Controversial NFT Game “CryptoZoo” Investigated by YouTuber Coffeezilla
Logan Paul’s blockchain game, CryptoZoo, has recently come under scrutiny due to a three-part series by investigative YouTuber Coffeezilla (real name Stephen Findeisen). In the series, which has amassed a combined view count of 13.2 million, Findeisen uncovers alleged fraudulent activity within the project and highlights the many investors who have lost millions as a result.
Coffeezilla is known for his investigations into scams and fraudsters within the blockchain and NFT space, and has gained a reputation as an online sleuth with over 2.1 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. His work has even caught the attention of the New Yorker, which featured him in an article praising his efforts to expose the darker side of the crypto and NFT world. One of his most notable investigations was a video series on the Save the Kids token, which helped to spread awareness of the pump-and-dump scheme and ultimately contribute to its downfall.
As of December 27th (UTC), both Findeisen and Paul have invited each other to appear on their respective shows to discuss the controversy surrounding CryptoZoo.
CryptoZoo: An Overview
CryptoZoo was a proposed NFT-based game created by Logan Paul, in which players could earn passive income through the breeding and minting of unique animal-based NFTs. The project was initially mentioned on Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, and the intention was to raise one million dollars to fund the creation of the game and NFTs. Players could purchase NFT “eggs” of the animals, which could be bred and minted to create unique NFTs at the game’s launch. To acquire the eggs, players had to purchase the game’s ZOO token.
At the time of the planned launch in September 2021, NFT eggs worth $2.5 million had been sold. However, by October, the value of the ZOO token had plummeted, and its price has continued to decline since. Paul has blamed the game’s developer for the failure of the project, alleging that the developer created a code and then fled to Switzerland, refusing to return the code unless Paul paid him one million dollars. The developer denies these claims and asserts that he was never paid.
As of today, the CryptoZoo website states that it is “still under construction and would be undergoing upgrades to the main infrastructure of the ecosystem.” The project’s official Twitter profile has not posted any updates since May 28th. Paul also appears to have removed all references to the project from his YouTube channel.
Logan Paul’s History with Crypto Scams
Logan Paul has a history of involvement with questionable cryptocurrency ventures. In the past, he attempted to pump the value of Dink Doink (DINK), a meme coin that he initially claimed to have no involvement in. However, it was later revealed that Paul had helped create the “character” associated with the coin. In a video and tweet, he described the project as “the dumbest, most ridiculous shitcoin I’ve ever seen. And that’s why I’m all in.”
According to CoinGecko, there are one hundred quintillion DINK coins in circulation, each worth less than one trillionth of a cent. This makes them effectively permanently worthless. Paul’s promotion of the coin and misleading statements about his involvement with it may have contributed to its failure and current lack of value.