Evolved Apes NFT
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anchored·31jaqf…8g5BSummary
Evolved Apes was a collection of 10,000 Ethereum-based NFTs launched on September 24, 2021, that promised holders access to an unreleased blockchain fighting game. Approximately one week after the mint sold out, the anonymous developer known only as 'Evil Ape' disappeared with approximately 798 ETH (roughly $2.7 million at the time), taking down the project's website and Twitter account in what became one of the most prominent early NFT rug pulls. In June 2024, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York charged three UK nationals — Mohamed-Amin Atcha, Mohamed Rilaz Waleedh, and Daood Hassan — with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with the scheme.
Connected Entities
4 entities · 60 linked investigations- Evolved Apes→mentioned with→Ethereum(75%)
- Evolved Apes→mentioned with→Cointelegraph(60%)
- Evolved Apes→mentioned with→Evolved Apes NFT(80%)
- Cointelegraph→mentioned with→Ethereum(60%)
- Evolved Apes NFT→mentioned with→Evolved Apes(80%)
- Evolved Apes NFT→mentioned with→Ethereum(60%)
- Evolved Apes NFT→mentioned with→Cointelegraph(65%)
Timeline(6 events)
24 September 2021
Evolved Apes public mint launches on OpenSea. All 10,000 NFTs sell out in approximately ten minutes, generating ~798 ETH in proceeds.
VICEOctober 2021
Anonymous developer 'Evil Ape' drains approximately 798 ETH (~$2.7M) from the project treasury in a series of transactions, then takes down the official website and Twitter account. The project's artist is left unpaid.
VICE / Halborn5 October 2021
Major media outlets including VICE, CoinTelegraph, and PC Gamer report on the rug pull, bringing widespread attention to the incident.
CoinTelegraph6 October 2021
Community member Mike_Cryptobull and others announce the Fight Back Apes initiative, promising to distribute free NFTs to original Evolved Apes holders using a multi-sig wallet structure.
VICEFebruary 2022
Daz 3D and Fight Back Apes announce a collaboration to develop a 3D avatar NFT collection, with original Evolved Apes holders eligible for free mints.
PR Newswire6 June 2024
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announces charges against three UK nationals — Mohamed-Amin Atcha, Mohamed Rilaz Waleedh, and Daood Hassan — for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with the Evolved Apes scheme. Maximum penalty: 20 years per count.
DOJ SDNYDecision Log
- slot 423324549 · hash 2Hp4WXVXLNQPRded3EEMDMTC6XqEETyhBpvWu4sDfitQ
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain (1 decision). 11 of 12 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.
model: claude-sonnet-4-6
generated: 5/31/2026, 6:59:24 AM
last updated: 5/31/2026, 6:59:24 AM
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