Terra accidental airdrop leads to smear campaign, community member claims
Terraform Labs (TFL), the agency behind the now defunct algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD (UST) and its co-founder Do Kwon are again within the limelight for allegedly working a smear marketing campaign and issuing threats in opposition to one among their group members.
It began in Might 2022 with the genesis airdrop deliberate after the unique ecosystem imploded within the wake of its stablecoin depeg. In a sequence of tweets, TFL claimed that Jimmy Le, a group member entrusted with Terra funds, has refused to return funds gained throughout the genesis airdrop.
The tweets famous that the newly minted token, Terra (LUNA), was airdropped to people holding the unique native token, now known as Terra Basic (LUNC). Nonetheless, an error with CW3 multisig wallets resulted in particular person signers receiving LUNA airdrops they need to not have.
TFL claimed that every one different multisig singers returned the unintentional airdrop apart from Le, who, regardless of their finest efforts, is but to cooperate with them.
5/ All Ozone and Interchain Incentives multi-sig signers have since returned 100% of the $LUNA they obtained within the Genesis airdrop the place technically attainable — apart from Jimmy.
— Terra Powered by LUNA (@terra_money) January 5, 2023
Le, the person accused of not returning the unintentional airdrop, responded to the TFL Twitter thread on Jan. 9 and accused them of working a smear marketing campaign in opposition to him. He mentioned the agency has intentionally chosen to current one aspect of the story and lied about their interactions. He claimed that he didn’t refuse to return the unintentional airdrop however needed to ensure in regards to the tax implications due to the tokens he had obtained.
Associated: 10 crypto tweets that aged like milk: 2022 version
He additionally clarified that he transferred the liquid portion of the airdrop (round $1-1.5 million) to the multisig pockets specified by TFL and not one of the airdropped tokens has ever been undelegated or offered. However later, he found that the chain improve didn’t reset his vesting balances to the group pool however enabled the handbook switch of vesting tokens to the group pool. This made him revisit his tax considerations.
On August 1, 2022, I found that the chain improve didn’t reset my vesting balances to the group pool, however reasonably enabled a characteristic that enabled handbook switch of vesting tokens to the group pool. pic.twitter.com/mlXjUQGW7N
— jimmy (@stablejim) January 9, 2023
Le claimed that tax-related conversations with TFL continued till December 2022, earlier than TFL all of the sudden posted the Twitter thread on Jan. 6. He claimed that the smear marketing campaign caught him off guard as a result of they had been within the technique of a settlement.
I used to be caught off guard by TFL’s sudden public publish as a result of we had been within the technique of reaching an settlement. Since then, I’ve obtained threats of regulation enforcement motion and threats to my private security, which has been very stunning and distressing to me. pic.twitter.com/DvYwQk5EUZ
— jimmy (@stablejim) January 9, 2023
He additionally allegedly shared private messages from TFL co-founder Kwon threatening him with varied penalties, together with private security. One of many messages learn:
“Simply make it proper. It’s not definitely worth the problem and endangerment this may deliver to your life and/or status going ahead. That’s all I’m gonna say anymore on the topic. I’ll NOT be concerned in searching you down btw. I don’t care that a lot. Simply thought I’d give u heads up. Good luck. You’ll prob want a lot of it should you attempt to abscond.”
The clarification from Le and the alleged messages from Kwon riled up the crypto group, particularly Fatman, a Twitter deal with devoted to the Terra fiasco.
Fatman lauded Le and took a potshot at Kwon, saying that somebody who tried illegally promoting United States securities and is on the run from Interpol shouldn’t threaten others for getting authorized and tax recommendation. He added, “don’t take monetary recommendation from Do Kwon. It’s at all times the suitable play.”
Cointelegraph reached out to TFL, Kwon and Le to get extra clarification on the problem, however they didn’t reply by the point of publication.
