How Crypto Insiders Are Sidestepping the Law to Dump on Retail - Ep. 895

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Sep 3, 2025

Nicolas Vaiman, CEO and co-founder of Bubblemaps, dives into the murky waters of crypto shenanigans. He exposes how insiders like Hayden Davis and celebrity promoters have capitalized on high-profile token launches, often leaving retail investors in the dust. The discussion explores mechanics behind insider trading, deceptive tokenomics, and the rapid downfall of celebrity-endorsed coins. Vaiman also challenges listeners to consider what protections the crypto industry can realistically establish, given the current landscape of chaos and manipulation.

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ANECDOTE

Melania Token Tied To Kelsier Sniping

Nicolas Vaiman traced Melania Trump's rushed token deployer to Kelsier/Ha yden Davis and found extra wallets that profited by sniping the launch.
The link became more certain after Javier Milei's Libra launch when Davis publicly claimed involvement and on-chain clusters matched Vaiman's findings.

ANECDOTE

YZY Sniped For Millions

Vaiman reported Hayden Davis-linked wallets sniped Kanye West's YZY launch and profited roughly $12M.
He couldn't fully identify the YZY team but found clear on-chain profit connected to Davis/Kelsior wallets.

INSIGHT

Multiple Deploys Aren't A Full Defense

Deploying many identical contracts aims to dilute sniper returns by forcing capital to spread across clones.
But advanced snipers can still find the correct contract or insiders will know which one will be selected.

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Behind some of the biggest token launches of the past year — from Trump’s $TRUMP coin to the recent Kanye West’s $YZY, to the collapse of $LIBRA and this week’s launch of $WLFI — the same insider names keep popping up.

In this episode, Bubblemaps CEO Nicolas Vaiman explains how figures like Hayden Davis of Kelsier Ventures, celebrity promoter Sahil Arora, Naseem, and even Justin Sun have profited from chaotic launches.

We dig into the mechanics of insider “snipes,” one-sided LPs that hide selling, and why celebrity and political tokens so often collapse right after launch.

Finally, Nick asks: if “no one is coming to save us,” what real protections can the industry build?

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Guest:

Nicolas Vaiman, CEO and co-founder of Bubblemaps

Links:

Previous coverage of Unchained on these token launches:

Unchained:

Timestamps:

⏱ 0:00 Introduction
🔍 0:56 How Nick verified Trump’s memecoin was legit but Melania’s looked fishy, and how that led to Hayden Davis
🕵️ 8:00 What role Davis played in other shady memecoin launches
🎤 10:51 How Davis was tied to Kanye West’s $YZY token
⚡ 15:48 How sophisticated snipers find tokens onchain before everyone else
❓ 21:28 How Davis recovered frozen funds, and does this mean “crime is legal” in crypto?
👑 27:16 Why do celebrity memecoins almost always collapse
🎯 31:30 How are snipers plaguing the industry
😈 37:14 What tactics has Sahil Arora, the “crypto villain,” been accused of
🛠 40:51 How should the industry respond to these kinds of token launches
📈 46:07 How Justin Sun made a 10x on WLFI
👨‍💻 49:27 What’s Nick’s background and why he created Bubblemaps
🔮 53:32 How Bubblemaps plans to stand out from competitors

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