- Jeffy Yu’s ‘suicide’ has proved to be a fake, likely aimed at promoting his memecoin
- The Zerebro founder seemed to shoot himself on a live stream last week at the same time as launching the $LLJEFFY coin
- Yu has been discovered alive at his parents’ home in San Francisco
Jeffy Yu, co-founder of cryptocurrency project Zerebro, has been found safe and well after appearing to take his life in a livestream. The stunt coincided with the launch of a memecoin called $LLJEFFY, which saw its value surge in the hours following the fake death. Yu was tracked down to his parents’ home in San Francisco, with his reappearance sparking widespread criticism within the crypto community.
Off-camera ‘Suicide’ Caused Suspicion
On May 4, viewers watched as Yu appeared to end his life during a filmed livestream on Pump.fun, the footage showing him smoking a cigarette before slumping out of frame after what sounded like a gunshot. Hours later, a polished obituary began circulating online, hailing Yu as a “visionary” and mourning his alleged death. At the same time, a new memecoin, $LLJEFFY—short for “Legacy Jeffy”—was launched in what now appears to have been a carefully timed release.
The coin quickly gained traction, reaching tens of millions in market value within a day. Online communities speculated wildly about the stunt’s authenticity, but the combination of public mourning and viral marketing ensured a massive flow of capital.
Reappearance and Backlash
Yu was found alive at his parents’ home in San Francisco, as reported by the San Francisco Standard yesterday. In comments made following his discovery, Yu declined to explain the reasoning behind the hoax, stating only that he had been “doxxed” and “harassed,” but refused to confirm or deny whether he financially benefited from the stunt.
Crypto sleuths tracking wallet activity noted that addresses linked to Yu had sold large volumes of Zerebro tokens shortly before and after the suicide video, with some funds routed into the newly launched $LLJEFFY coin. The sequence of events has led many to accuse Yu of manipulating the market and emotionally exploiting his audience for financial gain.
The incident has reignited debate over the lack of regulation in the crypto space and the ethical void in some marketing strategies. As the community reckons with the fallout, calls for greater oversight and accountability are growing louder.
