Grok, a meme coin named after Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence project, saw its price plummet over 70% on November 13, 2023, after blockchain sleuth ZachXBT alleged that the token’s social media accounts were recycled from a scam token project.
In a series of tweets on November 13, ZachXBT shared screenshots showing that various social media accounts and websites tied to the GROK token were repurposed from old projects, including an abandoned memecoin project called ANDY. ZachXBT also pointed out that the GROK team had sent roughly $1.7 million worth of the token to a burn address in a bid to reduce supply and restore confidence in the token.
The official X account for the GROK token claimed in a November 14 post that the development team had burned all of the tokens from the deployer address, some 180 million GROK worth roughly $2 million at current prices. However, ZachXBT argued that this was a “damage control” measure and that the team had already dumped their tokens on unsuspecting investors.
The price of GROK plunged 74% from its all-time high of $0.027 to as low as $0.007 in the five hours following ZachXBT’s post. Its price has since retracted to $0.011, per DexTools data.
The GROK price crash is a reminder of the risks involved in investing in meme coins and other cryptocurrency projects. Investors should always do their own research before investing in any project, and be wary of projects with recycled social media accounts and websites.
Grok price CRASHES 70% after scam allegations
The Grok price crash is a cautionary tale for investors in the cryptocurrency market. Memecoins are particularly risky, as they often have no real-world utility and are based on hype and speculation. Investors should be particularly wary of meme coins that are launched on the heels of news or announcements from high-profile figures like Elon Musk.
The Grok team’s alleged recycling of social media accounts and websites from a scam token project is a red flag. It suggests that the team may not be legitimate and may be more interested in profiting from investors than in building a successful project.
The team’s decision to burn $1.7 million worth of tokens in a bid to reduce supply and restore confidence in the token may be seen as a sign of good faith. However, it is also possible that the team was simply trying to damage control and prevent the price from falling even further.
Overall, the Grok price crash is a reminder of the importance of doing your own research before investing in any cryptocurrency project. Investors should be particularly wary of meme coins and projects with recycled social media accounts and websites.
How to Avoid Memecoin Scams
There are a few things investors can do to avoid meme coin scams:
- Do your research. Before investing in any cryptocurrency project, take the time to research the team behind the project, the project’s whitepaper, and the project’s social media presence. Be wary of projects with little or no information available online.
- Beware of hype and speculation. Memecoins often rely on hype and speculation to drive up their prices. Be wary of projects that are being promoted heavily on social media or that are making promises that seem too good to be true.
- Be suspicious of recycled social media accounts and websites. If you see a meme coin project using recycled social media accounts and websites from a scam token project, it is a red flag.
- Invest only what you can afford to lose. The cryptocurrency market is volatile and risky. Only invest what you can afford to lose, and be prepared to lose your entire investment.
If you are unsure about whether or not a memecoin project is legitimate, it is best to err on the side of caution and avoid investing.