Why ‘Tiger King’ Joe Exotic Launched a Solana Meme Coin From Behind Bars

Why did Joseph Maldonado-Passage, higher often known as 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 advised Decrypt in an interview, claiming the endeavor will even profit youngsters via 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 an alternative, he mentioned his attorneys helped him get “Official Tiger King” off the bottom, which started buying and selling beneath the ticker identify EXOTIC on Monday.

Most movie star 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 yet one more instance.

“I pray to god that they don’t rug it and break my popularity,” the previous wildlife park proprietor mentioned. “I am hoping that individuals will see that is legit and it has a goal.”

Celeb meme cash, whereas nothing new, reached a boiling point final yr, with names like Caitlyn Jenner, Jason Derulo, and Cardi B getting into the house. Hailey Welch, also called “Hawk Tuah woman,” was amongst those who bought caught flat-footed. Her coin, dubbed HAWK, grew to become a fiasco after it imploded. A spokesperson advised 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 whole, per blockchain knowledge.

The web site for Unique’s meme coin doesn’t reference the mission’s aim of contributing funds to Operation Smile. Nevertheless, 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 known as Twitter, said it had already donated $1,000 to the nonprofit.

Unique says his attorneys bought behind the thought of launching a meme coin as a strategy to showcase his dedication to charitable work. That’s a motive for him to be free, he mentioned, versus “sitting in right here, watching folks do medication all day.”

Challenge Smiles and Unique’s attorneys 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, protecting followers up-to-date through podcasts and X Areas.

Relating to crypto, Unique has been capable of take up lots, even studying from different inmates. Whereas acquainted with 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 how you can arrange a pockets.”

In 2021, Joe Unique was resentenced to 21 years in federal jail, per the Associated Press. He was convicted of a murder-for-hire scheme towards 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 came upon who was behind the mission. He fears that coin could affect folks’s perceptions of the one which simply launched. 

Operation Smile, based in 1982, supplies cleft lip and palate restore surgical procedures for kids internationally. Unique hopes his meme coin can finally assist that initiative transferring ahead.

“Folks really want to put money into 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