme coins have also been controversial, with celebrities who have promoted crypto coins without being transparent about their financial incentives facing scrutiny and legal action.
In the joint statement on X “Sadly, this is one of many memecoin incidents in which institutional greed has exploited celebrities and their influence to harm ordinary people,” Wolf Popper and Berwick Law said Friday. One,” he wrote.
