During the NFT NYC conference last week, a Tesla Cybertruck rolled into Times Square — and what appeared to be the famous DJ Marshmello, flanked by a cryptocurrency influencer and founder of a prominent NFT project, jumped into the back of the angled ride and began blasting loud tunes into the rapidly forming crowd.
But he wasn't actually Marshmello, and now the masked DJ has tweeted threatening legal action against J.JContent Creator JakeSoljiki“Hillhouse and his associates allegedly orchestrated the ruse to pump out the Mimi coin. Will he follow through?”
The cryptocurrency community's reaction to the revelation that it wasn't really Marshmello was swift, with some expressing their anger and disappointment at the deceptive practices, while others found the whole thing hilarious.
For a while, many Crypto Twitter users actually believed that the man in the helmet was the famous DJ in question, and that he was a fan of MOG, the meme currency featured on the fake DJ's jacket. However, the scheme quickly unraveled when the real Marshmello tweeted that he was in Chicago, and responded with a series of tweets about the ruse.
“Guys, this isn't me, man,” chirp. “This isn't Marshmello, this is a hokey old man trying to trick people into thinking his fake cryptocurrency project is worth something.”
Marshmello even threatened legal action by saying: “The lawyers are already there.” Decryption She reached out to Marshmello's representatives for comment, but did not receive a response as of press time.
Despite Marshmallow's claims and what many cryptocurrency watchers believe, Soljaecki says… Decryption That the Times Square activation was not designed to promote the meme currency — he claimed that was never the goal.
He shared a full behind-the-scenes video of the stunt via Twitter on Tuesday. We see them plan the adventure, rent speakers and rush to find a replacement Cybertruck when the initial rental falls through, then plan the show – which is quickly shut down by the police.
SolJakey revealed that about two weeks before NFT NYC, he and his friends had done a similar one in Los Angeles and wanted to replicate its viral success. This trick was not related to NFTs and cryptocurrencies.
“We created a swimming pool in the back of a Tesla Cybertruck in Beverly Hills to attract Elon Musk’s attention,” he explained. “Elon really responded, and we made it happen Fox News. When you use a Cybertruck, you get more eyes than a Lamborghini.
“We came up with the idea of creating a DJ booth on the bed of the truck. We rented a speaker and rented props,” Soljecki said. “Then we thought: ‘You know what would be funny? If someone wore a marshmello helmet.
SolJakey added that his DJ friend was supposed to wear the helmet, but had to cancel at the last minute — so another friend who uses the OG stepped in. The influencer claims the backup DJ was wearing a sweatshirt with the OG logo on it. The familiar logo wearing shadows for the Ethereum meme Mog coin.
OG claimed almost the same thing in a file Tweet Tuesdaywriting that “Anyone who thinks that wearing the Joycat jacket was pre-planned is overestimating my foresight.”
“The reason people started publishing Mog Coin was because he was wearing his Mog jacket,” Suljecki added. “The community just kind of ran with it. There was no intention of flipping a coin. We just wanted to make a movement to get Elon's attention.”
Rohun “Frank” Vora, creator of the DeGods and y00ts NFT projects, also appears in the video. He joked that he was impersonating a character amid the Marshmello fallout, but it was actually him in the footage.
“He came into the mix and we asked him to ride the Cybertruck,” Soljecki said. “It added a boost to the virality because it's controversial. He said it wasn't him as a joke.
Frank had Previously tweeted about Mog CoinHowever, including “qualifying” social media personality and boxer Bryce Hall on the coin. Marshmello's appearance in the fold could also have been seen as a swing in the token's momentum.
The attempt to capitalize on Marshmello's fame without his consent or involvement draws attention to broader issues of trust, authenticity, and blurred ethical lines in the world of cryptocurrencies. With the space already facing suspicion due to its association with speculative trading, scams, and regulatory scrutiny, such tactics could undermine the legitimacy of the cryptocurrency industry.
Even if the move wasn't intended to pump up the meme coin, as SolJakey claims, this was one of the biggest takeaways from the cryptocurrency community. he He apologized for bringing negative vibes towards cryptocurrencies and the MOG team, but he's not sorry for using the helmet for this mission.
“Whatever anyone wants to say,” Soljecki said.[Marshmello’s] The IP is already available and is already selling the mask.
As for the legal threat to the DJ? None of that has happened, at least not yet. SolJakey said he has yet to receive any contact from Marshmello's team or legal representatives.
Edited by Andrew Hayward
