Sahil Arora Claims He Paid Ansem $100,000 to Promote Celebrity Memecoins; Ansem Denies It
Key Takeaways
- •Sahil Arora alleged on X that he paid Ansem roughly $100,000 to promote the Iggy Azalea-linked MOTHER token, publishing on-chain records he said tied the trader to his celebrity token launches.
- •Ansem denied ever working with Arora and challenged the chat evidence, arguing its capitalization and writing style did not match how he texts.
- •Arora cited a 129.5 SOL transfer on May 28, 2024, and wallet activity showing about $69,000 received and $52,300 forwarded to Ansem's main wallet in June 2024.
- •ZachXBT referenced his earlier warnings about Ansem's celebrity token promotions, while Bubblemaps alleged some influencers attract followers with public wallets while selling from undisclosed addresses.
- •Jason Derulo's JASON token fell more than 72% within minutes of its June 2024 announcement, reflecting the broader scrutiny that hit 2024's wave of Solana-based celebrity memecoins.
Crypto trader Ansem has publicly denied working with promoter Sahil Arora after Arora claimed on social platform X that he paid the trader roughly $100,000 to promote MOTHER, a token tied to Iggy Azalea. Arora made the allegations in a series of posts published on Nov. 6 and 7, sharing on-chain records he said connected Ansem to his celebrity token launches. He also named tokens associated with Caitlyn Jenner and Jason Derulo. The dispute has put a fresh spotlight on paid promotion practices behind celebrity-linked tokens, a corner of the market that drew intense scrutiny throughout 2024.
Ansem rejected the claims. "no i have never done anything with sahil," he wrote. He added that Arora had claimed a partnership between the two before.
Cobie also featured in the exchanges, with Arora sharing the following post on Nov. 6:
This is actually simple to understand and connect dots tbh — very obvious. Ansem was the thunder Sahil shows up steals the thunder Ansem feels left out Ansem fuds Sahil launches Then starts dickriding every launch I did cause everything was sending…
The Transfers Arora Posted
Central to Arora's case is a blockchain screenshot of a 129.5 Solana (SOL) transfer dated May 28, 2024, at 00:28:42 UTC. He said the transfer came before Azalea's MOTHER launch and alleged that similar payments accompanied other celebrity announcements. Transfers on public blockchains like Solana are viewable by anyone, which is why wallet screenshots often serve as receipts in crypto disputes — though linking an address to a named individual is frequently the contested part.
hi ansem, why is the chat you posted blank
come on habibi, we used to talk 🫢 pic.twitter.com/xxeXYbqDbk
Arora also described a wallet he linked to Ansem. According to his posts, the wallet received 504.5 SOL through two exchange withdrawals on June 25, 2024, two days after JASON, the token tied to Derulo, launched. He said the same wallet sent 377.43 SOL to Ansem's main wallet that day, valuing the incoming funds at about $69,000 and the onward transfer at $52,300.
Another post alleged an earlier receipt of 99.06 SOL, worth about $16,400, on May 31, 2024, from the same exchange hot wallet.
Arora's posts did not tie the 129.5 SOL transfer directly to the $100,000 figure. He said he was collecting more conversations, transactions and old posts.
Disputed Messages and Past Launches
Ansem questioned the chat Arora presented as evidence, pointing to its capitalization and a message about running errands around 1:20 a.m. He said the style did not match how he texts.
Arora replied with an August 2024 post by Ansem showing an apparent private exchange about a proposed token involving rapper 6ix9ine. In those messages, Ansem warned the launch could be a scam. Arora asked why Ansem disputed having any relationship with him if the post showed a conversation taking place between them.
Arora also circulated screenshots of Ansem commenting on celebrity-related posts in May 2024, alleging that Ansem first criticized his launches and later accepted payments to amplify them.
On-chain investigator ZachXBT joined the discussion, pointing to his own 2024 warnings about Ansem's celebrity token promotions. Blockchain analytics firm Bubblemaps posted a separate thread alleging that some social traders use public wallets to attract followers while selling from undisclosed wallets. Bubblemaps said it planned to expose a major influencer but did not name the person. Arora replied with Ansem's name. Their involvement underscores how influencer token promotion has become a recurring transparency concern across the industry.
Background on the Celebrity Tokens
The tokens at the center of the dispute had drawn controversy before, sitting within a broader 2024 wave of celebrity-branded memecoins on Solana that repeatedly attracted scrutiny. Derulo's JASON fell over 72% within minutes of its June 23, 2024, announcement, and the singer said he had bought $20,000 worth of tokens.
Azalea's MOTHER was separate from IGGY, another token tied to her name that Arora promoted. She distanced herself from IGGY.
In May 2024, the WeCare Foundation offered legal support to people affected by alleged schemes involving Arora. Its chief executive, Saad Kassis Mohamed, said the group would review investment records.
By June 2024, Azalea was discussing MOTHER payment plans for phones and mobile subscriptions through Unreal Mobile, with Sphere Labs supporting the proposed crypto payment integration.
US rules require influencers to disclose paid promotions, a requirement that comes into focus whenever compensation for token promotion is alleged.
Arora has promised to release more conversations and transaction records — the next development worth watching as the dispute unfolds. Ansem continues to deny any dealings with him.
Originally reported by CoinCentral.
