Haliey Welch, popularly known as the “Hawk Tuah girl,” has addressed allegations linking her to a cryptocurrency scam. During a leaked podcast interview with YouTuber FaZe Banks, Welch became emotional as she spoke about the controversy, which has led to widespread claims of financial losses among investors.
Welch rose to fame in June 2024 after a street interview where she coined the phrase “hawk tuah spit on that thang.” Her viral popularity led to a collaboration with crypto developers to launch her own meme coin, ‘$HAWK token.’ However, on December 4, the tokenβs value plummeted by nearly $450 million in under 20 minutes, leaving some investors reporting devastating losses.
Critics have accused Welch and her team of executing a “rug pull,” a deceptive practice in which cryptocurrency creators sell off large holdings, causing a sudden crash in value while investors are left with devalued assets. Reports suggest that ‘$HAWK token’ fell from a peak valuation of $490 million to just $41 million, a drop of over 95% in a single day.
In the leaked podcast, Welch expressed appreciation for her supporters and assured that efforts were underway to “resolve the situation and make things right.” She claimed the project was originally intended as a “long-term coin” and expressed regret over its outcome.
While Welch conveyed remorse and a willingness to address the issue, FaZe Banks shifted blame to her team, accusing them of insider trading, mismanagement, and leaking information, which he argued contributed to the collapse of the project.
As of now, Welch has not released an official statement, and her representatives have yet to respond to media inquiries.
