- Zerebro founder Jeffy Yu’s reported suicide has triggered widespread speculation over its authenticity
- Yu promoted a new memecoin, LLJEFFY, at the same time as he allegedly took his own life on Pump.fun
- Ongoing wallet activity and the disappearance of Yu’s obituary have fueled doubts about whether he actually died
A shocking incident, which saw a crypto project founder supposedly take his own life, may have been a publicity stunt. The apparent suicide of Jeffy Yu, co-founder of the AI-focused crypto project Zerebro, has sparked a wave of speculation and scrutiny across the digital finance world after the coin he promoted at the time of his death rocketed over 2,000%. Other details have since emerged to bolster this suggestion, including the removal of an online obituary, continued wallet activity, and the discovery of references to a “legacy coin” manifesto, leading to questions over whether the event was a genuine tragedy or a promotional tactic.
‘Death’ Obscured and Obituary Removed
The curious case began Sunday when a now-deleted video on Pump.fun appeared to show Yu, co-founder of the AI-focused crypto project Zerebro, taking his own life. Yu was seen smoking a cigarette before the screen cut to black with a gunshot heard off-camera. Just hours after the video, a cryptocurrency named LLJEFFY launched and began climbing in price rapidly. It was positioned as a “legacy coin,” part of a manifesto where Yu claimed coins would become untouchable after their holders died, ensuring price stability.
In his final message, Yu said, “I am the permanent floor,” implying his death would lock in value. The token exploded in popularity, surpassing \$100 million in market cap within days.
Questions Arise
Despite the public reaction of shock, analysts began to notice oddities: wallets linked to Yu remained active, conducting transactions that suggested he might still be alive. The timing of the LLJEFFY launch alongside his alleged death raised eyebrows, as did the removal of all official acknowledgement of his passing; the San Francisco Chronicle posted an obituary, having used details from Legacy.com, an official site that requires proof of death before posting details, before swiftly taking it down without comment. No other official death records have been found, adding to suspicions.
Having jumped over 2,000% in value, the LLJEFFY coin suffered an equally dramatic collapse when it was revealed that the wallet deploying the tokens was buying them up, too, despite Yu supposedly being deceased. As a result, the token plummeted 86.8% in an hour to a market cap of just $13.8 million.
Crypto communities remain divided over the alleged death; some see it as a tragic tale of mental strain in a volatile industry, while others believe it was a performance, part of an elaborate marketing campaign to generate hype and financial gain. Whatever the truth, it has exposed how blurred the line between identity, branding, and manipulation can be in crypto culture.
