Hayden Davis
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into $Libra cryptocurrency scandal. (Discuss) Proposed since March 2025. |
Hayden Mark Davis | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 27, 1996[1][2] |
| Education | Liberty University[3] |
| Occupation(s) | CEO, Kelsier Ventures |
| Known for | $Libra cryptocurrency scandal |
Hayden Mark Davis is an American cryptocurrency advisor who is responsible for the launch of the $Melania and $Libra tokens, and was implicated in the following $Libra cryptocurrency scandal.[4][5]
Early life
[edit]Hayden Mark Davis was born to Tom and Emily Davis. Hayden is one of seven children had by the pair and was raised in Colorado.[1] At age 17, Davis sold energy drinks for Limu, a multi-level marketing company his father was involved with. He attended Liberty University for two semesters on a scholarship to play soccer as a goalkeeper for the Flames.[4][2]
Family background
[edit]Hayden's father, Tom Davis, counterfeited checks and assumed fake identities in his youth, spending one year in prison after turning himself in. Tom would later work as a minister in Colorado and headed a Christian charity for several years, going on to write five books, each investigating different subjects, like gold mining in Guyana and the sex-trade industry in Russia.[1]
Hayden's mother, Emily Davis, was born into the Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God, a polygamist Mormon fundamentalist group led by her grandfather, Ervil LeBaron. The group practiced a type of blood sacrifice, leading to the murders of both supporters and detractors of LeBaron, including Emily’s father, Mark Chynoweth.[1][6]
Career
[edit]Prior to joining Kelsier Ventures, Davis founded a T-shirt printing company, interned for a private-equity firm, experimented with e-commerce, and joined a professional Spanish soccer team for short time.[4]
Hayden Davis is the chief executive officer of Kelsier Ventures, an investment firm operated by himself, his brother Gideon, and their father, Tom. Tom initially founded the company during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company first advised on marketing strategies for non-fungible tokens, later focusing on cryptocurrencies and blockchain clients in 2022.[1]
Kelsier Ventures established business relationships with multiple crypto-related entities including Cube Exchange, Saturn (a Bitcoin exchange), and Ben Chow, the cofounder of Meteora (a decentralized crypto exchange). The firm partially handled the launch of the $Melania token, a memecoin created by Melania Trump two days after the initial coin offering of the $Trump token, in addition to the $Libra token.[1] The firm has also participated in the launch of the $Enron token.[7] Davis has admitted to his involvement in "sniping" the $Melania and $Libra tokens, an illegal practice similar to front running.[3][8]
$Libra token launch, Argentine involvement
[edit]On February 14, 2025, Davis (through Kelsier Ventures) participated in the launch of the $Libra token, along with Mauricio Novelli and Manuel Terrones Godoy, organizers of Tech Forum, a Latin American tech conference.[9][10][11] The $Libra token was created as part of Argentina's Project Viva La Libertad, which was described in a Bloomberg article as "an initiative to finance private ventures in Argentina using blockchain technology".[1] Davis has described himself as an adviser to Argentine president, Javier Milei, having met with him multiple times in Buenos Aires, although the Argentine government has denied any direct connection to Davis.[12] In a report published by La Nación, Davis bragged to another investor via text message that he paid Karina Milei, Javier's sister, "to get the president to do his bidding".[12]
The $Libra token was "sniped" upon launch.[3] On February 17, 2025, Davis participated in an interview conducted by Coffeezilla, where Davis claimed to have profited US$113 million from the currency and denied allegations of conducting a rug pull scam.[13][14] On March 13th, an Argentine prosecutor sought permission to issue an Interpol "Red Notice" for Davis, stating the following: "The possibility that Davis will abandon his country of residence or hide to avoid answering for his alleged acts appears to be aggravated by the economic resources he possesses, which he can use to move or remain in hiding, hindering our investigation".[15]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Nicolle, Emily (26 February 2025). "Counterfeits and Cult Murder: A Memecoin Family's Checkered Past". Bloomberg.
- ^ a b "Hayden Davis - 2015 - Men's Soccer - Liberty University". Liberty University.
- ^ a b c Guzman, Zack (18 February 2025). "This 28-year-old made $100M launching a token with Argentina President". TheStreet.
- ^ a b c Long, Katherine; Ge Huang, Vicky (3 March 2025). "The 'Hustling Expert' Behind Argentina's $250 Million Crypto Scandal". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Nicas, Jack; Yaffe-Bellany, David (28 February 2025). "Milei, $Melania and Memecoins: Unraveling Argentina's Crypto Fiasco". New York Times.
- ^ "Jacqueline Lebaron Sentenced to Prison" (Press release). United States Department of Justice. 8 September 2011.
- ^ Alconada Mon, Hugo (1 March 2025). "La historia de Dr. Tom, el actor oculto del caso $LIBRA: estafas, religión y el sueño del "dinero fácil"". La Nación.
- ^ "Comments of Hayden Davis". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
- ^ Bambysheva, Nina (24 February 2025). "Argentina's $4.6 Billion Crypto Scandal; Largest-Ever Crypto Theft". Forbes.
- ^ Howcroft, Elizabeth; Elliott, Lucinda; Lang, Hannah (21 February 2025). "Politician-linked meme coins backfire after Libra scandal". Reuters.
- ^ Alconada Mon, Hugo (February 18, 2025). "Hayden Davis, el cerebro detrás de $LIBRA, mantiene el contacto abierto con el gobierno de Milei". La Nación. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
- ^ a b Tobias, Manuela; Gillespie, Patrick (19 February 2025). "Milei crypto scandal widens with allegations against his sister". Bloomberg.
- ^ Howcroft, Elizabeth; Lang, Hannah (2025-02-20). "Crypto worth $99 million withdrawn from Milei-backed Libra token, researchers say". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2025-02-20. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
- ^ Pozzo, Estefanía (2025-02-17). "$LIBRA: the timeline of a crypto scandal that's rocking the Milei government". Buenos Aires Herald. Archived from the original on 2025-02-18. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
- ^ Weiss, Ben (13 March 2025). "Argentina seeks arrest of U.S. crypto figure tied to Melania and Milei cryptocurrencies". Fortune.