Haliey Welch, who is the woman known as the “Hawk tuah girl,” launched her own memecoin on Solana, with the cryptocurrency reportedly crashing soon into its unveiling.
“Hawk is live!!!” Welch, a 22-year-old social media influencer, wrote on X Wednesday evening.
The post included a 3-second video of Welch excitedly yelling about the launch.
According to Solana, Welch’s token then skyrocketed to $500 million — before it plummeted to less than $60 million in just 20 minutes.
Critics went on to accuse her of planning a cryptocurrency fraud.
Shortly after the launch, Welch took to social media again, saying her team “tried to stop snipers as best we could through high fee’s [sic] in the start of launch.” She added that her team hadn’t sold one token.
Ahead of the launch, Welch told Fortune the memecoin was “not just a cash grab,” adding that while she previously thought cryptocurrency was “just a scam” and an “easy way for you to lose money,” she has since changed her opinion.
Welch became infamous during the summer when she made an X-rated remark. Aside from her crass comment, she also recently helped establish “Haliey Welch’s Paws Across America,” a nonprofit that raises awareness and funds for animal charities throughout the U.S.
“Ever since my life changed so publicly, I realized there had to be a reason for it,” Welch said on the nonprofit’s website. “Growing up, the one constant in my life was my pets and they helped me get through so much. By starting Haliey Welch’s Paws Across America, my newfound financial blessings will be shared with the animals that need it most.”
