The founder of Meteora is accused of manipulating cryptocurrency tokens using celebrity images

ChainCatcher news, according to Decrypt, a class-action lawsuit accuses Meteora founder Benjamin Chow of being the mastermind behind a cryptocurrency scam, illegally using the images of former First Lady Melania Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei as "fraud tokens" promotional props. The involved MELANIA and LIBRA tokens rapidly appreciated after their launch, only to plummet shortly thereafter. Legal documents cite Telegram screenshots showing that Chow collaborated with Hayden Davis and Kelsier Ventures to manipulate at least 15 tokens through a "pump and dump" scheme. Although the court is skeptical about the lawsuit's prospects, it has unblocked $57.6 million in USDC funds related to the LIBRA token.