Base Creator Jesse Pollak Sparks Backlash by Endorsing Soulja Boy–Linked Meme Token
Base creator Jesse Pollak is going through rising criticism after publicly selling what seemed to be a meme token linked to rapper Soulja Boy.
This case reignites long-standing considerations about superstar involvement in speculative crypto initiatives.
Base Exec Jesse Pollak Faces Backlash After Promoting Soulja Boy–Linked Meme Token
The controversy unfolded over a collection of posts on X (Twitter) in mid-December. On December 13, Soulja Boy shared a comparability of creator payout schedules throughout main platforms, arguing that newer apps supplied quicker monetization.
“Twitch pays you as soon as a month. TikTok pays you as soon as per week. Favorited pays you as soon as a day. Choose your poison correctly,” the rapper wrote.
A day later, Pollak appeared to amplify the message whereas positioning Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer‑2 network, as a brand new creator-focused monetization layer.
With this comment, Jesse Pollak framed on-chain instruments as a superior different to conventional social platforms.
The state of affairs escalated when Pollak immediately replied to Soulja Boy. The crypto govt acknowledged that he had simply backed Soulja Boy on Base and had “immediately earned,” describing the dynamic as “new web” conduct.
Notably, Pollak didn’t explicitly promote a selected token by title. Nonetheless, many customers interpreted the change as an endorsement of a Soulja Boy–linked meme token and, extra broadly, of the rapper’s crypto exercise.
ZachXBT Calls Out Soulja Boy’s Crypto History
That notion triggered a swift response from blockchain investigator ZachXBT. The sleuth publicly questioned Pollak’s choice to interact with Soulja Boy in any respect.
“Why give SouljaBoy the platform to rip-off new individuals?” ZachXBT posed, referencing his prior investigations into the rapper’s crypto historical past.
ZachXBT pointed to analysis he printed in April 2023 documenting what he described as a sample of exploitative conduct.
According to that investigation, Soulja Boy was concerned in 73 crypto promotions and 16 NFT launches. Many allegedly led to collapses, deserted initiatives, or rug pulls.
The analysis detailed repeated cases during which promoted tokens misplaced worth shortly after heavy advertising and marketing, adopted by the deletion of promotional posts.
The investigator additionally highlighted alleged regulatory and legal issues surrounding the rapper’s past activity. Among them are previous SEC expenses associated to Tron promotions and a lawsuit related to SafeMoon.
Beyond tokens, the analysis described quite a few NFT drops that marketed future utility however have been later deserted, with some collections reportedly faraway from marketplaces as a result of concerns over intellectual property.
For critics, the difficulty extends past any single token. They argue that when distinguished builders like Pollak, who performs a key position in shaping Base’s public picture, interact with controversial figures, it dangers undermining belief within the broader ecosystem.
Base has positioned itself as a mainstream-friendly, compliant Layer‑2 network backed by Coinbase, making reputational threat significantly delicate.
The episode has reignited a well-recognized debate in crypto. Responsibility lies when influential builders amplify celebrity-driven initiatives with troubled monitor data.
“Even if intentions have been lighthearted, credibility threat compounds quick when critical builders mingle with serial promoters. Markets decide alignment, not tone. Signal erodes when consideration shifts from innovation to spectacle, and liquidity follows notion,” one consumer expressed.
Supporters of open networks argue that permissionless programs shouldn’t police who can construct or promote on‑chain.
Critics counter that visibility from senior ecosystem leaders features as implicit validation, particularly for newcomers.
The backlash going through Pollak highlights the rising scrutiny on how main platforms steadiness openness with due diligence. It additionally exhibits how shortly previous controversies resurface when belief is at stake. This is as crypto as soon as once more experiments with creator monetization and meme-driven distribution.
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