TLDR
- Hailey Welch (“Hawk Tuah girl”) posted and quickly deleted a podcast episode discussing her failed Solana meme coin
- The episode featured FaZe Banks, Frank (DeGods creator), and Threadguy discussing the HAWK token launch issues
- Banks claims the episode was released against agreed terms and may have been used to manipulate the HAWK token price
- The HAWK token briefly doubled in price after the episode leak before settling at a 9% gain
- Welch is cooperating with lawyers suing her former business partners over the failed token launch
The ongoing saga of the troubled HAWK token project took another unexpected turn this week when creator Hailey Welch, known as the “Hawk Tuah girl,” briefly posted and then deleted a podcast episode addressing the December 2024 meme coin launch failure.
The episode of Welch’s “Talk Tuah” podcast featured prominent crypto figures including FaZe Clan CEO Richard “FaZe Banks” Bengtson, DeGods creator Frank (Rohun Vora), and content creator Threadguy. This marked Welch’s first public appearance since the disastrous launch of her Solana-based meme coin two months ago.
During the short-lived episode, Welch discussed her experience with the failed token launch, where 80% of the supply remained with the deployer and the price crashed nearly immediately. “I’m still a little shook up about it,” Welch admitted early in the conversation.
LEAKED
Full @HalieyWelchX Talk Tuah Episode with @Banks
Hawk Tuah finally wakes up!
00:00 INTRO
00:40 HALIEY MESSED UP
2:26 HALIEY’S OFFICIAL STATEMENT
4:00 ALL OF HALIEY’S INCOME FROM THIS EP IS GOING TO ANIMAL CHARITIES
5:00 BEHIND THE SCENES OF $HAWK COIN LAUNCH… pic.twitter.com/PZpbREnQng— Nick O’Neill (@chooserich) February 6, 2025
The podcast’s sudden removal sparked immediate attention within the crypto community, with leaked versions quickly spreading across social media platforms. This circulation led to unexpected market movement, with the HAWK token price temporarily doubling before settling at a more modest 9% increase.
FaZe Banks took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his frustration with the situation. He revealed that specific conditions had been set for the podcast’s release, including requirements that it not be used for market manipulation and that Welch’s team develop “a real solution” regarding profits from the project.
According to Banks, his team had been promised final approval rights over the episode’s release. When discussions about the upcoming episode began circulating days before its intended release, Banks says they withdrew their consent for publication.
So in an attempt to hear Haliey Welch’s side of the Crypto scam story, I agreed to do her first podcast back.
I had heavy stipulations including;
1) Not allowing markets to be manipulated by leaking this episodes existence before a resolution was found.
2) Her team finding… pic.twitter.com/X3TW5nZmtR
— FaZe Banks (@Banks) February 6, 2025
The controversy deepened when Banks alleged that the episode’s leak might have been orchestrated to influence the HAWK token price. “Now today, the episode ‘randomly’ gets leaked. The price of HAWK is pumping and they completely fumbled the bag, yet again,” Banks posted on X.
The timing of the leak coincided with a sharp increase in HAWK token trading activity. Market data from CoinMarketCap showed the token price reaching $0.00078 after the initial surge and subsequent cooling period.
This latest development follows Welch’s previous announcement of cooperation with lawyers who are pursuing legal action against her former business partners involved in the HAWK token launch. The legal proceedings center around the token’s troubled debut and its impact on retail investors.
The podcast episode revealed that Welch claims limited understanding of the token launch process she had agreed to participate in. Her guests in the episode appeared to support this assertion, though the full context remains unclear due to the content’s removal.
Attempts by media outlets to obtain clarification have been unsuccessful, with Welch’s spokesperson not responding to requests for comment about the episode’s release and subsequent deletion.
The HAWK token initially launched in early December 2024, quickly becoming a source of controversy when its price collapsed shortly after trading began. The incident led to widespread criticism and Welch’s temporary withdrawal from public platforms.
Legal proceedings related to the token launch continue, with Welch now apparently assisting the lawyers investigating her former business associates’ roles in the project’s execution.
The current market capitalization and trading volume of the HAWK token remain well below their launch levels, despite the brief price movement following the podcast leak.
As of February 6, 2025, the HAWK token continues to trade, though at a fraction of its initial value. The project’s future remains uncertain as various parties work to address the fallout from both the original launch and this latest controversy.
This week’s events have added another layer of complexity to an already complicated situation, raising new questions about communication and transparency in the project’s aftermath.
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