Why did Joseph Maldonado-Passage, higher generally known as Joe Unique from the viral Netflix docuseries “Tiger King,” debut a meme coin on Solana from jail earlier this week?
“I’m knee-deep in lawyer payments,” he informed Decrypt in an interview, claiming the endeavor can even profit kids by donations to a nonprofit known as Operation Smile.
The 62-year-old, who has lived behind bars for seven years, didn’t launch the meme coin himself. As a substitute, he mentioned his attorneys helped him get “Official Tiger King” off the bottom, which started buying and selling below the ticker identify EXOTIC on Monday.
Most superstar meme cash find yourself as flash within the pan. Their worth usually hinges on individuals’s consideration, which might fade rapidly. Others find yourself marred by allegations of insider buying and selling. Unique mentioned he’s hopeful that his token doesn’t find yourself changing into one more instance.
“I pray to god that they don’t rug it and smash my popularity,” the previous wildlife park proprietor mentioned. “I am hoping that individuals will see that is legit and it has a function.”
Superstar meme cash, whereas nothing new, reached a boiling level final 12 months, with names like Caitlyn Jenner, Jason Derulo, and Cardi B moving into the house. Hailey Welch, also called “Hawk Tuah woman,” was amongst people who obtained caught flat-footed. Her coin, dubbed HAWK, turned a fiasco after it imploded. A spokesperson informed Decrypt she “had zero management over it.”
EXOTIC debuted on a little-known launchpad known as pumpkin.enjoyable. The meme coin’s market cap initially surged to $900,000 however has since fallen to only over $100,000, in line with the crypto knowledge supplier GeckoTerminal. It has lower than 900 holders in whole, per blockchain knowledge.
The web site for Unique’s meme coin doesn’t reference the challenge’s aim of contributing funds to Operation Smile. Nonetheless, it does say tokens might be donated to a “basis supporting tigers or animal well being” upon his launch from jail. On Friday, Unique’s account on X, previously generally known as Twitter, mentioned it had already donated $1,000 to the nonprofit.
Unique says his attorneys obtained behind the concept of launching a meme coin as a solution to showcase his dedication to charitable work. That’s a cause for him to be free, he mentioned, versus “sitting in right here, watching individuals do medicine all day.”
Undertaking Smiles and Unique’s attorneys didn’t reply to requests for remark from Decrypt.
Unique is presently being held at FMC Fort Value, an administrative safety middle, in line with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons He routinely makes use of the phone to attach with the skin world, conserving followers up-to-date by way of podcasts and X Areas.
Relating to crypto, Unique has been in a position to take up loads, even studying from different inmates. Whereas accustomed to key phrases, his real-word expertise is admittedly restricted.
“There’s not loads to do all day moreover sit and speak to individuals who know shit,” he mentioned. “I do loads from right here, however I don’t even know arrange a pockets.”
In 2021, Joe Unique was resentenced to 21 years in federal jail, per the Related Press. He was convicted of a murder-for-hire scheme in opposition to animal welfare activist Carole Baskin, killing 5 tigers, promoting tiger cubs, and falsifying wildlife information.
Unique maintains his innocence, whereas additionally urgent U.S. President Donald Trump for a pardon on social media.
In 2021, an unofficial meme coin known as “Tiger King Coin” was launched as effectively. Unique mentioned he was entitled to obtain 1% of its provide, however by no means discovered who was behind the challenge. He fears that coin could affect individuals’s perceptions of the one which simply launched.
Operation Smile, based in 1982, supplies cleft lip and palate restore surgical procedures for youngsters internationally. Unique hopes his meme coin can finally assist that initiative transferring ahead.
“Individuals actually need to spend money on it,” he mentioned. “I would really like to have the ability to get it up there to the place I can repair 500 youngsters’ [faces] and pay my lawyer payments.”
Edited by Andrew Hayward
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