In the fast-paced world of crypto, where meme coins can skyrocket overnight and NFT projects promise the moon, there's always a dark side lurking. A recent thread on X by @StarPlatinumSOL has blown the lid off one of the industry's most notorious figures: Jeremy Cahen, better known as 0xPauly. This guy has been involved in everything from high-profile lawsuits to blatant rug pulls—scams where project creators drain liquidity and vanish, leaving investors holding worthless tokens. Let's break down the thread and what it means for anyone dipping their toes into meme tokens or NFTs.

The BAYC Feud That Started It All

It all kicked off with 0xPauly backing claims that Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), one of the biggest NFT collections out there, was riddled with Nazi symbols and racist imagery. He teamed up with artist Ryder Ripps to launch RR/BAYC, a satirical knockoff that mocked the originals. But satire or not, Yuga Labs—the company behind BAYC—didn't find it funny. They sued Pauly in 2022 for selling these fake NFTs, accusing him of scamming buyers out of millions.

By 2024, a judge sided with Yuga Labs, slapping Pauly and Ripps with a whopping $9 million in damages. Fast forward to now, and Pauly's still on the hook for a $400,000 lawsuit from the Bored Apes crew. If you're into NFTs, this is a stark reminder: copying popular projects can land you in hot water, especially when trademarks are involved.

Nearly Taking Down Azuki

Pauly didn't stop at BAYC. In May 2022, he turned his sights on Azuki, another hot NFT project inspired by anime aesthetics. He exposed the founder, Zagabond, for ditching previous projects and leaving holders in the dust. Using Discord logs, wallet addresses, and ENS records (that's Ethereum Name Service, a way to link human-readable names to crypto addresses), Pauly threatened to doxx Zagabond—reveal his real identity.

The pressure worked. Zagabond came clean, apologized, and somehow salvaged Azuki's rep. But the damage was done; the floor price tanked temporarily. For meme coin enthusiasts, this highlights how one whistleblower (or agitator) can shake an entire community. Always DYOR—do your own research—on project founders.

The "You Get Nothing" Stunt

Things got weirder in 2023 when Pauly launched yougetnothing.eth. It was an ENS address where people could send ETH with zero promises of rewards. Shockingly, he raked in 600 ETH (that's Ethereum's native crypto, worth a ton) in just one day. Investors never saw a dime back, and Pauly's motives? Still a mystery. This feels like a social experiment gone wrong—or a straight-up grift.

Pond0x: The Memecoin Rug That Broke Ethereum

July 2023 brought Pond0x, a memecoin Pauly hyped up. But it was a classic rug pull from the start. Early insiders got tokens dirt cheap, then dumped them on Uniswap buyers (Uniswap is a decentralized exchange for swapping tokens). A flaw in the smart contract—the code that runs the token—let attackers drain wallets, spiking Ethereum gas fees to 400 gwei (gas is the fee for transactions on Ethereum).

Pauly walked away with 450 ETH in profits. If you're trading meme coins like Pond0x, remember: these are often high-risk gambles. Smart contract vulnerabilities can wipe out your funds in seconds.

Assault in Puerto Rico

By late 2023, Pauly's antics spilled into the real world. He allegedly assaulted someone in Ocean Park, Puerto Rico, claiming the guy was filming him. This landed him on Puerto Rico's most wanted list by 2025. Crypto Twitter often glamorizes the "degen" lifestyle, but this shows how online drama can turn physical.

Dumping on PEPE and Pumping PORK

Pauly was knee-deep in $PEPE, the frog-themed meme coin that exploded in popularity. In 2024, he dumped $3 million worth, crashing the price. He then funneled those gains into PORK, another meme token where he secretly held 40% of the supply. Once it pumped to insane valuations, he dumped again, pocketing millions while holders got rekt.

This insider trading-style move is all too common in meme coins. Unlike traditional stocks, crypto lacks heavy regulation, so whales (big holders) can manipulate prices easily.

More Scams and the Matt Furie Lie

Pauly kept the grifts coming with tokens like Fartcoin 2.0 and Trump 2.0—pure scams. This year, he claimed to send $2 million to Matt Furie, the artist behind the original Pepe the Frog meme. But Furie denied it, saying it wasn't his wallet. The community called Pauly out, and he rugged yet again.

The Endgame: Suspension and Arrest

Today, Pauly's X account is suspended, and he was arrested in March 2025. No word since, except that BAYC lawsuit hanging over him. The thread warns: steer clear of anything tied to this guy.

This saga is a cautionary tale for blockchain practitioners. Meme tokens like PEPE or Pond0x can be fun, but they're breeding grounds for scams. Always check on-chain data via tools like Etherscan and join communities wisely. At Meme Insider, we're here to help you navigate these waters—stay informed, stay safe.