The much-hyped Solana meme coin HAWK, tied to internet sensation Haliey Welch known as “Hawk Tuah Girl,” crashed by more than 90% just hours after its launch on December 4, 2024. The sudden collapse left countless retail investors in shock, with many filing complaints with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and reaching out to law firms like Burwick Law, which posted on X: “If you lost money on $HAWK, contact our firm to learn about your legal rights.”
Chaotic Damage Control on X Spaces
The following day, Welch’s team held an audio event on X Spaces in an attempt to mitigate the damage. Welch arrived late and abruptly left, saying, “Anyhoo, I’m gonna go to bed and I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” The phrase quickly went viral, adding fuel to the controversy.
The event was marked by a heated exchange between investigative journalist Stephen Findeisen (coffeezilla) and Alexander Larson Shultz, also known as “Doc Hollywood,” a member of the HAWK team. Findeisen accused the team of fraud, while Shultz vigorously defended the launch. Notably, Shultz is the son-in-law of Canadian actor and comedian Howie Mandel, married to Mandel’s daughter Jackelyn. Mandel, 69, has previously promoted NFTs and Bitcoin on his show Howie Mandel Does Stuff.
Who Is Behind the HAWK Launch?
According to IMDB, 37-year-old Shultz is a Los Angeles-based DJ and musician with hits like “We Run L.A.” It remains unclear how he transitioned into crypto, but he teamed up with a partner known as “Over Here” to launch HAWK last week. Welch, 22, has no prior crypto experience; she first gained fame for a video boasting about her sexual creativity.
The HAWK debacle has spawned revenge tokens such as $TUAH and investor-created phrases like “Have to talk tuah judge” and “Straight tuah prison.” At press time, HAWK was trading at $0.002305, down 33.52% since inception per Coin Market Cap. Calls for refunds and jail time continue to dominate social media, leaving the future of Welch, Shultz, and HAWK uncertain.