Hawk Tuah Girl’s Meme Coin Plummets: A Crypto Catastrophe Unfolds!
This summer, Haliey Welch, affectionately dubbed the “Hawk Tuah Girl,” became a viral sensation after sharing her bold and cheeky graphic relationship advice in a street interview. Since then, she’s transformed her newfound fame into a flourishing influencer career, launching a podcast and even an animal charity! While her time in the spotlight has opened up lucrative opportunities, it has also led to some eyebrow-raising endorsements — Welch is a vocal advocate for X (formerly known as Twitter), its controversial owner Elon Musk, and the much-maligned Cybertruck from Tesla. Who knew a meme queen could have such diverse interests?
But that’s not all! Welch is now also navigating the bustling world of crypto — diving headfirst into bitcoin investments and even dabbling in Dogecoin, the playful “meme coin” that took the internet by storm. Her newfound investment strategies, inspired by Musk’s own enthusiasm for the crypto space, have only fueled her rise to fame as the self-proclaimed “Queen of Memes.” It wasn’t long before crypto entrepreneurs saw an opportunity to capitalize on her growing brand, launching a new coin: $HAWK, on the blockchain platform Solana. They assured everyone it was a legitimate endeavor compliant with securities laws — not just another cash grab!
However, skepticism loomed large from the very beginning. Within a day of its launch, the value of $HAWK skyrocketed by an astonishing 900 percent, pushing its market cap to nearly half a billion dollars. But just as quickly, it plummeted by approximately 95 percent, leaving retail investors reeling in shock. As accusations of a “pump-and-dump” scheme started swirling, many within the crypto community began to suspect foul play. Was this yet another tale of developers creating buzz only to leave everyday investors holding the bag?
The drama escalated as evidence surfaced suggesting insiders were cashing out their stakes for massive profits. Reports showed that certain savvy buyers, known as “snipers,” quickly accumulated a hefty portion of the available coins, flipping them for lightning-fast profits. One crypto wallet reportedly snagged an impressive 17.5 percent of the supply within minutes and turned it into a jaw-dropping $1.3 million in just 90 minutes. Analysts pointed out that a staggering 96 percent of $HAWK was held in a concentrated group of wallets, raising alarms about the level of collusion at play.
In a bid to address the growing chaos, Welch and her team took to X Spaces for a live audio session. Unfortunately, their efforts to quell suspicions of a scam fell flat as investors quickly filed complaints with the Securities and Exchange Commission. One law firm even began advertising its services to help those who felt wronged. During the conversation, Welch largely remained quiet while her associates attempted to clarify the situation. When pressed for answers, they seemed to dance around the questions, maintaining that their team had not sold their tokens.
The tension hit a boiling point when YouTuber Stephen Findeisen, aka Coffeezilla, known for his cutting investigations into crypto fraud, was invited to speak. “This is one of the most miserable, horrible launches I’ve ever seen in my life,” he declared, prompting Welch to respond, seemingly unaware of his critical reputation, “Okay, then why the freak are you on?” Findeisen continued to press for answers about the $2 million generated from exorbitant transaction fees, while elusive responses only heightened the skepticism surrounding the project. Findeisen ultimately labeled $HAWK a “scam,” further igniting the controversy.
The conversation became even more heated when Richard Bengston, known as FaZe Banks, echoed Findeisen’s harsh critique, advising Welch to part ways with anyone who encouraged her to become the face of this poorly managed cryptocurrency. He asserted that this debacle was yet another instance of influencers venturing into the crypto realm without proper due diligence to protect their followers. While Welch didn’t respond to this advice, she abruptly ended the discussion by saying, “Anywho, I’m gonna go to bed, and I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” leaving many attendees stunned by her nonchalance.
Welch’s representative has yet to comment on the situation, but it was clear that the fallout from the Spaces discussion was significant enough for her to remove the recording from her X account. (However, the conversation is still accessible through a YouTube upload.) Following this, Findeisen hosted a debriefing on his own account, criticizing the $HAWK developers for avoiding questions and muting him at times. He lamented that it was likely inexperienced investors who were harmed by this crash, stating, “The most insidious part of what they said was, we’re targeting regular people, regular fans.” This statement hit home for many as it highlighted the potential risks faced by those new to the volatile world of crypto.
By Thursday evening, Findeisen released a video summarizing the entire situation, revealing that Welch’s entertainment lawyer had disclosed she received a $125,000 advance for marketing the token from an unspecified company, with a planned 50 percent cut of the net proceeds. This revelation sparked further outrage, as many questioned her intentions. Findeisen noted, “There were lots of signs this was not going to work,” pointing to the disproportionate allocation of tokens favoring insiders over the public. He expressed concern that Welch was either misinformed or overly eager to chase dollar signs without asking the necessary questions. “I hope that she acknowledges the harm of what she did, intentional or not, and takes accountability to help her fans who lost money,” he added.
As the dust settled, Welch’s defensive posts on X were met with Community Notes mocking her situation, predicting that she might soon “have to ‘talk tuah’ judge.” With jokes about potential legal consequences circulating, it remains uncertain what the future holds for her reputation and legal standing. In a twist of fate, the emergence of a “revenge coin,” $TUAH, has taken the internet by storm, inspired by memes of Welch behind bars, as investors rally to boost its value high enough to surpass $HAWK’s market cap.
As always with the wild world of crypto, it’s a rollercoaster ride where some will undoubtedly be left holding the bag. Stay tuned as this captivating saga continues!
