Latest news with #$HAWK
New York Post
20-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
‘Hawk Tuah' girl Haliey Welch ‘didn't know' how crypto worked before meme coin disaster, received death threats after
Haliey 'Hawk Tuah' Welch claims she had no idea what cryptocurrency was or how it worked before her disastrous meme coin launch. The viral sensation abruptly stopped her podcast and went to ground in December 2024 after the digital coin she backed, $HAWK, briefly soared then crashed. 'I couldn't tell you how crypto worked the day that coin launched,' she said on her podcast Talking Tuah, speaking for the first time about the scandal. 'I had no idea. I don't know. So that screwed me,' she added. The coin reached a market capitalization of $500 million before becoming worthless in a matter of hours, losing money for almost everyone who invested in it. The launch then became subject to investigations by the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission, during which time Welch's legal team told her to stop broadcasting. 7 The Hawk Tuah Girl cryptocurrency, known as $HAWK, rose and fell at lightning speed. overHere 7 Haliey 'Hawk Tuah Girl' Welch enjoyed celebrity status, showing up at events such as the weigh-ins of Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. Anadolu via Getty Images Welch — who initially went viral last year after she used the term 'hawk tuah' to describe a sex act in an 'on the street' interview outside a nightclub — was cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the meme coin and says she didn't receive any profits from it. 'I got paid a marketing fee,' she said. 'That's all I made. I did not make a dime from the coin itself.' She also told followers she feels bad for anyone who got scammed. 'It makes me feel really bad that they trusted me, and I led them to something that I did not have enough knowledge about. I did not have enough knowledge about crypto to be getting involved with it. And I knew that, but I got talked into it, and I trusted the wrong people.' Welch, 22, said she wasn't allowed to disclose the name of the person who allegedly hoodwinked her into putting her name to the failed coin. However, a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of investors in the coin in New York named Clinton So as the person who launched the coin and social media influencer Alex Larson Schultz as promoting it online. Both are defendants in the case, which is ongoing. 7 Haliey Welch says that she did not understand cryptocurrency, even though a coin was launched with her name on it. Getty Images for Spotify 7 The value of $HAWK rose quickly and plummeted after so-called snipers his their sell buttons. Yahoo Finance A spokesperson for a company associated with the defendants told Bloomberg news they are 'confident that we have done nothing wrong.' Welch said she spent all the money she was paid to promote the coin to deal with the situation. 'I paid for PR crisis, a new lawyer, stuff like that … Every bit of it went to that. So I've really come out with nothing. All that trouble for nothing.' She also talked about how after the coin's drop she received a barrage of abuse both online and in person, explaining who she felt like she was 'going to get shot,' on a trip to an airport, and how she received a message from a guy who threatened to 'chop me up and feed me to his dog.' 7 Following the launch of $HAWK, Haliey Welch's granny had FBI agents at her door. Getty Images 7 Soon after the rapid rise and fall of $HAWK Haliey Welch feared that people wanted her dead. GC Images 7 Despite all the tumult, Welch netted no money from the crypto she inspired and was not named in the lawsuit. Tim & Dee TV The FBI also came to Welch's grandmother's house. 'After the coin launch, the feds came to Granny's house and knocked on her door,' remembered Welch. 'She called me, having a heart attack, and said, 'The FBI is here after you. What have you done?'' Agents insisted she wasn't in trouble, but, Walsh said, 'They wanted to see my phone' and scheduled for her to be interviewed in Nashville. Once there, 'They interrogated me, asking me questions and everything else related to crypto, all the people on my phone that I've talked to about crypto. They went through my phone. So they cleared me. And then the SEC picked it up … they wanted my phone.' Welch says she 'gave them everything' they wanted and is now in the clear. 'It was definitely scary, but at the end of the day … I was cleared and wasn't named in the lawsuit. Legally, I wasn't in any trouble.' 'But,' she added, 'it was a big mess.'
News18
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
What Happened To 'Hawk Tuah' Girl? The Viral Meme That Disappeared
Last Updated: Hailey Welch shot to fame in June last year when she appeared in on-the-street interview with creators Tim & Dee TV in Nashville, Tennessee. Hailey Welch became one of the most recognisable internet names in 2024. Known widely as the 'Hawk Tuah Girl," the 22-year-old rose to fame after a short street interview went viral. But what followed was a series of ups and downs like her sudden internet popularity, a failed launch of her cryptocurrency and her disappearance from public life. Let's take a look at how Welch became the viral 'Hawk Tuah Girl" and what went wrong with her crypto project. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Welch also spoke about the regrets she has and what lies ahead as she plans to rebuild her public image and explore new opportunities. How Hailey Welch Became The 'Hawk Tuah Girl"? advetisement Hailey Welch shot to fame in June 2024 when she appeared in on-the-street interview with creators Tim & Dee TV in Nashville, Tennessee. When asked what's a move that drives a man crazy, she jokingly replied with her now-famous 'hawk-tuah" sound. The clip gained attention across social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Her phrase became a popular meme and many began calling her the 'Hawk Tuah Girl." Following her internet success, Welch launched merchandise, appeared in Halloween costume collaborations and even started her own podcast called Talk Tuah in September 2024. She became a regular face across social media in the second half of the year. The Crypto Launch And Sudden Crash With her growing popularity, Welch entered the world of cryptocurrency. On December 4, she launched her own meme coin called $HAWK. After the launch, the token quickly reached a market cap of around $490 million within hours. But the price dropped by more than 90 percent shortly after launch. It went below $30 million. According to CoinMarketCap, $HAWK may have been affected by a 'rug pull," a situation where snipers buy the asset where it is cheaper and instantly sell it where it's more expensive. Following the sudden fall, a lawsuit was filed in New York against the creators of the token, including its platform overHere, founder Clinton So, influencer Alex Larson Schultz and the Tuah The Moon Foundation which reportedly managed the coin's finances. The lawsuit claimed that the creators of unlawfully promoting and selling cryptocurrency that was allegedly never properly registered. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Welch shared how the situation affected her, saying, 'I hate that that's even a thing. Half of those people that done it were, like, my fans. They trusted me… It really hurt my feelings when it turned out the way it did. I wish it hadn't have happened." Advertisement After the events in December, Welch took a break from public life. She stopped releasing episodes of her podcast Talk Tuah and stayed off social media until late March. Back in December, she had posted a message saying she was 'committed to assisting the legal team representing the individuals impacted, as well as to help uncover the truth, hold the responsible parties accountable, and resolve this matter." In the new interview, Welch said, 'I see things a lot differently than I used to. My eyes are open a lot wider." She also had a message for other viral stars: 'Definitely be careful what you tie your name into and who you trust." New Acting Projects And Future Plans Welch has now returned to social media and wants to move forward with new projects. She shared that she is planning to rework her podcast Talk Tuah. 'I'm hoping my podcast gets rebranded in the way I'm seeing it in my head — the vision I've got. Just making it more girlier and more authentic to me," SHE SAID. top videos View All She is also stepping into acting. Welch will reportedly appear in the upcoming Hulu comedy series Chad Powers, which stars Glen Powell. 'It was definitely something I would do again. I don't know if I could do a whole movie by myself… But bits and pieces, just popping in here and there — I think that would be so much fun," Welch said about her acting experience. The Hollywood Reporter mentioned that she had earlier turned down a few roles in horror films. Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 07, 2025, 12:30 IST News explainers What Happened To 'Hawk Tuah' Girl? The Viral Meme That Disappeared
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Express Tribune
06-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Haliey Welch addresses $HAWK meme coin scandal and its impact on her career
Haliey Welch, the viral star known as "Hawk Tuah Girl," has opened up about the controversy surrounding the $HAWK meme coin that led to significant financial losses for many investors. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Welch discussed the aftermath of the December 2024 crypto crash, which saw the coin's value plummet by 93%, and how it affected her mental health. Welch, who initially gained fame from a viral interview in which she shared an intimate anecdote, promoted the $HAWK coin, which quickly surged to a $490 million market cap before crashing. The coin's collapse prompted a lawsuit from investors, alleging that they were misled, and Welch has since cooperated with the legal team involved. 'It really hurt my feelings when it turned out the way it did,' Welch said, expressing regret over the loss experienced by her fans, some of whom had trusted her endorsement of the coin. She admitted that she didn't fully understand the mechanics of the cryptocurrency world and felt sorrow for those who lost money due to the investment. "I feel sorry for everybody that just lost money," she added. Following the incident, Welch chose to step back from public life for a period, taking a much-needed mental health break. During this time, she refrained from releasing episodes of her podcast Talk Tuah, which she had launched in the wake of her viral fame. She acknowledged the pressure that came with the scandal and the strain it placed on her well-being, adding that she struggled with mental health even before her rise to internet stardom. As she returns to the podcasting world, Welch says she is more cautious about who she partners with, ensuring greater scrutiny for future collaborations. She also emphasized that she hopes to make her podcast more authentic to herself, making it more "girlier" and in line with her evolving vision. Welch's transparency about the situation reflects her efforts to regain trust and continue her career with greater awareness.
Buzz Feed
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Haliey "Hawk Tuah" Welch Finally Broke Her Silence On That Cryptocurrency Scandal
Haliey "Hawk Tuah" Welch is finally addressing last year's cryptocurrency scandal that caused her to step away from her Talk Tuah podcast. Obviously, if any of the above words make sense to you, then you know what Haliey is famous for. If not, you can watch this video, which led to such achievements as the aforementioned podcast, appearing onstage with country superstar Zach Bryan, and launching a crypto token that crashed so hard it spurred a lawsuit against its creators (which, for what it's worth, did not include Haliey). Real quick: A meme coin called $HAWK in honor of Haliey's viral fame launched in December 2024. It reached a market cap of $490M before rapidly crashing to below $100M. Investors reportedly lost $151,000. Pretty rough! At the time of the lawsuit, Haliey issued a statement claiming that she took the situation "extremely seriously." She also put Talk Tuah on hold for a period of time. (The podcast has since resumed, with recent episodes featuring KSI and Chanel West Coast as guests.) In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Haliey addressed how it felt in the eye of the crypto scandal storm — and, surprise surprise, it was no picnic. 'I hate that that's even a thing,' she said, presumably referring to the memecoin's crash and the subsequent fallout. 'Half of those people that done it were, like, my fans. They trusted me, like, guiding them to it." "And I don't know…It really hurt my feelings when it turned out the way it did. I wish it hadn't have happened.'
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Blockdaemon CEO issues stark warning to crypto founders
In an interview with TheStreet Roundtable, Konstantin Richter, CEO and Founder of Blockdaemon, gave some advice to crypto founders: embrace governance. The value of professional oversight is often overlooked in an industry that, at its core, is anti-establishment. Konstatin's perspective is driven by his interactions with major financial institutions like J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, who have been hesitant to enter the space for several reasons, including the tendency for projects to not set up traditional structures. Crypto is overrun with scams, rugpulls, and other types of fraud. Earlier this year, Hailey Welch launched $HAWK, a meme coin based on the viral clip she was featured in. It collapsed within hours and millions of dollars were lost. Outside of the thousands of memecoins that pop up every single day, several high profile failures of crypto businesses have tainted the industry's image. Konstantin highlighted FTX, which collapsed in 2022 and had no board, 'I still see a lot of that.' At the beginning of April, Mantra's OM token, an established and well known token, fell over 90% in a single day. Mantra does not have a traditional board either, instead relying on a governance token that grants holders voting rights. 'Young founders and people building open-source systems have an inherent suspicion of oversight—I totally understand that,' he explained. 'But you're missing out on real entrepreneurial benefits if you don't have a professional board to hold you accountable and guide your thinking. It opens you up to dangerous behaviors.' Implementing proper governance in crypto is not easy. The most obvious risk is that you alienate crypto purists who view oversight as central control. Smaller projects will also struggle to afford to afford professional boards, potentially increasing the gap between well funded and community projects. Konstantin's call to founders is clear: in order to be accepted by the masses, it needs to mature. If users are able to trust the businesses they interact with, this can spur growth and innovation, not hamper it.
