Crypto at the Center of Influencer Lil Tay Death Hoax

Internet influencer Lil Tay was announced as dead in an Instagram post that later turned out to be false. This has only deepened the crypto mystery that now surrounds the hoax.

Lil Tay and Crypto… A Web of Oddities?

In mid-August, a post on the Instagram page of Lil Tay said the 14-year-old and her brother had passed away. However, Lil Tay eventually went onto her page and commented that her account had been hacked, and that she and her family member were still alive and doing well.

At first glance, it appears this is simply a case of social media getting compromised, which seems to happen all the time. You’re always witnessing celebrities and stars of every shape and size having their accounts (i.e., on Twitter) overtaken by outside parties that spew false information.

However, the former manager of Lil Tay, a man named Harry Tsang, says he doesn’t believe the Instagram account was hacked. He instead thinks this was all part of a scenario to promote a new kind of crypto token called Tay, as it was announced merely hours after the alleged death was discussed online.

What’s also interesting is that Tsang initially had other plans to release a digital currency based on his influencer client, and he had begun working on the asset as early as April of this year, though he denies having anything to do with the new coin or the death hoax. He stated in an interview:

One hundred percent not me. I gave a warning to everyone already. That is not us. We just took down the website and everything.

The following post regarding the new coin appeared on social media only hours after it was suggested Lil Tay had passed on:

Sharing this to let everybody know that we will not be launching anything soon. We’ve been in development for 4-5 months, now. If anybody is reaching out to you for money saying they’re involved with $liltay it’s not true. If you see another token/coin with liltay, it’s a scam.

Lil Tay, to an extent, has arguably had something of a spotty career in that she first rose to fame online as a child that flaunted her wealth in various videos and skits. However, between 2018 and 2023 – a full five years – her account was inactive, only reviving soon after it was announced that she had allegedly died.

The Phony Death Announcement

The “death message” read as follows:

It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing. We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected and has left us all in shock. Her brother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief.