Why did Joseph Maldonado-Passage, higher often called 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 even profit youngsters by means of 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 stated his attorneys helped him get “Official Tiger King” off the bottom, which started buying and selling below the ticker title EXOTIC on Monday.
Most celeb meme cash find yourself as flash within the pan. Their worth usually hinges on folks’s consideration, which may fade rapidly. Others find yourself marred by allegations of insider buying and selling. Unique stated he’s hopeful that his token doesn’t find yourself turning into one more instance.
“I pray to god that they don’t rug it and wreck my repute,” the previous wildlife park proprietor stated. “I am hoping that individuals will see that is legit and it has a goal.”
Celeb 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 people who received 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 response to 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 venture’s objective 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 often called Twitter, stated it had already donated $1,000 to the nonprofit.
Unique says his attorneys received behind the thought of launching a meme coin as a method to showcase his dedication to charitable work. That’s a motive for him to be free, he stated, versus “sitting in right here, watching folks do medication 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 Price, an administrative safety middle, in response to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons He routinely makes use of the phone to attach with the skin world, protecting followers up-to-date through podcasts and X Areas.
In the case of crypto, Unique has been capable of take up rather a lot, even studying from different inmates. Whereas aware of key phrases, his real-word expertise is admittedly restricted.
“There’s not rather a lot to do all day moreover sit and speak to individuals who know shit,” he stated. “I do rather a lot 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 known as “Tiger King Coin” was launched as effectively. Unique stated he was entitled to obtain 1% of its provide, however by no means discovered who was behind the venture. He fears that coin could affect folks’s perceptions of the one which simply launched.
Operation Smile, based in 1982, offers cleft lip and palate restore surgical procedures for kids internationally. Unique hopes his meme coin can finally assist that initiative transferring ahead.
“Folks actually need to spend money on it,” he stated. “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
Day by day Debrief Publication
Begin daily with the highest information tales proper now, plus unique options, a podcast, movies and extra.
