Hailey Welch Discusses HAWK Memecoin Collapse

Hailey Welch, the social media influencer known as the Hawk Tuah girl, has spoken publicly about the rapid collapse of the HAWK memecoin she promoted in December 2024, describing the experience as deeply traumatic amid death threats and intense online backlash.

The HAWK token launched with significant hype, reaching a market capitalization of over $490 million shortly after going live. Within hours, its value plummeted by more than 90 percent, dropping to about $41 million the following day. The incident, widely labeled a rug pull in cryptocurrency circles, left investors with substantial losses and sparked widespread criticism of influencer-backed digital assets.

Welch, who gained viral fame through a street interview clip in 2024, said in a recent interview with Andrew Callaghan on the Channel 5 YouTube channel that she was persuaded to lend her name and image to the project without understanding its technical or financial workings. "I got talked into doing something that I didn't know anything about, really, but you've got to be really careful what you put your name on," she said. She emphasized that a third-party team handled the launch, including scripted promotional...