There have been growing questions surrounding Hailey Welch, widely known as the “Hawk Tuah” girl. She disappeared in late 2024 after launching a crypto meme coin that later crashed.
Welch faced heavy backlash online and was accused of scamming investors following the disastrous launch of the $HAWK meme coin.
The token debuted on the Solana blockchain on the evening of December 4, 2024, at an initial price of $0.005492 (£0.0043). It surged over 900%, reaching a market cap of $490 million. However, after peaking at $0.00004028 (£0.000032), its value plummeted by 91%, dropping the market cap to $60 million.
Many have attributed the crash to insider wallets and “snipers” entities that purchase a significant portion of a token’s supply at launch allegedly controlling between 80%-90% of $HAWK’s total supply.
Since the controversy, Hailey Welch has remained completely off the radar.
Unverified claims suggest she has been arrested, though there is no official confirmation. A post from X/Twitter user (@jdubz069) alleged that Welch was charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, and espionage due to the crypto rug pull scheme, stating that she is currently in custody. However, no credible reports support this claim.
Welch has not released a new episode of her podcast since December 3, 2024. Her last known appearance was during an X Spaces session with crypto expert Nick O’Neal, where she was questioned about the scandal before abruptly ending the discussion.
Days later, a class action lawsuit was filed against the team behind the Hawk Tuah meme coin, though Welch was not directly named in the case.
Before disappearing, Welch posted on X, stating that she was working with the legal team representing affected investors to “uncover the truth.”
“I take this situation extremely seriously and want to address my fans, the investors who have been affected, and the broader community. I am fully cooperating with and am committed to assisting the legal team representing the individuals impacted, as well as to help uncover the truth, hold the responsible parties accountable, and resolve this matter,” she wrote.
Since December 20, 2024, Welch has remained completely silent on social media.
