In the fast-paced world of crypto, where meme coins can skyrocket or crash in hours, staying vigilant against bad actors is crucial. Recently, Jesse Pollak, the founder and head of Base—an Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain built by Coinbase—opened up about his personal run-in with one of the industry's most infamous scammers, Sahil Arora. This revelation came via a thread on X, spotlighted by user @basedkarbon, and it serves as a stark reminder for anyone dabbling in meme tokens.

For those new to the scene, Base is designed to make Ethereum transactions faster and cheaper, attracting a wave of decentralized apps, NFTs, and yes, meme coins. Jesse Pollak has been instrumental in pushing Base's adoption, aiming to "onboard the world" to blockchain tech. On the flip side, Sahil Arora has built a notorious reputation for orchestrating rug pulls—schemes where creators hype up a token, attract investors, and then dump their holdings, leaving others with worthless assets. Arora's antics reportedly netted him over $30 million through fake celebrity-endorsed meme coins like JENNER (tied to Caitlyn Jenner) and MOTHER (linked to Iggy Azalea). He was even arrested in Dubai in July 2025, with authorities seizing more than $20 million in assets.

The drama unfolded when on-chain investigator ZachXBT, known for exposing crypto scams, questioned why Pollak and his team at Coinbase engaged with Arora despite his well-documented history. ZachXBT's post included screenshots of interactions, pointing out how easy it was to find warnings about Arora online, including videos from YouTuber Coffeezilla.

Pollak didn't shy away from the call-out. In his response, he explained his open-minded approach to onboarding new users to platforms like Zora, an NFT protocol on Base. Arora reached out via DM, expressing interest in bringing people onto Zora. Pollak admitted he knew about Arora's "bad rap" and warned him that bad actors aren't welcome on Base. Still, he gave Arora a chance to prove himself, connecting him to a team member named Jacob—but with an explicit heads-up about the risks.

Things escalated quickly. Before any real meeting, Arora claimed to have "onboarded" boxer Tyson Fury to Zora. Jacob amplified this too hastily, but within an hour, Arora's true colors showed—he was lying, pulling another scam. Zora promptly removed the profile, and no further collaboration happened. Pollak emphasized that no live meeting occurred, and he's committed to remaining optimistic while onboarding the masses to crypto.

This incident underscores a key lesson for meme token enthusiasts: due diligence is non-negotiable. Meme coins, often fueled by hype and celebrity buzz, are prime targets for scammers like Arora. Platforms like Base and Solana, where many of Arora's rugs happened, are working to tighten security, but the onus is on users to research wallets, token distributions, and team backgrounds. Tools like on-chain analytics from sites such as Dune Analytics or Etherscan can help spot red flags early.

At Meme Insider, we're all about arming you with the knowledge to navigate this wild space. Stories like Pollak's highlight why understanding the players—both good and bad—is essential. If you're into meme tokens, check out our guides on spotting rug pulls and safe trading practices. Stay safe out there, and remember: in crypto, optimism is great, but verification is better.

What do you think—has this changed your view on celebrity meme coins? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!