Behind the perplexing events, what is the truth?

Written by: KarenZ, Foresight News

This week, in the world of cryptocurrency, the "fake death" controversy surrounding Zerebro project founder Jeffy Yu has undoubtedly become the most contentious focal point.

From the outbreak of "suicide" rumors to the gradual revelation of the "fake death" truth, opinions on this event are divided; some condemn it as market manipulation, while others express sympathy for his plight, believing it to be a "desperate survival act."

Is this a meticulously planned scam? Or is it an extreme portrayal of human struggle within the crypto ecosystem?

Act One: Death Live Stream and Legacoin Declaration

The incident began on May 4, 2025, when 22-year-old Jeffy Yu conducted a live stream on the pump.fun platform, which ended in a shocking manner. Multiple community users claimed, "Jeffy Yu committed suicide during the live stream, pulling a gun to his neck after finishing a cigarette, and then the screen went silent."

The related video quickly spread on Twitter, and the crypto community was instantly engulfed in mourning. However, as the authenticity of the video was not officially confirmed, some users began to question whether the event was a marketing gimmick.

Before this live stream, Jeffy Yu had also published an article about "Legacoin," which garnered attention. He proposed the concept of "legacy meme coin" Legacoin, centered on the developer's promise to only buy and not sell related assets, permanently locking them on the blockchain after death to achieve "the eternal existence of digital heritage."

On the day of the live stream, a token named LLJEFFY was launched on the pump.fun platform.

Act Two: Obituary Released, Community Members Post Mourning Messages

On May 5, the obituary platform Legacy published news of Jeffy Yu's death, detailing his background: he entered Stanford University at 15, later attended Northeastern University and Arizona State University, worked as a software engineer in Santa Cruz at 19, co-founded a company at 21, and raised its market value to $800 million within six months. The obituary stated that Jeffy Yu was 22 years old but did not mention the specific cause of death.

Community users widely believed that the Jeffy Yu mentioned in the obituary was the co-founder of Zerebro. Currently, Jeffy Yu's official X account and Zerebro's official X account are no longer accessible. This led many to believe that Jeffy Yu had indeed passed away, and community members began posting tributes.

Act Three: Death Switch Triggered, Truth Begins to Emerge

Of course, I personally hold a cautious and skeptical attitude towards this. One reason is that the Legacy platform allows users to pay for obituary postings.

Sure enough, just as the community was immersed in grief, on May 6, a scheduled article published on Jeffy Yu's Mirror account surfaced. The article stated, "If you are reading this, it is because my 72-hour death switch has been triggered. At least on a physical level, I am no longer in this world."

Jeffy Yu then half-jokingly added: "Or maybe it's my ADHD acting up (oh no, I'll update when I suddenly realize 'oh shit,' it would be awkward if the token hasn't launched yet)."

He then introduced the core content of the article—"Legacoin," referring to it as his final artwork, codenamed LLJEFFY. He explicitly stated, "Legacoin is not an investment, nor a security, does not meet the definition of a security, does not involve advertising or speculation, and is entirely based on voluntary action, defining it as 'the opposite of a security.' I will use the money earned to buy tokens and then destroy them." He also mentioned that when the death switch (DMS) is triggered, his relatives would receive relevant instructions and funds. This mechanism aims to permanently lock the tokens on the blockchain, symbolizing an "eternal grave in cyberspace."

Jeffy Yu expressed a strong aversion to money. He wrote, "I hate money. Money has never made me happy, and it will never make you happy." He viewed Legacoin as a "burning ritual," a manifestation of his hatred for money. Jeffy Yu also defined it as a form of "interactive performance art," a "living digital painting" drawn collectively by human souls from around the world, forever unfinished and eternally being painted.

At the same time, Jeffy Yu stated, "Once I became a little wealthy and a little famous online, everything meaningful collapsed—friends, family, romantic relationships, co-founders. Everything became impure."

The emergence of this article made the event even more perplexing. Meanwhile, the LLJEFFY token surged significantly, with its market value briefly exceeding $30 million.

Act Four: Truth Revealed? Fake Death Sparks Outrage

Crypto KOL Irene Zhao stated, "I just asked someone in the know, and they said Jeff (Zerebro developer Jeffy Yu) is faking his death. Alright, everyone disperse."

Subsequently, DeFi developer Daniele exposed that the Zerebro founder had fabricated false obituary information, causing the entire community to mourn for him. However, a recently leaked letter indicated that this was a meticulously planned "fake death exit" strategy. In the letter, the Zerebro founder admitted that this was the only way to escape ongoing harassment, extortion, and threats.

Jeffy Yu wrote in the letter, "From February to March, I was long-term harassed and scammed by a former partner. Now, I am being targeted and extorted by another person. I continue to be a target of online hate crimes, including frequent public exposure of my personal address and phone number, seriously endangering my personal safety. These actions are also mixed with various hate speech against my race, gender identity, and personal achievements."

Jeffy Yu candidly stated, "If I publicly announce my exit, the prices of ZEREBRO and OPAUM tokens will plummet, leading to more severe consequences. When our token price dropped over 90% in January, I faced even more hostility. If I choose to retire, it will only further trigger doxxing and even potential personal attacks, as investors will suffer losses due to project failure. Once I disappear from the platform and community's view, my safety will be greatly ensured, and I will be free from extortion."

Jeffy Yu claimed that in the future, he would focus entirely on music creation and do so anonymously, seeking safety, peace, and creative freedom.

Of course, Jeffy Yu had informed his family and friends of the truth and expressed his willingness to cooperate with law enforcement in any necessary way, while also shutting down all social media accounts to cut ties with the community. Jeffy Yu also stated, "I did not profit from this incident; on the contrary, I paid high legal fees and related costs for this planned exit."

On the same day, Legacy seemingly deleted the obituary of Zerebro co-founder Jeffy Yu, and the related link no longer contains any information, further supporting the claim of "fake death."

After serious doubts about Jeffy Yu's integrity arose in the crypto community, LLJEFFY quickly fell back, dropping to around $2.5 million, and has since rebounded to $5.6 million.

Additionally, according to Lookonchain monitoring, a wallet possibly related to Jeffy Yu sold 35.55 million ZEREBRO earlier on May 7, obtaining 8,572 SOL (approximately $1.27 million), and then transferred 7,100 SOL (approximately $1.06 million) to the LLJEFFY developer wallet (address starting with G5sjgj).

Act Five: Anger and Doubts in the Crypto Community

Jeffy Yu's "fake death" incident not only severely damaged the reputation of the Zerebro project but also left the future of the LLJEFFY token filled with uncertainty.

The crypto community's reaction to the event is complex and intense. On one hand, many expressed anger at Jeffy Yu's actions, believing he deceived the community's emotions to evade responsibility and may have even taken the opportunity to cash out for profit. On the other hand, a small portion of community users expressed sympathy for Jeffy Yu's plight and called for reflection on the dangers of online violence.

At the same time, Jeffy Yu's actions have sparked discussions about the responsibilities of project founders. By faking his death to escape pressure, he may have indeed protected himself and his family, but he also harmed the investors and community members who trusted him. While the anonymity and decentralization of cryptocurrency provide freedom for innovation, they also create a breeding ground for irresponsible behavior.

I have noticed that Jeffy Yu had previously announced that Zerebro's new album would be released at the end of May and hinted at a possible collaboration with Kanye West. Kanye West is a controversial musician who has frequently made headlines in recent years due to his musical works and erratic personal behavior. Some community users couldn't help but question whether this was a means to hype a new project? @nanostrategies raised the question, "How do we explain the Kanye-like behavior exhibited by Jeffy Yu? The most plausible reason is to attract attention before Jeffy promotes his next music project."

Internal Conflict: Zerebro's Two Co-Founders Go from Allies to Strangers

Zerebro was co-founded by Jeffy Yu and Tint. Tint previously pointed out that Blorm is the parent company of Zerebro, Blormmy (Solana AiFi agent), and opaium (AI music record label).

As mentioned earlier, Jeffy Yu indicated in the suspected scheduled article, "Once I became a little wealthy and a little famous online, everything meaningful collapsed—friends, family, romantic relationships, co-founders." The "co-founder" here likely refers to Tint, suggesting that their relationship had long been strained.

Based on my observations, Tint and Jeffy Yu had already parted ways. After the Jeffy Yu "fake death" incident, Blorm publicly clarified that Tint and Jeffy Yu would focus on their respective projects. Jeffy would no longer participate in Blorm or Blormmy projects; Tint would also no longer be involved in Zerebro-related projects or any other projects led by Jeffy or his associates, but would continue to independently focus on the ongoing development of the Blorm and Blormmy ecosystem.

Conclusion

The Jeffy Yu "fake death" incident is like a prism, reflecting the complex ecology of the crypto community. For him personally, this may be the beginning of escaping difficulties and regaining freedom; but for the entire crypto community, it serves as a heavy warning. It reminds people that in the pursuit of innovation and wealth, one must confront the complexities of human nature, the importance of responsibility, and the urgency of building a healthy community ecosystem. The aftershocks of this incident will continue to resonate in the crypto world.

Although the authenticity of the letter exposed by Daniele is relatively high, in the chaotic fog of the crypto world, the truth may forever hold a hint of suspense.

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