Coffeezilla confronts Hawk Tuah Girl over alleged $HAWK meme coin rug pull and insider trading

Haliey Welch, also known as the viral "Hawk Tuah girl," found herself under intense scrutiny after being confronted by popular YouTube investigator Stephen "Coffeezilla" during a live stream. 

The heated exchange focused on her involvement in the launch of the $HAWK meme coin on the Solana blockchain, which has since been mired in accusations of a "rug pull" and insider trading.

The drama unfolded on December 4, 2024, when Welch launched the $HAWK meme coin, which initially skyrocketed in value from $500 million to $60 million within just 20 minutes. 

This rapid decline raised alarm bells for many investors, with some accusing Welch and her team of pulling off a rug pull—an illicit scheme where creators dump their coins, causing prices to plummet and leaving investors with worthless assets.

During the confrontation, Coffeezilla called out Welch and her team, claiming that they were responsible for the suspicious activity surrounding the coin's launch. 

He pointed to on-chain data that showed "snipers" capitalizing on the market moment to sell over 135 million $HAWK tokens, netting over $1.3 million from a single trade. Speaking directly to Welch, Coffeezilla stated:

"This is one of the most miserable, horrible launches I've ever seen. I've been tracing it on the chain for a while. You guys generated over a million dollars in fees, while your fans got rug pulled. There were snipers, but there was also insider trading directly linked to y'all's creator accounts."

The accusation of insider trading suggests that Welch and her team may have purchased the $HAWK tokens at a lower price before the launch and sold them for a profit once the price inflated. 

Welch and her team, however, have vehemently denied these claims, insisting that they had no involvement in any fraudulent activity. In a response, one of her team members said:

"Snipers sniped it up to an insane market cap and dumped it. That was not us."

Despite these denials, Coffeezilla remained resolute in his accusations, adding:"When you are charging 15%, you are profiting from the rug pull."

As the controversy unfolds, many investors are demanding answers. Several individuals have already filed complaints with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), accusing Welch and her team of market manipulation. 

The controversy surrounding $HAWK has sparked an ongoing debate in the crypto community about the ethics of meme coins and the potential dangers for unsuspecting investors.

For her part, Welch has yet to directly address Coffeezilla's claims, though she did respond to rumors about the coin's controversial launch, which has garnered widespread attention. Whether or not the SEC will intervene remains to be seen, but for now, the $HAWK meme coin saga is far from over.