EthereumMax (EMAX)
A 2021 Ethereum token (unrelated to Ethereum) promoted by celebrities. The SEC charged Kim Kardashian for touting it without disclosing a $250,000 payment; she settled for $1.26M. A private 'pump-and-dump' class action was later dismissed.
Also known as: EthereumMax, EMAX
Summary
EthereumMax (EMAX) was an Ethereum-based token launched in 2021 that, despite its name, had no connection to Ethereum. It was heavily promoted by celebrities and later became the subject of an SEC enforcement action and private litigation. [1][2]
Celebrity promotion and SEC action
In 2022 the SEC charged Kim Kardashian for "unlawfully touting" EMAX without disclosing that she was paid $250,000 for an Instagram post. Without admitting or denying the findings, she settled for $1.26 million (about $260,000 disgorgement plus a $1,000,000 penalty) and agreed not to promote crypto asset securities for three years. [1][2]
Investor litigation
A class action accusing EthereumMax and celebrity promoters (Kim Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Paul Pierce) of a "pump-and-dump" scheme was dismissed by a federal judge; EthereumMax disputed the allegations. [2][3]
Bracketed numbers refer to the numbered sources listed below.
People & entities involved
Sources (3)
See also
$MELANIA tokenMarket manipulationA Solana memecoin announced by Melania Trump on Jan 19, 2025. Per FT analysis, ~24 wallets bought in minutes before the public announcement and netted ~$99.6M as retail piled in; the token then fell 95%+. Early buys were traced to wallets linked to $LIBRA figure Hayden Davis. No charges have been filed.
$TRUMP tokenMarket manipulationA Solana memecoin launched days before Donald Trump's second inauguration (Jan 2025). Trump-linked entities hold 80% of supply and earned $320M+ in fees while ~760,000 mostly-retail wallets lost money; a 'dinner with the president' promotion for top holders drew conflict-of-interest scrutiny. The 'scam' label is contested and no charges have been filed.
This page was last updated on Jun 15, 2026. View revision history.