Logan Pauls Crypto Drama and Pet Pig Fiasco, Explained

[ad_1]

Logan Paul is an influencer, podcaster and professional wrestler who has once again found himself at the center of controversy. A three-part YouTube series by investigative journalist Stephen Findeisen, known as Coffeezilla on YouTube, delved into Paul’s recent CryptoZoo project, calling the company a scam. As if things couldn’t get stranger, less than a month later, a pig named Pearl, previously owned by Paul, was found abandoned by an animal shelter, which has since taken Pearl in.

The punch of stories circulating on social media has made Paul the topic of conversation on Twitter, TikTok and other social media platforms. This resulted in some messy talk, with other influencers and creators interjecting from all angles. Paul took to social media and his own podcast to respond.

Paul first promoted CryptoZoo on his Impaulsive podcast in August 2021. He said he has been working on his own NFT project, calling it a really fun game that makes you money. CryptoZoo is a blockchain game where players buy an in-game cryptocurrency called $Z00 to spend on digital eggs that hatch into animals. Eggs could theoretically also be bred, resulting in hybrids that are rare and therefore considered more valuable in monetary terms.

On December 16, Findeisen released the first installment of its three-part series, Investigating Logan Pauls Biggest Scam, which has over 7.5 million views. In this video, Findeisen alleges the project was a scam and interviews gamers who said they were never able to hatch their eggs. In the description of the video, Findeisen writes:

CryptoZoo was supposed to be a fun blockchain game that can make you money… but millions of dollars of investor money later, things are still broken. Coffeezilla investigates why. […] This video is an opinion and should not be construed as statements of fact. Scams, bad business opportunities and fake gurus are subjective terms that mean different things to different people. I think someone who promises $100,000/month for an initial amount of $2,000 is a scam. Others would call it Napoleon Hill land.

Findeisen posted parts two and three of the series on the Coffeezilla YouTube channel on December 20 and 23. In these videos, Findeisen investigates other members of the CryptoZoo team, including lead developer Eddie Ibanez, other developers, and other crypto influencers like Jake. the Crypto King. (Not related to Jake Paul, influencer brother of Logan Pauls and fellow podcaster.)

Logan Paul posted a response video to Coffeezilla on January 4, which has since been deleted but circulated widely on the internet as other YouTubers reposted it. In this video, Paul said he hadn’t made any money on CryptoZoo, accused Findeisen of using his name for money and views, and threatened to sue Findeisen. He also discussed the Coffeezillas video series on an episode of the Impaulsive podcast.

On Saturday, Findeisen tweeted that Paul had called him and was deleting both replies, along with the threats of lawsuits. Findeisen also shared a screenshot from the CryptoZoo Discord group which depicted Paul saying he would take responsibility, apologize and come up with a plan in the near future. The CryptoZoo website currently states that it is undergoing core ecosystem infrastructure upgrades. (Polygon has contacted Logan Paul and Stephen Findeisen and will update the story if there is a response.)

Logan’s response: his response was reckless and misaligned with the real problem

He will take responsibility, apologize and come up with a plan. pic.twitter.com/nI2tyQd28i

Coffeezilla (@coffeebreak_YT) January 7, 2023

As things began to calm down, the controversy around Paul resumed on January 10, but for a completely different reason. Animal rescue sanctuary Gentle Barn posted a TikTok telling the story of a pig named Pearl, described as having been found abandoned in a field next to another, deceased pig. Fans recognized Pearl as Paul’s pet pig from his YouTube videos, and TikTok animal sanctuaries began circulating on social media.

According to the TikTok, Gentle Barn treated Pearl for a life-threatening infection in her womb and for ragged ears. From what we’ve been told, it’s believed she was originally purchased from a breeder by an influencer, the description of the TikTok video reads.

He continues, People often buy mini pigs or teacup pigs online, thinking they will stay small. When they inevitably become very large and have many unexpected needs, they are unfortunately discarded. Although we don’t know everything she went through in her past, we do know that her life is now filled with friends, nutritious food, the highest quality care and so much love. Polygon reached out to Gentle Barn for comment and did not receive a response.

@thegentlebarn

Pearl was found alone in a field next to another dead pig. She came to us with ragged ears and a life-threatening infection in her womb which has since cleared. She’s clearly been through so much trauma we can’t begin to imagine, but she’s now safe with us at The Gentle Barn. From what we have been told, it is believed that she was originally purchased from a breeder by an influencer. People often buy “mini pigs” or teacup pigs online, thinking they will stay small. When they inevitably become very large and have many unexpected needs, they are unfortunately discarded. Although we don’t know everything she went through in her past, we do know that her life is now filled with friends, nutritious food, the highest quality care and so much love. #pigrescue #animalrescuestory #abandonedanimals #pigsoftiktok #farmanimalrescue #thegentlebarn

Where is my Mind? – Piano Version – The Blue Notes

Polygon also reached out to Logan Paul for a comment on Pearl and received the following response:

Logan moved to Puerto Rico and couldn’t take Pearl with him. He responsibly relocated her to an incredible horse ranch where she was well taken care of.

Logan found out yesterday that the ranch owner had moved out and couldn’t keep Pearl. They had apparently relocated her to their neighbor, and it was the neighbor who contacted Gentle Barn to take Pearl in.

Logan was unaware and shocked to learn that Pearl had once again been relocated, to a person and place he had no knowledge of.

Logan immediately contacted Gentle Barn when this information surfaced online. He has offered to help her financially and hopes to find Pearl, if the rescue organization gives him the chance.

Logan is incredibly upset to learn of Pearls’ condition and is truly grateful to Gentle Barn.

Many fans on the internet have expressed skepticism about Paul’s responses to these two controversies. It remains to be seen how they will resolve, but it’s a reminder that despite Paul’s continued success and massive following, his efforts to rehabilitate his image often lead to even more ridiculous results.

[ad_2]