{"investigation":{"slug":"soulja-boy-deandre-cortez-way","entity_name":"Soulja Boy (DeAndre Cortez Way)","trust_score":12,"severity_base":null,"score_modifier":0,"confidence":0.82,"status":"published","content_type":"investigation","summary":"Soulja Boy, born DeAndre Cortez Way, is an American rapper who became one of the most extensively documented celebrity crypto promoters linked to rug pulls and abandoned projects. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT documented 73 crypto promotions and 16 NFT collections between 2021 and 2023, estimating Way earned approximately $730,000 from paid endorsements, several of which subsequently rugged or were abandoned. The SEC charged Way in March 2023 for undisclosed paid promotion of TRX and BTT tokens; unlike six co-defendants who settled, Way did not initially respond to the charges, resulting in a default judgment. The SEC later filed to dismiss remaining claims against Way in 2026 as part of a broader resolution with the Justin Sun/Tron defendants. Way issued a public apology in December 2025, claiming ignorance of the fraudulent nature of the projects, though the timing coincided with renewed controversy after Base co-founder Jesse Pollak publicly disclosed a $1,500 investment in a new Soulja Boy-linked memecoin on the Base network.","sections":[{"content":"In April 2023, blockchain investigator ZachXBT published research documenting what he described as a systematic pattern of exploitative crypto promotions by Soulja Boy. According to ZachXBT's findings, Way promoted at least 73 crypto projects and launched or endorsed 16 NFT collections between July 2021 and early 2023. ZachXBT estimated Way earned approximately $730,000 from these promotions, with a leaked price list showing he charged $12,000 per Instagram post and $10,000 per post on X (formerly Twitter). ZachXBT identified at least six tokens as rug pulls or projects abandoned shortly after Way's promotion, including: RapDoge, which was promoted in July 2021 and executed a rug pull shortly after; Orion, which rugged within one month and had fraudulently used cancer and suicide-prevention charities in its marketing; The Life Token, which was abandoned in early 2022; Flokinomics, which falsely claimed a connection to Elon Musk and later had its liquidity withdrawn; and SafeMars. ZachXBT stated: 'It's abundantly clear Soulja Boy will do anything to make money regardless of whether or not it hurts his fans. I suspect there are more examples than what I found. I believe he should be made an example of as legal action does not seem to deter his actions.' These allegations were reported by ZachXBT and have not been adjudicated in court; Way has denied knowledge of the fraudulent nature of the projects.","heading":"ZachXBT Investigation: Pattern of Promoted Rug Pulls","sources":[{"url":"https://www.coindesk.com/web3/2023/04/19/soulja-boy-has-reportedly-been-cranking-out-promotions-for-scam-nft-projects","name":"Soulja Boy Has Reportedly Been Cranking Out Promotions for Scam NFT Projects — CoinDesk","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://coinedition.com/on-chain-sleuth-zachxbt-uncovers-rapper-soulja-boys-crypto-scams/","name":"On-Chain Sleuth ZachXBT Uncovers Rapper Soulja Boy's Crypto Scams — Coin Edition","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.ibtimes.com/rapper-soulja-boy-accused-promoting-scam-crypto-nfts-3687721","name":"Rapper Soulja Boy Accused Of Promoting Scam Crypto And NFTs — IBTimes","type":"news_article","credibility":2}],"severity":"critical"},{"content":"In March 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed civil charges against DeAndre Cortez Way along with seven other celebrities — including Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul, Akon, Ne-Yo, and Lil Yachty — for allegedly promoting the crypto assets Tronix (TRX) and BitTorrent (BTT) without disclosing that they were compensated to do so. The SEC alleged the promotions violated Section 17(b) of the Securities Act. The broader action was brought in connection with separate charges against Justin Sun, founder of the Tron Foundation, who the SEC accused of orchestrating a manipulative celebrity promotion campaign. Six of the eight celebrity defendants agreed to settle the charges without admitting or denying liability, collectively paying more than $400,000 in disgorgement, interest, and civil penalties, and agreeing to refrain from promoting any crypto asset for three years. Way and Austin Mahone did not respond to the charges, and a default judgment was reportedly entered against Way. In March 2026, as part of a broader resolution in the Justin Sun/Tron case — under which Rainberry Inc. agreed to pay a $10 million civil penalty — the SEC filed to dismiss its remaining pending claims against Way. The SEC's decision to dismiss did not constitute an adjudication on the merits of the charges against Way, and no court ruling was made on the substance of the allegations against him.","heading":"SEC Enforcement Action: Undisclosed TRX and BTT Promotions","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-25803","name":"SEC.gov Litigation Release — Justin Sun, Tron Foundation, Rainberry Inc., Austin Mahone, and DeAndre Cortez Way","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26496","name":"SEC.gov Litigation Release lr-26496 — DeAndre Cortez Way","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/03/22/sec-charges-lindsay-lohan-jake-paul-soulja-boy-akon-in-crypto-promotion-scheme/","name":"SEC Charges Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul, Soulja Boy, Akon In Crypto Promotion Scheme — Forbes","type":"news_article","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.theblock.co/news/regulation/2026-03-05-sec-dismisses-claims-against-justin-sun-and-tron-foundation-bittorrent-developer-rainberry-agrees-to-pay-10m-fine-392509","name":"SEC Dismisses Claims Against Justin Sun and Tron Foundation — The Block","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.thefader.com/2023/03/23/lil-yachty-soulja-boy-sec-charges-crypto","name":"Lil Yachty and Soulja Boy Among Celebrities Charged by SEC — The Fader","type":"news_article","credibility":2}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"In February 2022, a class-action lawsuit was filed naming Soulja Boy alongside Jake Paul, Nick Carter, and Lil Yachty, among others, over their alleged promotion of the SafeMoon token. The lawsuit alleged the defendants promoted SafeMoon in exchange for tokens and failed to disclose the compensation, and that their endorsements artificially inflated the token's value before it collapsed — a pattern plaintiffs characterized as a 'slow rug pull.' The outcome and current status of this civil litigation have not been confirmed by available sources as of the time of this investigation. The filing of a lawsuit is an allegation, not a finding of liability.","heading":"SafeMoon Class-Action Lawsuit","sources":[{"url":"https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/22/02/25752988/soulja-boy-jake-paul-named-in-class-action-lawsuit-over-safemoon-crypto-pump-and-dump-sche","name":"Soulja Boy, Jake Paul Named In Class Action Lawsuit Over SafeMoon Crypto Pump And Dump Scheme — Benzinga","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.classaction.org/blog/jake-paul-nick-carter-soulja-boy-lil-yachty-facing-pump-and-dump-class-action-over-safemoon-tokens","name":"Jake Paul, Nick Carter, Soulja Boy, Lil Yachty Facing 'Pump and Dump' Class Action Over SafeMoon Tokens — ClassAction.org","type":"court_filing","credibility":2}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"In December 2025, the allegations against Soulja Boy were revived by a public incident involving Jesse Pollak, a co-founder of Coinbase's Base network. On December 13, 2025, Pollak posted on X that he had 'just backed you on @base and you instantly earned,' in a reply to Soulja Boy, publicly disclosing an approximately $1,500 investment in a Soulja Boy-linked memecoin on the Base network. ZachXBT responded directly to Pollak, asking 'Why give SouljaBoy the platform to scam new people?' and linking to his 2023 investigation. The new SOULJABOY token reportedly achieved a market cap of only approximately $85,000 with 331 holders following launch. Industry critics raised concerns that an infrastructure-layer co-founder amplifying an individual with a documented history of promoting failed tokens signals poor judgment and poses consumer-protection risks to retail buyers who may treat the endorsement as a quality signal. As of publication, Pollak had not publicly addressed the backlash. No evidence has emerged that the December 2025 token executed a rug pull; the controversy centered on the reputational and consumer-protection implications of the endorsement rather than confirmed misconduct by the new token.","heading":"December 2025 Controversy: Base Co-Founder Jesse Pollak Endorsement","sources":[{"url":"https://finance.yahoo.com/news/co-founder-draws-fire-backing-160704204.html","name":"Base Co-Founder Draws Fire After Backing Soulja Boy's Token Despite Repeated Scam Claims — Yahoo Finance","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://beincrypto.com/base-jesse-pollak-soulja-boy-meme-backlash/","name":"Base Creator Jesse Pollak Faces Backlash Amid Soulja Boy Woes — BeInCrypto","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://cryptonews.net/news/security/32138523/","name":"Base's Jesse Pollak Backs Soulja Boy Token as ZachXBT Revives Past Rug Pull Claims — CryptoNews.net","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2025/12/15/base-co-founder-faces-backlash-over-soulja-boy-meme-coin-mention/","name":"Base Co-Founder Faces Backlash Over Soulja Boy Meme Coin Mention — CryptoTimes","type":"news_article","credibility":2}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"On December 15, 2025, Soulja Boy issued a public statement in which he acknowledged promoting projects that subsequently turned out to be fraudulent or failed. Way stated: 'I want to be clear and transparent. I was doing paid promotions at the time without knowing the crypto and NFT industry as I know it now.' He added: 'I had no knowledge that a scammer named Sahil was involved or paying me to promote anything fraudulent.' Way apologized to his followers, said he 'takes responsibility for not doing deeper due diligence back then,' and stated he had 'moved very differently since.' The apology was publicly criticized by on-chain analytics platform Bubblemaps, which characterized Way's pattern as repeat-offender behavior. The timing of the apology — coinciding with the Jesse Pollak controversy and renewed ZachXBT attention — was noted by commentators as significant context. The apology does not constitute a legal admission. No court has adjudicated whether Way knowingly promoted fraudulent projects.","heading":"Way's Public Apology","sources":[{"url":"https://www.cryptopolitan.com/soulja-boy-says-sorry-promoting-crypto-scams/","name":"Soulja Boy Says Sorry for Promoting Over 80 Crypto Scams — Cryptopolitan","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://coinpaper.com/13107/soulja-boy-finally-breaks-silence-after-massive-crypto-scam-exposure","name":"Soulja Boy Issues Public Apology for Promoting Crypto Scams — CoinPaper","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://cryptopotato.com/bubblemaps-mocks-soulja-boys-apology-calls-out-repeat-offender-behavior-in-crypto-promotions/","name":"Bubblemaps Mocks Soulja Boy's Apology, Calls Out Repeat Offender Behavior — CryptoPotato","type":"news_article","credibility":2}],"severity":"medium"},{"content":"In April 2025, a Los Angeles County jury found DeAndre Cortez Way civilly liable for sexual battery, assault, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, sexual harassment, and wage-related violations brought by a former personal assistant. The jury awarded the plaintiff approximately $4 million in compensatory damages and $250,000 in punitive damages. This civil verdict is separate from Way's crypto-related conduct but is included for completeness as it reflects the overall legal and reputational profile of the individual. Way was not criminally charged in connection with these allegations; the verdict was in a civil proceeding.","heading":"Civil Sexual Assault Verdict (Unrelated to Crypto)","sources":[{"url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/soulja-boy-abuse-sexual-assault-ex-assistant-rcna200782","name":"Jury Finds Soulja Boy Liable for Abuse, Sexual Assault of Former Assistant — NBC News","type":"news_article","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.courthousenews.com/jury-finds-soulja-boy-liable-to-tune-of-4-million-in-sexual-assault-civil-trial/","name":"Jury Finds Soulja Boy Liable to Tune of $4.25 Million in Sexual Assault Civil Trial — Courthouse News Service","type":"court_filing","credibility":1}],"severity":"high"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2021-07-01","event":"Soulja Boy promoted RapDoge token on social media; token subsequently executed a rug pull, according to ZachXBT.","source":"ZachXBT investigation via Coin Edition","source_url":"https://coinedition.com/on-chain-sleuth-zachxbt-uncovers-rapper-soulja-boys-crypto-scams/"},{"date":"2021-07-01","event":"ZachXBT later estimated Way began a pattern of paid crypto promotions in July 2021, charging $12,000 per Instagram post and $10,000 per X post.","source":"CoinDesk","source_url":"https://www.coindesk.com/web3/2023/04/19/soulja-boy-has-reportedly-been-cranking-out-promotions-for-scam-nft-projects"},{"date":"2022-02-01","event":"Class-action lawsuit filed naming Soulja Boy and others for alleged pump-and-dump promotion of SafeMoon token.","source":"Benzinga","source_url":"https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/22/02/25752988/soulja-boy-jake-paul-named-in-class-action-lawsuit-over-safemoon-crypto-pump-and-dump-sche"},{"date":"2023-03-22","event":"SEC filed civil charges against Soulja Boy and seven other celebrities for allegedly promoting TRX and BTT tokens without disclosing paid compensation.","source":"Forbes","source_url":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/03/22/sec-charges-lindsay-lohan-jake-paul-soulja-boy-akon-in-crypto-promotion-scheme/"},{"date":"2023-04-19","event":"ZachXBT published investigation documenting 73 crypto promotions and 16 NFT collections by Soulja Boy linked to rug pulls or failed projects, estimating $730,000 in earnings.","source":"CoinDesk","source_url":"https://www.coindesk.com/web3/2023/04/19/soulja-boy-has-reportedly-been-cranking-out-promotions-for-scam-nft-projects"},{"date":"2025-04-10","event":"Los Angeles County jury found Way civilly liable for sexual battery and related claims, awarding approximately $4.25 million in damages to a former assistant.","source":"NBC News","source_url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/soulja-boy-abuse-sexual-assault-ex-assistant-rcna200782"},{"date":"2025-12-13","event":"Base co-founder Jesse Pollak publicly disclosed investing approximately $1,500 in a Soulja Boy-linked memecoin on the Base network, prompting ZachXBT to revive the 2023 allegations.","source":"CryptoTimes","source_url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2025/12/15/base-co-founder-faces-backlash-over-soulja-boy-meme-coin-mention/"},{"date":"2025-12-15","event":"Soulja Boy issued a public apology acknowledging promoting projects that turned out to be fraudulent, claiming ignorance at the time and citing insufficient due diligence.","source":"Cryptopolitan","source_url":"https://www.cryptopolitan.com/soulja-boy-says-sorry-promoting-crypto-scams/"},{"date":"2026-03-05","event":"SEC filed to dismiss remaining pending claims against DeAndre Cortez Way as part of the broader resolution of the Justin Sun/Tron Foundation case. No court ruled on the merits of the charges against Way.","source":"The Block","source_url":"https://www.theblock.co/news/regulation/2026-03-05-sec-dismisses-claims-against-justin-sun-and-tron-foundation-bittorrent-developer-rainberry-agrees-to-pay-10m-fine-392509"}],"sources_used":[{"url":"https://www.coindesk.com/web3/2023/04/19/soulja-boy-has-reportedly-been-cranking-out-promotions-for-scam-nft-projects","name":"Soulja Boy Has Reportedly Been Cranking Out Promotions for Scam NFT Projects — CoinDesk","type":"news_article","archive_url":null,"credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":null},{"url":"https://coinedition.com/on-chain-sleuth-zachxbt-uncovers-rapper-soulja-boys-crypto-scams/","name":"On-Chain Sleuth ZachXBT Uncovers Rapper Soulja Boy's Crypto Scams — Coin Edition","type":"news_article","archive_url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20260914181836/https://coinedition.com/on-chain-sleuth-zachxbt-uncovers-rapper-soulja-boys-crypto-scams/","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-09-14T18:18:36+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-25803","name":"SEC.gov Litigation Release — Justin Sun, Tron Foundation, Rainberry Inc., Austin Mahone, and DeAndre Cortez Way","type":"regulatory","archive_url":null,"credibility":1,"archive_timestamp":null},{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26496","name":"SEC.gov Litigation Release lr-26496 — DeAndre Cortez Way","type":"regulatory","archive_url":null,"credibility":1,"archive_timestamp":null},{"url":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/03/22/sec-charges-lindsay-lohan-jake-paul-soulja-boy-akon-in-crypto-promotion-scheme/","name":"SEC Charges Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul, Soulja Boy, Akon In Crypto Promotion Scheme — Forbes","type":"news_article","archive_url":null,"credibility":1,"archive_timestamp":null},{"url":"https://www.theblock.co/news/regulation/2026-03-05-sec-dismisses-claims-against-justin-sun-and-tron-foundation-bittorrent-developer-rainberry-agrees-to-pay-10m-fine-392509","name":"SEC Dismisses Claims Against Justin Sun and Tron Foundation — The Block","type":"news_article","archive_url":null,"credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":null},{"url":"https://www.thefader.com/2023/03/23/lil-yachty-soulja-boy-sec-charges-crypto","name":"Lil Yachty and Soulja Boy Among Celebrities Charged by SEC — The Fader","type":"news_article","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260215133345/http://www.thefader.com/2023/03/23/lil-yachty-soulja-boy-sec-charges-crypto","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-02-15T13:33:45+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/22/02/25752988/soulja-boy-jake-paul-named-in-class-action-lawsuit-over-safemoon-crypto-pump-and-dump-sche","name":"Soulja Boy, Jake Paul Named In Class Action Lawsuit Over SafeMoon — Benzinga","type":"news_article","archive_url":null,"credibility":2,"archive_error":"error:no-request","archive_status":"unarchivable","archive_timestamp":null},{"url":"https://www.classaction.org/blog/jake-paul-nick-carter-soulja-boy-lil-yachty-facing-pump-and-dump-class-action-over-safemoon-tokens","name":"Jake Paul, Soulja Boy, Others Facing Pump and Dump Class Action Over SafeMoon — ClassAction.org","type":"court_filing","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260520195520/https://www.classaction.org/blog/jake-paul-nick-carter-soulja-boy-lil-yachty-facing-pump-and-dump-class-action-over-safemoon-tokens","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-05-20T19:55:20+00:00"},{"url":"https://finance.yahoo.com/news/co-founder-draws-fire-backing-160704204.html","name":"Base Co-Founder Draws Fire After Backing Soulja Boy's Token — Yahoo Finance","type":"news_article","archive_url":null,"credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":null},{"url":"https://beincrypto.com/base-jesse-pollak-soulja-boy-meme-backlash/","name":"Base Creator Jesse Pollak Faces Backlash Amid Soulja Boy Woes — BeInCrypto","type":"news_article","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260307230054/https://beincrypto.com/base-jesse-pollak-soulja-boy-meme-backlash/","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-03-07T23:00:54+00:00"},{"url":"https://cryptonews.net/news/security/32138523/","name":"Base's Jesse Pollak Backs Soulja Boy Token as ZachXBT Revives Past Rug Pull Claims — CryptoNews.net","type":"news_article","archive_url":null,"credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":null},{"url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2025/12/15/base-co-founder-faces-backlash-over-soulja-boy-meme-coin-mention/","name":"Base Co-Founder Faces Backlash Over Soulja Boy Meme Coin Mention — CryptoTimes","type":"news_article","archive_url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20260914182213/https://www.cryptotimes.io/2025/12/15/base-co-founder-faces-backlash-over-soulja-boy-meme-coin-mention/","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-09-14T18:22:13+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.cryptopolitan.com/soulja-boy-says-sorry-promoting-crypto-scams/","name":"Soulja Boy Says Sorry for Promoting Over 80 Crypto Scams — Cryptopolitan","type":"news_article","archive_url":null,"credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":null},{"url":"https://coinpaper.com/13107/soulja-boy-finally-breaks-silence-after-massive-crypto-scam-exposure","name":"Soulja Boy Issues Public Apology for Promoting Crypto Scams — CoinPaper","type":"news_article","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260410153941/https://coinpaper.com/13107/soulja-boy-finally-breaks-silence-after-massive-crypto-scam-exposure","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-04-10T15:39:41+00:00"},{"url":"https://cryptopotato.com/bubblemaps-mocks-soulja-boys-apology-calls-out-repeat-offender-behavior-in-crypto-promotions/","name":"Bubblemaps Mocks Soulja Boy's Apology — CryptoPotato","type":"news_article","archive_url":null,"credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":null},{"url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/soulja-boy-abuse-sexual-assault-ex-assistant-rcna200782","name":"Jury Finds Soulja Boy Liable for Abuse, Sexual Assault of Former Assistant — NBC News","type":"news_article","archive_url":null,"credibility":1,"archive_timestamp":null},{"url":"https://www.courthousenews.com/jury-finds-soulja-boy-liable-to-tune-of-4-million-in-sexual-assault-civil-trial/","name":"Jury Finds Soulja Boy Liable to Tune of $4.25 Million in Sexual Assault Civil Trial — Courthouse News Service","type":"court_filing","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260604074223/https://www.courthousenews.com/jury-finds-soulja-boy-liable-to-tune-of-4-million-in-sexual-assault-civil-trial/","credibility":1,"archive_timestamp":"2026-06-04T07:42:23+00:00"}],"source_tags":[],"addresses":[],"reviewed":false,"reviewed_by":null,"model_used":"claude-sonnet-4-6","created_at":"2026-09-14T17:16:48.174429+00:00","updated_at":"2026-09-14T18:24:44.969661+00:00"}}