Add “Hawk Tuah Girl” to the list of cryptocurrency investigations that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is no longer interested in pursuing.
Haliey Welch, who gained fame as the “Hawk Tuah Girl” in a viral video, has announced that the U.S. regulators concluded their investigation into the controversial meme coin bearing her catchphrase without taking action against her.
“For the past few months, I’ve been cooperating with all the authorities and attorneys, and finally, that work is complete,” Welch told TMZ.
Welch’s attorney, James Sallah, elaborated on the outcome:
The SEC closed the investigation without making any findings against, or seeking any monetary sanctions from, Haliey. Because they did not bring any action against her, there are no restrictions on what she can do in regards to crypto or securities in the future.
The $HAWK token became the subject of regulatory scrutiny after experiencing a crash following its sudden rise. The surge saw the coin reach a market capitalization of nearly $500 million before plunging to around $3 million. The collapse left many investors with substantial losses.
While Welch escaped SEC penalties, the coin’s creators face a separate lawsuit alleging negligence for launching the token without proper regulatory approval.
Sources close to Welch say the influencer has severed ties with the LLC behind the coin and will not support or promote it.
Welch’s viral fame began with a street interview where her description of a certain physical act quickly went viral. She capitalized on her sudden celebrity through various ventures, including the “Talk Tuah” podcast.
Reports also mentioned that a “Hawk Tuah” documentary is being developed.
Another free pass for crypto?
The Hawk Tuah coin isn’t the only crypto-related entity to see its troubles swept under the rug.
The SEC has recently dismissed various cryptocurrency investigations and lawsuits, including cases against Immutable, Crypto.com, Ripple and Coinbase.
Since Gary Gensler, a Biden administration appointee, resigned as SEC chair, cryptocurrency companies and entrepreneurs enjoy looser regulatory oversight under the current Trump administration.
According to Politico, crypto companies (e.g., Ripple, Coinbase, Kraken, Robinhood, and Circle) have made seven-figure donations to Trump since Nov. 5, 2024.
After the Hawk Tuah meme coin crash, Welch temporarily disappeared from social media, raising questions about her involvement in the project.
Despite the controversy, Welch appears ready to move forward.
“Happy to be starting back up again,” she told TMZ.
