OpenSea ‘unaware’ of any involvement of former exec in $60M rug pull

Nonfungible token (NFT) level OpenSea says it is unaware of immoderate grounds pointing to a erstwhile worker being progressive successful the infamous AnubisDAO rug propulsion successful 2021 pursuing caller accusations connected societal media. 

In an Oct. 6 thread connected X, the anonymous relationship NFT Ethics tagged OpenSea asking them to respond to its accusations that their erstwhile caput of ventures Kevin Pawlak is linked to the pseudonymous individuality “0xSisyphus" and was progressive successful "various dubious concern dealings."

1/ Dear @OpenSea, what bash you deliberation of the information that your Head of Ventures, Kevin Pawlak, has been progressive successful assorted precise dubious concern dealings (e.g. Anubis) and pump & dump schemes nether his pseudonymous individuality @0xSisyphus (& 0xMagellan)? pic.twitter.com/GzIVLJirLE

— NFT Ethics (@NFTethics) October 6, 2023

Both NFT Ethics and blockchain analytics relationship Lookonchain alleged that 0xSisyphus, and frankincense Pawlak, played a cardinal relation successful hyping the AnubisDAO task to investors, soon earlier the task transferred the freshly-raised funds to a bid of outer wallets.

The thread by NFT Ethics attempted to explicate that Pawlak’s alleged relation successful the AnubisDAO rug propulsion was premeditated with different developers and laundered the proceeds done the memecoin Pepe (PEPE).

However, an OpenSea spokesperson told Cointelegraph that they were unaware of Pawlak’s engagement successful immoderate specified activities, but also noted that Palwak had a “limited scope” portion moving astatine the company.

“Kevin is simply a erstwhile worker who near the institution successful June of 2023. He had a constricted scope portion astatine OpenSea — wherever helium worked successful a non-management position. We person nary consciousness of his engagement with the projects successful question.”

“Furthermore, we person nary transportation to, oregon accusation about, the projects successful question, arsenic they took spot earlier his clip astatine OpenSea," said the institution representative.

In October 2021, AnubisDAO raised 13,556 ETH — worthy $60 cardinal astatine the clip — from crypto investors. However, immoderate 20 hours later, the funds were sent to respective antithetic wallet addresses, resulting successful an instant nonaccomplishment for the investors.

Blockchain sleuth ZachXBT besides appeared to propulsion acold h2o connected the accusations, saying the thread was “one of the astir mid-curve” things he’d read.

He added that overmuch of the thread seemed to beryllium basing galore assumptions astir 0xSisyphus’ relation successful the alleged rug propulsion utilizing “unrelated events without facts.”

— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) September 29, 2023

0xSisyphus is besides understood to person erstwhile offered a 1,000 ETH bounty to anyone who could place the wallet code that drained the pool, and engaged instrumentality enforcement successful some the United States and Hong Kong, which could further rise doubts astir the caller accusations.

Related: AnubisDAO’s rug-pulled 13.5K ETH washes distant connected Tornado Cash

“Is Sisyphus astatine responsibility for gross negligence for lying astir the Anubis squad multisig? Absolutely 100%. Probably a civilian lawsuit imaginable for victims,” wrote Zach.

Zach noted that negligence successful this lawsuit is precise antithetic to stealing the wealth from one’s ain project. “[As acold arsenic I know] Sisyphus was the lone squad subordinate speaking with the [Department of Homeland Security].”

“You truly deliberation they did not look astatine him archetypal and show his activity?” asked Zach.

Zach explained that the 2 actors astir apt liable for the nonaccomplishment of funds during the AnubisDAO ungraded were 2 pseudonymous users known lone arsenic “Beerus” and “Ersan.”

Magazine: NFT illness and monster egos diagnostic successful caller Murakami exhibition