In a bizarre twist that has rocked the crypto world, Zerebro co-founder Jeffy Yu has been found alive, days after faking his own suicide during a livestream on the meme coin launch platform Pump.fun. The revelation has triggered a sharp 40% drop in the price of LLJEFFY, a tribute meme coin created in his honor.
From Memorial to Market Meltdown
Jeffy Yu, 23, was believed to have taken his own life on May 4 in a widely circulated livestream video. The clip, which showed him smoking a cigarette before appearing to shoot himself in the neck, caused shockwaves across the crypto community. Shortly after, an obituary was published on memorial site Legacy, and LLJEFFY his so-called “legacoin” surged by over 2,100% as fans rushed to pay homage.
But suspicions soon began to surface.
On-chain data showed activity from Yu’s wallet posthumously, and traders began speculating that the death may have been faked. Those suspicions were confirmed when The San Francisco Standard reported on May 9 that Yu was alive and residing in his parents’ two-story home.
Yu Breaks Silence, But Offers No Explanation
When approached by reporters, Yu declined to comment on the deception or its financial implications. He did, however, acknowledge fears for his safety:
“I’ve been doxxed. I’ve been harassed. If you can find me, other people can find me,” said Yu, adding that he plans to move his parents out of the house within a week.
The LLJEFFY coin, which Yu previously called “my final art piece,” saw its value nosedive by more than 40% in the aftermath of the news. As of this writing, it holds a market cap of $2.1 million, a sharp reversal from its peak.
LLJEFFY: From Tribute to Turmoil
LLJEFFY was launched shortly after the livestream, alongside a blog post scheduled to go live upon Yu’s alleged death.
“If you’re reading this, it’s because my 72-hour deadman’s switch triggered, so I’m not here, at least physically,” Yu wrote.
“This is a legacoin, my final art piece. $LLJEFFY.”
The coin quickly gained traction in the Solana ecosystem, with influencers and speculators alike rushing in. But blockchain analysts including Bubblemaps and Lookonchain revealed that the token’s deployer and associated wallets were still transacting actively even burning coins after the supposed suicide.
Adding fuel to the fire, an unverified letter attributed to Yu surfaced online, explaining that he faked his death to escape persistent “harassment, blackmail, and threats.”
ZEREBRO Rallies Amid Chaos
While LLJEFFY plummeted, Zerebro’s main token, ZEREBRO, saw renewed interest. In the past 24 hours, the token rose by 22.3%, reaching $0.048, despite suffering a 34.8% decline over the previous two weeks.
The rally suggests that some traders may be viewing the scandal as a short-term volatility event rather than a permanent stain on Zerebro’s brand.
A Cautionary Tale for Web3
The Jeffy Yu incident has stirred heated debate within the crypto space about the consequences of unchecked pseudonymity and the emotional manipulation of markets. It also underscores the volatility and unpredictability of meme coins, where narratives real or manufactured can dramatically swing prices.
Whether Yu will face legal or regulatory consequences remains unclear. For now, he has re-entered public view, but his reputation and his projects may not recover as quickly.
