Why did Joseph Maldonado-Passage, higher referred to 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 instructed Decrypt in an interview, claiming the endeavor may also profit kids via 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 title EXOTIC on Monday.
Most superstar meme cash find yourself as flash within the pan. Their worth usually hinges on individuals’s consideration, which may fade shortly. 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 damage my fame,” the previous wildlife park proprietor mentioned. “I am hoping that folks will see that is legit and it has a objective.”
Celeb meme cash, whereas nothing new, reached a boiling level final yr, with names like Caitlyn Jenner, Jason Derulo, and Cardi B moving into the house. Hailey Welch, also referred to as “Hawk Tuah woman,” was amongst people who acquired caught flat-footed. Her coin, dubbed HAWK, turned a fiasco after it imploded. A spokesperson instructed 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 simply over $100,000, in accordance with the crypto information supplier GeckoTerminal. It has lower than 900 holders in complete, per blockchain information.
The web site for Unique’s meme coin doesn’t reference the undertaking’s purpose of contributing funds to Operation Smile. Nevertheless, it does say tokens will likely be donated to a “basis supporting tigers or animal well being” upon his launch from jail. On Friday, Unique’s account on X, previously referred to as Twitter, mentioned it had already donated $1,000 to the nonprofit.
Unique says his attorneys acquired 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.”
Challenge Smiles and Unique’s attorneys didn’t reply to requests for remark from Decrypt.
Unique is at present being held at FMC Fort Value, an administrative safety middle, in accordance with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons He routinely makes use of the phone to attach with the surface world, maintaining followers up-to-date through podcasts and X Areas.
With regards to crypto, Unique has been in a position to soak up quite a bit, even studying from different inmates. Whereas accustomed to key phrases, his real-word expertise is admittedly restricted.
“There’s not quite a bit to do all day apart from sit and speak to individuals who know shit,” he mentioned. “I do quite a bit from right here, however I don’t even know tips on 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 known as “Tiger King Coin” was launched as nicely. Unique mentioned he was entitled to obtain 1% of its provide, however by no means came upon who was behind the undertaking. 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 kids the world over. Unique hopes his meme coin can finally assist that initiative shifting ahead.
“Individuals really want 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 children’ [faces] and pay my lawyer payments.”
Edited by Andrew Hayward
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