Why debuted Joseph Maldonado-Passage, better known as Joe Exotic of the Virale Netflix-Docuseries ‘Tiger King’, earlier this week a meme coin about Solana from prison?
“I am knee-deep in lawyer accounts,” he said Decrypt In an interview, claiming the effort will also benefit children through donations to a non -profit organization called Operation Smile.
The 62-year-old, who lived behind bars for seven years, did not launch the meme coin himself. Instead, he said his lawyers helped him to get “official Tiger King” off the ground, who started acting on Monday under the Ticker name Exotic.
Most coins of the famous meme end as a flash in the pan. Their value often depends on the attention of people who can fade quickly. Others are marred by accusations of trade with prior knowledge. Exotic said he is hopeful that his token will not eventually be another example.
“I pray to God that they don’t swear it and ruin my reputation,” said the former owner of Wildlife Park. “I hope people will see that this is legitimate and it has a goal.”
Celebrity meme coins, although nothing new, reached a boiling point last year, with names such as Caitlyn Jenner, Jason Derulo and Cardi B who step into the space. Hailey Welch, also known as ‘Hawk Tuah Girl’, was one of those who were caught flat. Her coin, named Hawk, became a fiasco after it was implanted. A spokesperson told Decrypt She “had no control over it.”
Exotic debuted on a little -known launchpad called Pumpkin.Fun. The market capitalization of the meme currency initially rose to $ 900,000, but has since fallen to just over $ 100,000, according to the crypto data provider Geaky -term. It has a total of fewer than 900 holders, per blockchain data.
The website for Meme Coin from Exotic does not refer to the goal of the project to contribute to Operation Smile. However, it says that tokens are donated to a “foundation that supports Tigers of Animal Health” in his release from prison. On Friday, the Exotic account on X, previously known as Twitter, said it had already donated $ 1,000 to the non -profit.
Exotic says that his lawyers found out the idea of launching a meme coin as a way to show his dedication to charity work. That is a reason for him to be free, he said, unlike “sitting here, see how people use drugs all day long.”
Project Smiles and Exotic’s lawyers did not respond to requests for comments from Decrypt.
Exotic is currently being held in FMC Fort Worth, an administrative security center, according to the US Federal Bureau of Prisons that he uses the phone routinely to make contact with the outside world, so that fans keep up-to-date via podcasts and X spaces.
When it comes to crypto, Exotic has been able to absorb a lot, even learning from other prisoners. Although known for important conditions, his experience in practice is limited.
“There is not much to do all day than sitting and talking to people who know shit,” he said. “I do a lot here, but I don’t even know how to put on a wallet.”
In 2021, Joe Exotic was called in up to 21 years in the federal prison, according to the Associated Press. He was convicted of a murder-for-rent schedule against animal welfare activist Carole Baskin, in which five tigers were killed, selling tiger cubs and falsifying nature records.
Exotic enforces his innocence, while he also penetrates the American President Donald Trump for a grace on social media.
In 2021, an unofficial meme -coin called “Tiger King Coin” was also launched. Exotic said he had the right to receive 1% of his stock, but never found out who was behind the project. He fears that Munt can influence the perception of people about the one who has just been launched.
Operation Smile, founded in 1982, offers split lip and palate repair surgeons for children around the world. Exotic hopes that his meme -Munt can eventually help that initiative to go into the initiative.
“People really have to invest in it,” he said. “I would like to get it where I can repair 500 children ‘ [faces] And pay my lawyer accounts. “
Published by Andrew Hayward
Daily debrief Newsletter
Start every day with the top news stories at the moment, plus original functions, a podcast, videos and more.
