Hailey Welch, known as the Hawk Tuah Girl, is at the centre of a massive scandal following the release of her $HAWK coin. Has she used her popularity for a rug-pull scam, or is she a victim herself?
Anyone active on social media over the past few months could hardly miss the viral sensation surrounding Hailey Welch, also known as the Hawk-Tuah Girl.
Welch gained fame after a street interview where she was asked about the best way to satisfy men. Her humorous and unexpected response went viral:
„Oh, you gotta give him that hawk tuah and spit on that thang.“
She skillfully leveraged her newfound fame, turning the viral moment into long-term success.
Welch appeared on numerous platforms, gave interviews, collaborated with influencers like MrBeast, and eventually launched her own podcast, Talk Tuah.
Recently, she took another major step in monetizing her reach by introducing her own cryptocurrency, the $HAWK Coin, a blockchain project modeled on Bitcoin.
$HAWK Coin: From Soaring Success to Spectacular Crash
Welch launched $HAWK Coin on December 4, 2024, via the Solana blockchain.
The launch was highly publicized, building excitement within her community.
However, the coin’s journey quickly turned turbulent. Its value skyrocketed by over 900% shortly after launch but plunged by 90% within hours.
Many small investors reported significant financial losses.
Copy and pasting:Hawkanomics:Team hasn't sold one token and not 1 KOL was given 1 free tokenWe tried to stop snipers as best we could through high fee's in the start of launch on @MeteoraAG Fee's have now been dropped pic.twitter.com/E7xN9VmCrx
— Haliey Welch (@HalieyWelchX) December 4, 2024
Blockchain analysis revealed that 96% of the tokens were held by just ten wallets, sparking accusations of a classic “pump and dump” scheme.
In one example, a wallet purchased 17.5% of the token supply for 4,195 Wrapped Solana (approximately $993,000) and sold it less than two hours later for a $1.3 million profit.
Such patterns led to widespread suspicion of manipulated value increases aimed at attracting retail investors, only to have insiders cash out at a profit.
Welch and her team have denied any involvement in fraudulent activity, but affected investors have labeled the scheme as outright deception.
The law firm Burwick Law has announced its intention to represent these investors in potential legal actions.
Community Backlash
The launch of $HAWK Coin has resulted in massive criticism for Hailey Welch, alienating a significant portion of her once-loyal fanbase.
Social media is now flooded with messages of frustration and disappointment from fans who feel misled:
Hi @HalieyWelchX My $35,000 that I purchased of $Hawk is now $2,000 after 10 minutes of buying. I am a huge fan of Hawk Tuah but you took my life savings.I purchased your coin $Hawk that you were so excited about with my life savings and children's college education fund as... pic.twitter.com/MRftQ2sT6g
— JIGGA.5mbK (@jiggadrin_) December 4, 2024
Haliey i lost my christmas present money for the kids. Please help!!!
— Kader Calls (@kadercalls) December 5, 2024
Critics and former supporters accuse Welch of abusing her popularity to profit financially from her community.
These voices are not new: since her viral success, she has been dismissed by many as a shallow internet phenomenon who does not deserve her fame.
Comments such as "Her 15 minutes of fame are over" or "See how easy it is to become famous nowadays?" have been circulating on social media for years.
SNIPERS MADE 3M ON YOUR SCAM AND INSIDERS HAVE STARTED SELLINGyou are blatantly lying and defrauding investors @SECGov pic.twitter.com/a1tkDq0sN8
— scooter (@imperooterxbt) December 4, 2024
However, the backlash goes beyond hating.
Investors, including single parents, students, and everyday workers, have posted desperate comments under Welch’s social media posts, asking for support or transparency.
The blockchain doesn't lie, team has been selling tokens since this launched and there's clear and irrefutable proof. That's the beauty of blockchain technology, every single token sold by the team has been recorded and is viewable by everyone. Better start calling your...
— SlumDOGE Millionaire (@ProTheDoge) December 5, 2024
Despite the controversy, some fans acknowledge the positive contributions Welch has made, such as her fundraising for animal welfare and orphanages, as well as her advocacy for mental health awareness.
If conclusive links between Welch, her team, and the wallets responsible for the alleged manipulation are found, calls for legal consequences, including jail time, could gain traction.
Whether Welch can clear her name and rebuild trust with her community remains uncertain.
What’s your opinion on the Hailey Welch case and the $HAWK Coin controversy? Share your thoughts in the comments!