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 also profit youngsters by means of donations to a nonprofit referred to 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 legal professionals helped him get “Official Tiger King” off the bottom, which started buying and selling beneath the ticker title EXOTIC on Monday.
Most superstar 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 mentioned 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 break my repute,” the previous wildlife park proprietor mentioned. “I am hoping that folks will see that is legit and it has a function.”
Movie star meme cash, whereas nothing new, reached a boiling level final 12 months, with names like Caitlyn Jenner, Jason Derulo, and Cardi B entering into the area. Hailey Welch, also called “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 referred to as pumpkin.enjoyable. The meme coin’s market cap initially surged to $900,000 however has since fallen to simply over $100,000, in line with the crypto knowledge supplier GeckoTerminal. It has lower than 900 holders in complete, per blockchain knowledge.
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 can 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, mentioned it had already donated $1,000 to the nonprofit.
Unique says his legal professionals received behind the concept of launching a meme coin as a solution to showcase his dedication to charitable work. That’s a purpose for him to be free, he mentioned, versus “sitting in right here, watching folks do medication all day.”
Venture Smiles and Unique’s legal professionals didn’t reply to requests for remark from Decrypt.
Unique is at the moment being held at FMC Fort Value, an administrative safety middle, in line with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons He routinely makes use of the phone to attach with the skin world, preserving followers up-to-date by way of podcasts and X Areas.
On the subject of crypto, Unique has been capable of soak up lots, even studying from different inmates. Whereas aware of key phrases, his real-word expertise is admittedly restricted.
“There’s not lots to do all day apart from sit and discuss to individuals who know shit,” he mentioned. “I do lots 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 referred to as “Tiger King Coin” was launched as properly. Unique mentioned 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 shifting ahead.
“Folks actually need 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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