Stand With Crypto Removes Soulja Boy From NJ Governor Rally After Discovering Sexual Assault Fine
Rapper Soulja Boy will no longer perform at Stand With Crypto's "get out the vote" event in Jersey City next week due to a court finding him liable for sexual battery and assault, a spokesperson told CoinDesk on Thursday.
Soulja Boy, otherwise known as DeAndre Cortez Way, and 070 Shake, otherwise known as Danielle Balbuena, were slated to headline the event on June 5, which was intended to bring out crypto fans a few weeks before New Jersey residents go to the polls to choose their nominees for the Garden State's governor race, Stand With Crypto announced on Wednesday.
Stand With Crypto New Jersey chapter president Carlos Merino said in a statement that "This GOTV rally is one more example of Stand With Crypto's commitment to mobilizing the crypto community ahead of New Jersey's critical gubernatorial primary election."
However, Way will no longer perform after Politico reported Thursday morning that he was recently ordered to pay a former assistant $4 million after being found liable for sexual battery and assault.
An external spokesperson for Stand With Crypto said in a statement that the organization was "not aware of the recent legal developments involving Soulja Boy."
"Given this information, we have removed him from our event lineup. 070 Shake will still perform at our June 5th rally and we look forward to bringing together New Jersey's crypto community to demonstrate the political power of crypto voters ahead of the gubernatorial primary," according to the statement.
"Our focus remains on mobilizing crypto supporters and ensuring candidates understand that clear, sensible crypto policy is a priority for New Jersey voters."
The lawsuit against Way dates back to 2021, though the jury ruling only came last month. Way said he would appeal the ruling, according to Courthouse News Service.
Way also performed at the "Crypto Ball," an inauguration event sponsored by MAGA Inc. and Bitcoin Inc., as well as Crypto.com, Exodus, Anchorage Digital and Kraken back in January.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dems Say They're Blocked From Info on Verge of Crypto Market Structure Bill Hearings
On the eve of a U.S. House of Representatives hearing to scrutinize a bill to establish rules for the crypto markets, Democrats said they've been stymied from seeking technical information about its effects from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to staffers. Regulatory agencies such as the SEC routinely give technical analysis to lawmakers, answering questions about the potential effects of legislative efforts such as the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act that would establish regulatory guardrails for digital assets. Democratic staff on the House Financial Services Committee submitted questions to the SEC about the bill and in a briefing were denied basic answers that were previously given to Republicans, according to the Democratic aides who asked not to be named. The agency also didn't offer its subject-matter experts for the discussion, they said. On Tuesday, the panel's ranking Democrat, Representative Maxine Waters of California, prepared a letter to SEC Chairman Paul Atkins to demand "comprehensive technical and impact analysis" of the crypto market structure bill. She included several pages of questions in a draft reviewed by CoinDesk, contending that "fulsome answers to the questions raised above are necessary for the American people, through their representatives in Congress, to determine whether this legislative proposal addresses the unique risks related to crypto, and would foster the needed environment for responsible innovation to take root." The SEC "provides technical assistance to any Member of Congress who seeks it, including on these crypto-related bills," a spokesperson told CoinDesk when asked about the complaints. One of the staffers said that the SEC Crypto Task Force's Landon Zinda, who moved to the agency from crypto advocacy group Coin Center in February, was meant to brief them but was unable to answer basic questions. The House committee is set to hold the Clarity Act hearing on Wednesday after having recently introduced the long-negotiated legislation, a successor of the last sessions' Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21). The House Agriculture Committee, which also has jurisdiction over the regulation of digital assets, is running its own hearing at the same time. This bill represents the central policy goal of the crypto industry, which contends that it needs clear U.S. regulations to encourage investors who've waited on the sidelines and to keep crypto innovators from moving overseas. The Democratic staffers say that members have concerns about the traditional securities firms finding loopholes in this major legislation that will allow them to skirt existing securities regulations. But congressional Democrats haven't acted as a block when it comes to this and a related stablecoin bill also making its way through the legislative process. While some leaders, including Waters, have opposed advancing crypto legislation, other Democrats have joined with Republicans to move bills forward in both the House and Senate. Updates with a response from the SEC and further information from sources.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump's Team ‘Knows Nothing' About Apparent ‘$TRUMP Wallet' Launch
A representative of the Trump Organization said the group 'knows nothing' about a crypto wallet project called the '$TRUMP Wallet,' despite the app's branding and claims being tied to the U.S. president. 'The Trump Organization knows nothing about this project," a spokesperson for the Trump Organization told CoinDesk. Meanwhile, an X account linked to the President's memecoins said that the wallet was 'coming soon,' even after several of his representatives denied the rumors. The app, according to its sparse but live website, promises users the ability to hold and trade digital assets. It includes no technical documentation or launch timeline but features a waitlist for early access. Magic Eden, the crypto marketplace reportedly involved in the project, had confirmed the project through a post by its CEO Jack Lu on X. U.S. President Donald Trump has leaned into crypto since reentering the political arena ahead of last year's election. Past initiatives tied to Trump include World Liberty Financial, a stablecoin venture, and the meme tokens Trump Coin and Melania Coin, both of which launched before his 2025 inauguration. According to the wallet's website, Magic Eden is working with the website behind the Trump memecoin. Donald Trump Jr., one of the president's children, also said in an X post that the organization has "zero involvement with this wallet product," but that World Liberty will "soon" launch its own wallet. His youngest son, Barron Trump, also denied the partnership. Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy. UPDATE (June 8, 19:24 UTC): Adds X post by Barron Trump denying the partnership. UPDATE (June 8, 20:46 UTC): Adds X post by account affiliated with Trump's memecoins. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
France Charges 25 People, Including 6 Minors, in Crypto Kidnapping Cases
French authorities have charged 25 people, including six minors, for their roles in a spate of crypto kidnappings in Paris, with the majority of the suspects connected to the recent failed kidnapping attempt of a crypto exchange CEO's family, Paris's public prosecutor's office said, Le Monde reported Saturday. The investigation is focused on the kidnapping attempt of the daughter and grandson of the CEO of crypto exchange Paymium, Pierre Noizat, that occurred on May 13, the report said. The probe also looked at other unsuccessful kidnapping attempts, including an earlier attempt on Noizat's family members, plus an attempted abduction near the western city of Nantes last Monday that authorities thwarted. The arrests follow a spate of high-profile crypto kidnappings that have plagued France this year. In May the father of a French crypto millionaire was kidnapped, the BBC reported. At the start of the year David Ballard, a co-founder of crypto-wallet developer Ledger was kidnapped alongside his wife. Both of the men had a finger severed, with videos of the appendage used to extract a ransom. Following the recent kidnappings France's Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau hosted a meeting with crypto stakeholders in May to discuss measures to keep them secure. The suspects involved in the May 13 case were between the ages of 16 and 23 years; six of them were minors, the Le Monde report said. They were mostly born in France while three individuals were from Senegal, Angola and Russia, the report cited prosecutors as saying. This case is characterized by "very young profiles, lured by money and then caught up in a situation that is beyond them," observed lawyer Ambroise Vienet-Legué, who is defending an 18-year-old suspect in the Nantes part of the case, the report said. A source familiar with the investigation told CoinDesk that the suspects are believed to be locally-hired muscle, who are paid by a criminal operation in Southeast Asia to carry out the kidnappings for as little as $10,000. Eighteen people are in pre-trial detention, three have requested a deferred hearing while four are under judicial supervision, the public prosecutor said. Though France has been the epicenter of crypto kidnappings, similar crimes are on the rise across the globe, including recent several cases in the U.S. CoinDesk reached out to Paris's prosecution office for a comment.
