In a candid new interview, Hailey Welch—the internet personality known as the “Hawk Tuah girl”—has publicly addressed the explosive collapse of the “HAWK” memecoin she promoted in late 2024, describing the aftermath as a deeply traumatic experience that led to death threats and a months-long retreat from public view.
Welch spoke with Andrew Callaghan of the Channel 5 YouTube channel, reflecting on a venture she says she was “talked into” without adequate understanding. “You’ve got to be really careful what you put your name on,” she cautioned, highlighting the perils of influencer endorsements in the volatile cryptocurrency space.
Welch discusses the HAWK memecoin implosion in her interview with Channel 5. Source: Channel 5
Welch’s Account: Trauma, FBI Clearance, and Denial of Profit
Central to Welch’s defense is her assertion that she neither profited from the token launch nor possessed the technical knowledge to create it. She stated she fully cooperated with a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe in 2025, which ultimately cleared her of any wrongdoing. Her legal representative estimated that total losses for retail investors amounted to approximately $200,000—a figure Welch emphasized was not catastrophic on a broad scale but devastating for those affected.
Despite the exoneration and relatively modest sum lost by everyday investors, Welch faced a violent public backlash. “I was starting to get death threats and everything else,” she recounted. “People telling me I owe them all this money, and I’m like, ‘I didn’t do this.’ I’m sitting here, and I’m the one getting hit for this. It’s rough.” She described having to “put [her] head down” and avoid public appearances for months, acknowledging a severe toll on her mental health.
The FBI Investigation and Legal Exoneration
Welch’s cooperation with federal authorities is a key element of her narrative. While the FBI’s specific findings are not public, her claim of clearance suggests investigators found no evidence of her direct involvement in the coin’s creation or fraudulent intent. This distinction separates her from the entities actually named in subsequent legal action.
The HAWK Token Crash: From $490 Million to Near Zero
The HAWK memecoin launched in December 2024 and immediately captured speculative frenzy, soaring to a market capitalization exceeding $490 million within hours. This peak, however, was short-lived. By the following day, the token’s value had plummeted over 91%, falling to a market cap of roughly $41 million. The rapid, severe decline was widely interpreted by the crypto community as a classic “rug pull,” where developers abandon a project and drain its liquidity, leaving investors with worthless tokens.
The HAWK memecoin’s dramatic price collapse, from a $490M peak to just over $1 million at the time of writing. Source: DEXScreener
As of this writing, the token’s market cap hovers just above $1 million, representing a near-total loss from its zenith. This trajectory fueled intense speculation about the launch team’s motives and actions.
Investor Lawsuit and Market Data
In December 2024, an investor lawsuit was filed against the core team and corporate entities responsible for creating and managing the HAWK token launch. The legal complaint alleged the sale of unregistered securities. Notably, Welch was not named as a defendant in this filing, aligning with her claims of non-involvement in the project’s operational and financial mechanics.
Backlash and Criticism: Was Welch a Victim or Accomplice?
Welch’s portrayal of herself as an unwitting participant has been met with significant skepticism from crypto-native analysts. On-chain investigator ZachXBT was blunt in his criticism: “No one should feel bad for the ‘trauma.’ She starts posting about meme coins. The entirety of [crypto Twitter] tells her ‘do not launch a token.’ She launches a memecoin anyway, and after, she blames partners and disappears off social media, with followers losing funds.”
ZachXBT’s public commentary challenging Welch’s narrative. Source: ZachXBT
This viewpoint underscores a prevailing sentiment that influencers bear a responsibility to vet projects thoroughly before lending their massive platforms, especially in a space notorious for scams. The criticism suggests that while Welch may not have executed the rug pull, her promotion provided critical legitimacy that attracted investors.
The HAWK incident serves as a stark case study in
