Apparently shaken by the fallout from the Hawk HAWK/USD meme coin crash, social media influencer Haliey Welch, widely known as the “Hawk Tuah Girl,” on Friday broke her silence on Friday, addressing the public for the first time since a lawsuit was filed by investors.
Welch, 22, shared a statement on microblogging platform X expressing her commitment to uncovering the truth, assisting impacted individuals, and holding those responsible accountable.
"I take this situation extremely seriously and want to address my fans, the investors who have been affected, and the broader community," Welch wrote. She also urged those who experienced losses to contact Burwick Law, the firm representing the plaintiffs.
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT, known for his critical analysis of crypto scams, highlighted prior community warnings about the HAWK coin.
In a tweet dated Nov. 6, he wrote, "We were warned," alongside a screenshot of another user's tweet, which said, "Hawk Tuah girl was gonna do a coin, they assembled KOLs [key opinion leaders] for it, but then it kind of fell apart. They wanted me on supposedly… She's gonna farm us."
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in New York, alleges that the HAWK coin team failed to register the token in accordance with securities laws.
The coin, inspired by Welch's viral “Hawk Tuah” catchphrase, launched on Dec. 4 and briefly reached a market cap of $500 million before crashing by 95% within minutes. Investors reportedly lost a combined $151,000 in the rapid downturn.
Named defendants include Tuah The Moon Foundation, the crypto launchpad overHere, its founder Clinton So, and HAWK team member Alexander Larson Shultz, also known as “Doc Hollywood.”
The complaint accuses the team of exploiting Welch's popularity to market the token and alleges insider trading and deceptive promotional practices.
The situation has drawn sharp criticism from the crypto community. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT took to Twitter to comment, "Only if you were warned by the entire community prior to launching the token," highlighting concerns about Welch's involvement.
Billionaire investor Mark Cuban, however, defended Welch, stating she was likely unaware of the complexities surrounding the project. "It wasn't something she fully understood, but she trusted the people around her," Cuban said during a podcast with Jules Terpak.
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He added that while mistakes were made, Welch should not be blamed entirely for the controversy.
Cuban, who has publicly criticized meme coins as a "game of musical chairs with money," reiterated his lack of trust in such projects.
"There's no there there—it's just hustle," he said, calling for caution in speculative investments.
Shytoshi Kusama, the pseudonymous leader of the Shiba Inu SHIB/USD ecosystem, also distanced themselves from the project, revealing that Welch's team had approached them to promote the coin, an offer they declined.
What Happened to HAWK Coin?
The Solana SOL/USD-based meme coin initially skyrocketed, hitting a valuation of $425 million shortly after launch.
However, the rapid pump-and-dump left investors reeling. Welch, who had earlier denied wrongdoing, stated no free tokens were distributed to anyone in her network.
On-chain data has yet to substantiate claims of insider trading, but the sudden market crash has raised questions about the token’s design and promotional strategy.
Welch rose to fame earlier this year for her viral catchphrase “Hawk Tuah” during a street interview, which turned her into an internet sensation.
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