Investors in Hailey Welch's Hawk Tuah Meme Coin File Lawsuit Against Producers and Promoters, Accusing the Group of Securities Fraud

The Hawk Tuah release in early December was a major scandal in the meme coin space. The HAWK token launched to huge enthusiasm and a market cap of $500 million, but it crashed after 20 minutes.

Investors in the Hawk Tuah meme coin, popularized by social media personality Hailey Welch, have filed a lawsuit against several of the asset’s producers and promoters, alleging that the group engaged in securities fraud.

Welch herself is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit and will apparently have no direct involvement in the court proceedings.

Hawk Tuah Rug Pull

When Hawk Tuah was released in early December, it caused a major scandal in the meme coin space. The HAWK token launched to huge enthusiasm and a market cap of $500 million, but it crashed after 20 minutes. Now, some of the asset’s investors are taking legal action against the parties responsible.

“The project clearly was intended to take advantage of the American market. Despite clear indications of its status as a security, the HAWK Token was not registered by Defendants,” the lawsuit alleges.

While the plaintiffs are not directly focusing on the rug pull aspect of the whole debacle, the Hawk Tuah launch seems to be a classic example of this scam. Some experts have even suggested that it had a chilling effect on the broader meme coin market.

Instead, they are highlighting a few clearly sketchy traits, such as the asset’s token distribution. Despite this wildly unequal distribution, overHere Ltd, the company that launched Hawk Tuah, “literally said that the token holders would essentially be shareholders,” according to the lawsuit. This line of argument could prove fruitful in court, as the plaintiffs allege that the firm violated securities laws.

Although rug pulls have declined in 2024, internet fame and meme coin scams can still create a potent mix. For example, YouTuber MrBeast recently used his fame to promote shaky assets in an insider trading scheme. Even hacked celebrity accounts can boost fake meme coins.

Celebrity endorsements can quickly inflate a fraudulent asset, thanks to the hype bubbles that define meme coins. Even though Hailey Welch is not directly named in the suit and her fortunes may not suffer if the plaintiffs face severe consequences, her credibility among the community will surely take a hit.