Is Hawk Tuah Girl's cryptocurrency a scam?

Headlines: Women launch class action against BHP and Rio Tinto over alleged decades of sexual harassment, Anthony Albanese supports exclusion zones near houses of worship, Saudi Arabia chosen to host FIFA world cup, and HECS balances will be slashed from today.

Deep Dive: A viral on the street interview turned Hailey Welch from a normal girl to an internet celebrity overnight.

Becoming Hawk Tuah Girl, she has since used her sudden fame and millions of followers to pivot into a podcast, brand deals and merch line.

Last week, she started a new venture – creating her own cryptocurrency called $HAWK. The digital coin hit a $490 million market cap shortly after it was launched, but lost 95% of its value within hours. 

Does this massive depreciation mean it was a scam? And who is to blame for those who lost out when buying into the currency? And how can any of this be legal? 

In this episode of The Briefing Helen Smith is joined by Daniel Gozman, Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, to explain the complex world of crypto and pump and dump schemes.

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