OpenSea, a nonfungible token (NFT) platform, has responded to accusations that its former head of ventures, Kevin Pawlak, was involved in the AnubisDAO rug pull in 2021. On Oct. 6, the anonymous account NFT Ethics tagged OpenSea in a thread on Twitter, asking the platform to address the allegations against Pawlak.
Both NFT Ethics and blockchain analytics account Lookonchain claimed that Pawlak, operating under the pseudonymous identity 0xSisyphus, played a significant role in promoting the AnubisDAO project to investors before the project transferred the raised funds to external wallets. NFT Ethics suggested that Pawlak and other developers planned the rug pull and laundered the proceeds through the meme coin Pepe (PEPE).
OpenSea has stated that it is unaware of Pawlak’s involvement in any such activities. The company spokesperson emphasized that Pawlak had a limited scope while employed at OpenSea and that the company has no knowledge of his association with the projects mentioned. The spokesperson further clarified that the events related to the rug pull took place before Pawlak joined OpenSea.
In October 2021, AnubisDAO raised 13,556 Ether (ETH), equivalent to $60 million at the time, from crypto investors. However, the funds were quickly transferred to several different wallet addresses, resulting in the loss of funds for the investors.
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Notably, blockchain sleuth ZachXBT expressed skepticism about the accusations. He dismissed the thread as lacking supporting evidence and criticized its reliance on unrelated events. ZachXBT pointed out that 0xSisyphus had previously offered a 1,000 ETH bounty to identify the wallet address responsible for draining the pool, suggesting that the individual had cooperated with law enforcement agencies in the United States and Hong Kong.
ZachXBT acknowledged that 0xSisyphus was at fault for gross negligence and lying about the Anubis team multisig. However, he argued that negligence should be distinguished from stealing money from one’s own project. He questioned whether the authorities had thoroughly investigated 0xSisyphus, considering their engagement with the Department of Homeland Security.
According to ZachXBT, two pseudonymous users called “Beerus” and “Ersan” were likely responsible for the loss of funds in the AnubisDAO scandal. He suggested that Sisyphus was the only team member in contact with the Department of Homeland Security, implying that law enforcement agencies would have closely monitored their activities.
The accusations against Pawlak and his alleged involvement in the AnubisDAO rug pull have raised doubts due to conflicting perspectives and lack of concrete evidence. OpenSea maintains its position of being unaware of Pawlak’s participation in any suspicious activities. As the NFT market continues to evolve, it is crucial for platforms like OpenSea to address allegations promptly and transparently to maintain trust and credibility among their users and the wider crypto community.
In conclusion, OpenSea has responded to accusations against its former head of ventures, Kevin Pawlak, regarding his alleged involvement in the AnubisDAO rug pull. The platform denies any knowledge of Pawlak’s participation in such activities and emphasizes his limited scope while working at OpenSea. However, conflicting perspectives and lack of solid evidence surrounding the case raise questions about the credibility of the allegations. It is important for platforms in the NFT space to address such accusations transparently to maintain trust within the community.
