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 will even profit youngsters by means of donations to a nonprofit referred to as Operation Smile.
The 62-year-old, who has lived behind bars for seven years, didn’t launch the meme coin himself. As an alternative, he mentioned his attorneys helped him get “Official Tiger King” off the bottom, which started buying and selling beneath the ticker title EXOTIC on Monday.
Most celeb meme cash find yourself as flash within the pan. Their worth typically 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 yet one more instance.
“I pray to god that they don’t rug it and spoil my popularity,” the previous wildlife park proprietor mentioned. “I am hoping that folks will see that is legit and it has a goal.”
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 referred to as “Hawk Tuah lady,” was amongst those who bought caught flat-footed. Her coin, dubbed HAWK, grew to become a fiasco after it imploded. A spokesperson informed Decrypt she “had zero management over it.”
EXOTIC debuted on a little-known launchpad referred to as pumpkin.enjoyable. The meme coin’s market cap initially surged to $900,000 however has since fallen to simply over $100,000, in accordance with the crypto information supplier GeckoTerminal. It has lower than 900 holders in whole, per blockchain information.
The web site for Unique’s meme coin doesn’t reference the undertaking’s purpose of contributing funds to Operation Smile. Nonetheless, it does say tokens can 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 bought behind the thought of launching a meme coin as a method 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.”
Venture Smiles and Unique’s attorneys didn’t reply to requests for remark from Decrypt.
Unique is at the moment being held at FMC Fort Value, an administrative safety heart, in accordance with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons He routinely makes use of the phone to attach with the surface world, retaining followers up-to-date through podcasts and X Areas.
In relation to crypto, Unique has been in a position to soak up lots, even studying from different inmates. Whereas acquainted with key phrases, his real-word expertise is admittedly restricted.
“There’s not lots to do all day in addition to sit and discuss to individuals who know shit,” he mentioned. “I do lots from right here, however I don’t even know learn how to 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 referred to 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 undertaking. He fears that coin might affect individuals’s perceptions of the one which simply launched.
Operation Smile, based in 1982, supplies cleft lip and palate restore surgical procedures for kids internationally. Unique hopes his meme coin can finally assist that initiative shifting ahead.
“Individuals actually need to put money into it,” he mentioned. “I would love 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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