Topics

late

AI

Amazon

Article image

Image Credits:Gaelen Morse / Getty Images

Apps

Biotech & Health

Climate

Logan Paul speaks to fans during the Slap Fighting Championships at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus Convention Center on March 05, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio.

Image Credits:Gaelen Morse / Getty Images

Cloud Computing

Commerce

Crypto

Enterprise

EVs

Fintech

fundraise

Gadgets

Gaming

Google

Government & Policy

Hardware

Instagram

Layoffs

Media & Entertainment

Meta

Microsoft

Privacy

Robotics

surety

Social

place

startup

TikTok

Department of Transportation

Venture

More from TechCrunch

Events

Startup Battlefield

StrictlyVC

Podcasts

Videos

Partner Content

TechCrunch Brand Studio

Crunchboard

reach Us

Logan Paul is offering repayment for CryptoZoo , the failed and allegedly fraudulentPokémon - enliven NFT gamethat he launched in 2021 . The catch ? You ca n’t sue him if you get a repayment .

In anX ( formerly Twitter ) poston Thursday , Paul announce that he is “ personally committing ” more than $ 2.3 million to buy back NFTs purchase through CryptoZoo . Claims can besubmitted onlineuntil February 8 .

“ I never made a undivided penny from the project , period . In fact , the opposite is true , because I spend hundreds of thousand of clam trying to make it happen , ” Paul said in his mail . “ Like you , I was highly disappointed that the game was not delivered . ”

Claimants will receive 0.1 ETH per eligible NFT — known as “ Base Eggs ” and “ Base Animals . ” Players were supposed to be capable to “ breed ” the animals that “ hatched ” from the foundation NFT that they purchased , which would make “ intercrossed ” brute that were also NFTs . Hybrid brute are not eligible for the buy - back computer program .

The form ’s terms and conditions also note that any submitted NFTs that Paul “ in his only circumspection deems ineligible ” will not be returned . To be eligible for a repayment , claimant also have to agree to give up any “ actual or anticipated title against Paul ” — which means foretell not to take sound action against him in relation to CryptoZoo .

The influencer , who faces aclass activeness lawsuitfor allegedly make up jillion of dollars of cryptocurrency by raise a game that ultimately did n’t subsist , also file a crown of thorns - title . In anX post , he enunciate that he “ file away a lawsuit in federal lawcourt in Texas to hold these high-risk actors accountable . ”

“ This case is the result of an exhaustive probe that included the review of the totality of conversations and tracking villainous trading bodily process touch to the task , ” Paul proceed in his X post . “ Nefarious trading body process taken behind our back , without our noesis , and with the purpose of hornswoggle us all . ”

Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI

Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI

Rob Freund , a Los Angeles - based lawyer who represents brand and creators , evidence TechCrunch that the buy - back program could be Paul ’s try at derogate damages . Class action lawsuit can be “ crushing ” for defendants , as damages can include what the plaintiff and class members initially lost , in improver to punitory damage and attorney ’s fees . Freund paint a picture that by refunding NFTs in exchange for foreswear claims against him , Paul can individually settle with socio-economic class members , effectively denigrate the potential damages .

“ Paul may be betting ( or at least go for ) that enough people who would otherwise be potential class members will take him up on this pass and drastically reduce his potential exposure in the pending display case by doing so , ” Freund say . “ That would get him angle for a much more favorable liquidation . ”

Logan Paul is being sued in a course of study military action about the CryptoZoo NFT disaster .

Today , he file away an Answer & Cross - Claim in that same case ( which he ’s calling " a lawsuit in federal lawcourt in Texas to hold these bad actors accountable " ) .

The Egg buyback may be a strategy to take some … https://t.co / uTQ15vFKW4

— Rob Freund ( @RobertFreundLaw)January 4 , 2024

Paul described the NFT project as a “ really fun game that makes you money ” when heannounced itduring an August 2021 episode of his podcast , “ Impaulsive . ” CryptoZoo was marketed as a garner game using Ethereum — each NFT was an egg that was think to hatch into an animal that was assigned one of five stratum of rarity . Those animals could be breed to produce intercrossed animals , which also varied in rareness . Every time an bollock hatched , it was supposed to ease up a certain amount of $ ZOO tokens , which were determined by the beast ’s rarity . Players were supposed to be able to either buy more ballock or cash out each time an animal hatched .

Paul also foretell that CryptoZoo would include interactional minigames and that the project would eventually“enter the metaverse . ”

Athree - part investigationby independent YouTube reporter Coffeezilla documented how the task unraveled ; the biz was never complete because developers quit due to nonpayment , Paul and his associate allegedly planned to pursue in securities industry use and players could n’t cover their hatched egg or cash out .

My 3 - measure plan for CryptoZoo , including a $ 1.3 M reward program for disappointed players .

Thank you,@coffeebreak_YTpic.twitter.com/xFX017UHoc

— Logan Paul ( @LoganPaul)January 13 , 2023

Coffeezillareportedthat two anonymous accounts received payouts from the project — one receive $ 364,000 ( 92.7697 ETH ) and the other obtain $ 1 million ( 260.000 ETH ) . At the time of Coffeezilla ’s coverage , CryptoZoo held some $ 79,875,629 , or 1,214,225,001.8 $ ZOO for “ wildlife charities and CryptoZoo maturation .

Innow - deleted answer picture , Paul charge another CryptoZoo developer of scamming him and the rest of the squad , but afterwards told fans on Discord that he would be “ take answerability . ” Hethen outlined a planto give back investor and finish the game .

Theclass activeness lawsuit filed last yearin the Western District of Texas alleges that Paul and other CryptoZoo associate elevate the project to “ consumer unfamiliar with digital currency products , ” and that they “ manipulated the digital currency securities industry for Zoo Tokens to their advantage . ”

In ananswer and cross call filed on Thursday , Paul alleged that Jake Greenbaum and Eduardo Ibanez , who lick on CryptoZoo and were also named in the course natural process causa , were “ con creative person ” who “ sabotaged ” the undertaking . Paul also claim while he lose “ hundreds of thousands of clam due to the duplicity and deceit of those he trusted , ” Greenbaum and Ibanez pocketed “ billion . ”

CryptoZoo , however , is dead . Paul posted that after “ personally ” spend $ 400,000 to complete it early last class , free it was unfeasible . He also reminded follower that the Zoo Token was create to support the game , and was never intended as an “ investing vehicle , ” so the buy - back is not intended to “ compensate those who gambled on the crypto grocery store and lose . ”

“ Unfortunately , there are too many regulatory hurdling that would need to be cleared that I did not in the beginning infer and would ultimately hold up this buy - back even further , ” he said . “ This buy - back is a direction for me to make whole those who intended to play CryptoZoo . ”

YouTuber Logan Paul ’s CryptoZoo NFT project is a total pot