Ugh, was the Lil Tay situation all a crypto thing?
A Lil Tay cryptocurrency was launched just a day after the viral death hoax—but it's unclear who is behind what
Aux News Lil Tay
The erroneously reported death of Lil Tay, the young rapper/viral sensation, is turning out to be a hoax on top of a hoax on top of a hoax. Or maybe a scam on top of a scam on top of a scam. Or maybe—perhaps even most likely—it’s both. It’s unclear who’s perpetrating the hoax-cum-scam, but it is clear that there are several layers of it, and at the center is the exploitation of a young girl’s fleeting fame.
Here’s the latest: after Lil Tay (whose real name is Tay Tian, according to TMZ) was seemingly confirmed as alive, a cryptocurrency was launched in her name. According to Insider, the Lil Tay crypto launched on Thursday morning with a total supply of 100 coins. The somewhat suspicious timing might cause one to wonder: was the death hoax meant as promotion for the cryptocurrency?
It’s unclear who launched the Lil Tay coin, though there’s an obvious suspect: her ex-manager Henry Tsang, who is the CEO of Liltay Token. Yet he has denied any involvement with the cryptocurrency that launched on Thursday. “One hundred percent not me,” he told Insider. “I gave a warning to everyone already. That is not us. We just took down the website and everything.” On Twitter, he added, “If you see another token/coin with liltay it’s a scam.”
Tsang also pointed fingers at Lil Tay’s brother, Jason Tian, for perpetrating the death hoax (as opposed to the post being a hack, which is what Tay’s statement to TMZ claimed). “I believe the reported hacking incident may not have occurred,” Tsang said in a statement to The Daily Beast. “[The] actions of Liltay’s brother, renowned for his propensity for extreme measures, lead me to hypothesize an alternative motive behind this occurrence.”
Over in Lil Tay’s camp, whoever sent in that TMZ statement (who that is is another of this story’s many mysteries) denied to The Daily Beast that Jason was running Tay’s social media and claimed “anyone purporting to be Tay’s ex-manager was a fraud.”
Nevertheless, Tsang asserted his belief that the death hoax was cooked up by Jason to “illicitly extract funds from devoted supporters and unwitting bystanders.” If you believe his line of thinking, it might indicate that Jason is behind the crypto coin that was launched on Thursday.
There is still no confirmation as to who launched the coin, however. For that matter, Lil Tay still hasn’t been seen publicly amidst all the drama. (She’s been largely out of the spotlight for the last five years.) It seems likely that there are conflicting interests behind the scenes—unless the interests are entirely aligned, and the drama is manufactured to drum up interest in the cryptocurrency. Whatever the truth is, it’s an undoubtedly upsetting situation.
92 Comments
A mystery wrapped in an enigma enclosed in a creamy outer layer of horseshit.
Surprise twist: every single layer of the interior is also composed of pure shit.
How dare you insult Hershey’s chocolate like that!(Wha? You never mentioned the name… my bad!)
Maybe just ignore this story. It’s deeply undignified to consider this news.
If outlets actually did their jobs, checking with proper people and authorities to confirm the rumored news of this person’s death before reporting it, it would have never been “a story” to being with. Instead, most just LEEROY JEEENKINS ‘d their way into it. Some saying she died with no verification, others half assing it with “its a mystery”. I don’t know who this kid is and would hope she could get away from being exploited, but from her team, all this crypto stuff, and all these “news” outlets, its just an ocean of stupidity all around.
Yeah… I don’t know if it would be “sad” or even anything if her death hadn’t been reported so fast…. it’s rich seeing the A.V. Club wagging their finger like this when they’re perpetrating it.
I mean…. this story showed up on the homepage before the original story of her death had even expired from the homepage… that’s… a huge part of why this was sad LOL A.V. Club wants us to watch their right hand so we don’t see what their left hand is doing.
So…you’re saying that it’s a Lil Taysteless?
Look there’s a double strike on, they have to get their clicks somewhere!
I remember discovering Cyberpunk literature at a young age, and while some of it was quite good, I don’t think I ever once thought that it would be cool to live in that kind of dystopian environment.Yet here we fucking are.
Those of us who thought ‘Holy crap that future seems awesome!’ are the wizards of the new Willennium now.I still want to be a Rigger and with the drones they have out now that is almost possible, just gotta get a van that I can rig up to drive in first person and I’m golden.
Oh, I’m fully aware. Speaking of which, thanks for nothing.
Having pretty much all of the world’s knowledge at your fingertips isn’t exactly nothing. I like it a lot better than back in the day, personally.
It was nice when that was all it was. But that was twenty years ago.
Yeah it’s even more these days!
Sorry but I’ve been a technological optimist since I was young and the future hasn’t disappointed me. Sure, capitalists and assholes are big loud voices, but that’s only to be expected. The vast majority of people are pretty new at this whole thing, we’ll get it nailed down eventually.Also I’m pretty sure everyone who was alive during the Cold War has to die before things can get any better in any case, all of us are fucked up in one way or another and the older you are the worse it is because you were exposed to loads of lead in the atmosphere for a good part of your life. All those old politicians and boomers fucking things up? Exposed to loads of lead in the atmosphere for like 40 straight years, leading to whacked out poo brain.
“technological optimist”Again, fully aware.What’s funny is you lot are capable of insane amounts of pessimism. Just not in areas where it might be useful.
I’m not sure how that’s ‘funny’ or what you mean by ‘areas where it might be useful’. I’m absolutely skeptical/pessimistic of new tech if it doesn’t improve things or serve a reasonable purpose. Self driving cars, for example, are horribly implemented and aren’t going to reasonably solve problems at any point in the near future. Tech for tech’s sake is never good.
I’m a student of history, history promotes technological optimism because technology is entirely the reason why it’s the best time to be an average human in the entire history of humanity.
I’m a student of history, history promotes technological optimism because technology is entirely the reason why it’s the best time to be an average human in the entire history of humanity. Don’t short sell the whole “massive info dumps leading to existential crises that we’re in no way equipped to weather” thing.The world got VERY big from an info perspective, relatively quickly. A full third of the country made themselves pudding-brained to begin with, and the revelation that life has always been more complicated than they’d like to believe broke whatever was left of their brains.As you say, there’s going to have to be some generational turnover before we hit some new age of enlightenment. I’d only worry about how much damage has already been done, which of it is reversible, and what emerging on the other side of it will take.Only tangentially related, but a second civil war would throw one HELL of a monkey wrench into those processes.
I think we’ll weather the storm. We managed to make MAD actually work for 40 years, having access to more info and being more interconnected won’t do us any worse than nukes.I also think we’re far too lazy to throw a second civil war and that the oligarchs who own the politicians will never let it happen, it’ll be horrible for business.
“generational turnover”The only silver lining, IMO. Once the boomer and gen x nerds die off, things might actually get better.
> gen X nerdsHey, don’t blame us, man. We voted. We never had the numbers to move the needle.
We realized this and just sorta opted out of it all. We realized we were sold a bill of goods, that the ladder got pulled up before any of us got to climb it, and we’ll just stay here in our overpriced 1BR apartments, never retiring, ‘til they find us, dead for 2 months in our thrift store recliner, a bottle of lotion and a box of tissues on the side table next to us.
Hey, at least we’ll go out smiling.
“We voted.”Yeah you did! Last election, half of you voted for Trump.
Still not enough to move the needle. At best, we cancel ourselves out. But unless we got MASSIVE turnout, our numbers were NEVER enough to swing an election, vs the Boomers when we were in our 20’s and 30’s, and then by Gen Y and Z in our 40’s and 50’s.
We ain’t getting shit, we can’t affect shit. Is it any wonder our stereotype is “Whatever, man. Leave me the fuck out of it.”
Keep dodging and weaving.
about that second civil war, hurry up already…
Funny as in weird, not funny haha. As for areas, anything not related to tech. Speaking of which:“I’m a student of history, history promotes technological optimism
because technology is entirely the reason why it’s the best time to be
an average human in the entire history of humanity.”If I had a nickel for every time I heard this, I could have made a better offer on Twitter than Musk
Oh yeah I’m definitely weird. I’m really not sure what you’re getting at here though, you think I’m pessimistic about anything not related to tech? What does that even mean? Why do you think that?
“If I had a nickel for every time I heard this, I could have made a better offer on Twitter than Musk”Cool, sounds like you’re hearing factual statements on the reg then!
“I’m really not sure what you’re getting at here though”That you are, in fact, the opposite of weird. There’s millions of you, and you built the tech and the culture that we’re currently steeped in. This is your world, good and bad.
“factual statements”Well, assuming none of your inputs aren’t shit, sure. But even then, very few you ever stopped to ask if any of this was actually useful, let alone detrimental in any way.
You really have to ask if “any” of this was useful? Technology is more than social media and iPhones.
But it is simply a fact. People might not like it because it goes against what they may want to believe — that the world is getting worse and that things were better in the “old days” but it just isn’t so based on objective facts. The world certainly isn’t perfect, but a smaller percentage of the world’s population is in poverty than has ever been seen in recorded history, and that’s due to technology, particularly agricultural technology. And while we still focus on the exceptions of people in hunger, which do exist, overall, obesity rather than hunger is a larger problem and one that is becoming ever greater.
Cool cool cool. Now do climate change, rising fascism and wage theft.Also: “obesity rather than hunger is a larger problem”For the US? Sure. The rest of us? Hahahahahah fuck no.
No, Seriously, obesity has overtaken hunger globally. It’s not just a matter of fat Americans like the stereotype.
https://ourworldindata.org/obesity
I shouldn’t say this but I’m glad my turn was being an alcoholic in my 20s. If anything I needed to be reminded to eat cuz I hadn’t eaten in days. I’m still thin-ish but I gotta say the thing I love most about sobriety is actually eating proper meals.
What I’m trying to say is I do not relate to the concept that obesity is a world struggle. Bah. I just don’t have any entry point into it at all. I’m not trying to brag I’m just minorly in disbelief because I don’t have a reference.
I can see arguing that climate change is a problem that has never been faced at any point before in recorded history and is therefore proof that technology has been a net negative, but I’m not sure what you’re trying to accomplish by whatabouting rising fascism and wage theft. Neither concept is new.
“arguing that climate change is a problem that has never been faced at any point before in recorded history and is therefore proof that technology has been a net negative”Not what I’m arguing here.
“trying to accomplish by whatabouting rising fascism and wage theft”Neither am I doing that. You may want to reread the thread.
I’ve reread it multiple times. I still have no idea what you’re trying to get at. I guess it would help if you explained what you meant by “do” climate change, rising fascism and wage theft.
you’re saying that everyone over 35 is unnecessary?
cold war ended in 1991.
Zoomers say that all the time. Right now on my instagram homepage there’s like three memes posted that say a variation of “you fucked up if you didn’t do this by age 30″ because zoomers I guess think you either stop existing at 30, or they all think they’re entitled to getting a spouse and children by that age cuz their parents did…. which is funny because that’s very not the case haha.
Just don’t step on Dunkelzahn’s toes, chummer.
OMG. I just had a realization. NFTs are just NERPS!
So… anybody else in this thread wanna play Shadowrun?
I’ll GM! And the team still needs a street sam.
Lil Tay is the JonBenét Ramsey of the internet age.
Collectively we’re becoming the smartest and dumbest we’ve ever been as a species. It’s wild stuff.
William Gibson is currently repeatedly smashing his forehead into an old desktop CPU.
All the dystopia but none of the extreme body modification. I want a cyber arm dammit
If you have diabetes you can get an insulin pump installed (basically an artificial pancreas). That’s the closest thing to all that cyborg cyberpunk stuff.
Now I’m imaging some edgy noir cyberpunk fiction about a street samurai who’s only body augmentation is for his diabetes “My name is Gunner and I work the streets of Neo Chicago. Tonight’s job is a quick snatch and grab. I check my ammo, my blade and my blood sugar. Looking a bit low, better eat a twinky before I go in.”
Cybernetic limbs are sorta a thing. Even ones completely controlled via the mind/nervous system signals exist. The problem is that it isn’t compact at all so it kinda looks like Matrix-esque plug-in setups just for a single arm. Plus we’re hilariously behind on serious battery tech, though the automotive industry is just starting to put serious effort into a reliable EV charge station infrastructure so we might get some good leaps now that big money is actually headed that way. Then the problem will be cost because there is no way the healthcare industries will be reasonable about it. Not to mention the eventual need for a mix between doctor, mechanic, and programmer as a healthcare profession.Man… settings like Cyberpunk only work because they’re usually set after a major societal collapse that essentially destroys all the things hindering technological progress.
I use a crutch and a brace. It’s a start, you know? I root for the cyborgs when I watch the Terminator movies, at any rate.
just an arm???…
A “hoax-cum-scam” sounds like the sort of verbal defense Rudy Giulliani and Tubby Former Guy would use in the media following another conspiratorial debacle.
Except they don’t know the Latin root of “cum.” They’d use it anyway if they heard it somewhere.
Oh, they know the word – they just snicker like 12 year-olds when they use it.
“How’d they find out about my horse cum scam!?!”
“I got $20k a vial and they got the seed of a genuine Italian thoroughbred named Giuliani. Never won the Derby but always the first to your Mom’s house. It’s so powerful it’ll probably even work on the lady horses.”
but…i thought cryptocurrency was supposed to be totally transparent and traceable? wasn’t that the big selling point?also, i am too old for this shit.
Depending on who you talk to or what day of the week it is, crypto is the best because it’s completely anonymous and untraceable, OR it’s the best because it’s completely transparent and traceable and every transaction is logged in the blockchain or whatever.
I don’t like to defend cryptocurrency, but both those things are true and don’t contradict each other – the transactions are public and traceable but the actors conducting the transactions are private (in theory).
The second one was lack of government regulation which is hilarious because every time there’s a problem, the first place these assholes go to for help is the government.I am also too old for this shit.
::reads title::Sorry, I’m likewise in the dark here.On another note, fuck these absolute ghouls.
I’m glad I’m too old to try to understand crypto.
There’s nothing to understand. It’s just fake money. You can’t spend it & nobody wants it.
Its just modern day Paddy’s Dollars
My drug dealer wants it.
Man a few years ago I dated a girl who got swept up for her coding ability and she was constantly getting flewn out to Buenes Aires and we would be out walk and she would be like “let’s dip into this subway station – I have a sale” and then we would meet a homeless looking person in the subway, she would be handed garments and theyd both click on their phones like “the exchange is finished”.
I still am like “the fuck is that?” why was she being constantly flew to Buenes Aires what the hellllll. No clue dude.
I swear at the time (like 5 years ago) she was like in 5 years time money as you know it wont exist anymore… lol what? But… it did seem real though, I saw it with my eyes…. so confused.
Crypto is actually very easy to understand. The reason why everyone thinks it’s tough to understand is because crypto is so stupid they can’t believe it’s actually as dumb as it is. So they figure they must be the ones misunderstanding it and it’s some really complex thing. It can’t possibly be that dumb, right?
Once you embrace the fact that it really is as stupid as it seems, it’s much easier to understand.
Yet the central question remains: who the fuck is Lil Tay?
This is the real question!
Should we ask Big Tay if they know?
Jesus, why is anyone spending time on any of this shit?
Who do you think the main consumers for all these little girl tiktok and youtube sensations are? People who respect their talent and want to support their growth as artists?
-diregard, wrong comment-
*shudder*
It got a comment out of you, didn’t it? Now, just pretend I posted a jpeg of the “You’ve been played” meme.
Didn’t read the article, comment took six seconds. De minimis!
You definitely read the article. lulz
It’s weird to brag about commenting on an article you didn’t read
It’s only weird if you’ve literally never been here before
We’re only adding to the problem by reporting on and reading about it. Let’s all just ignore this.
Who are these “devoted supporters”?
Pedophiles mostly.
I don’t think it’s just pedophiles. This country has a lot of “bootstraps” mentality people who like to think that they can someday be rich, too. She’s living a life of fantasy, which people adore.
Some of yall are too young to remember Balloon Boy and it shows.This is all 100% self-propagated to enhance the profile of this person that most people had never heard of til now.
I was thinking that balloon boy was a long time ago (and yes, I remember it)… looked it up — was only 2009. Damn, I’m old.
I’ve asked this question way too many times in the past 10 years or so, but…what’s going on?
A whole thing.
That thing that the Dwarves did years ago that got everyone mad, but with an half-Canadian Asian teenage faux-rapper. You know, that.
why does anyone, anywhere, care about this?
Forget it, Jake, it’s CryptoTown…
“Whatever the truth is, it’s an undoubtedly upsetting situation.”No it isn’t. Unless you mean the situation where we all created and are now perpetuating a society where nothing makes sense and all meaning has been replaced by a pile of scams and falsehoods glued together with Cheez Whiz, with a few vapid egomaniacs wearing Burger King crowns sitting on top like it’s a throne.