In August, the crypto news website Web3 Is Going Just Great published a post about the arrest of Roman Ziemian, the founder of crypto trading platform FutureNet. The post alleged that Ziemian had defrauded victims out of a combined $21 million.
For Molly White, the administrator and software engineer behind Web3 Is Going Just Great, this was just another day’s work documenting the numerous frauds, hacks, and scams perpetrated by influencers, crypto project founders, and web3 companies on her website. She has been a fierce critic of the crypto industry for years, and her work has not gone unnoticed.
However, last week, things took a turn for the unexpected.
A Bizarre Attempt to Bribe a Crypto Critic
On October 18, a person claiming to be from a ‘reputation management company’ reached out to White. The individual claimed that they were trying to clean up their client’s image on the internet and asked White to remove her X post about FutureNet and Ziemian.
When White politely declined, citing the fact that there were no errors in her posts, the person offered her a bribe of $200 to remove the corresponding post from Web3 Is Going Just Great. When this offer was rejected, the price was doubled to $500.
White shared a copy of the exchange with TechCrunch and stated: "This isn’t the first time someone has tried to intimidate me into removing my factual reporting, and it won’t be the first time they succeed." However, she emphasized that it was the first time someone had offered her money to do so.
A Dubious Claim of Copyright Infringement
Just a few days later, White received an email from someone claiming to be a lawyer named Michael Woods. Woods cited the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which governs U.S. copyright law, and alleged that White’s post infringed on their client’s copyright.
The claim was based on the fact that the content of White’s post was allegedly copied from a Blogspot website called ‘WP Media News.’ The website in question appeared to be some sort of a content farm filled with dozens of articles about various types of news, all authored by Woods.
However, TechCrunch found that the site was run in part on Rankify, a service that offers to generate "SEO-optimized human-like content" using AI. When questioned about this, White told TechCrunch: "There are penalties for filing false DMCA claims."
Woods offered White $100 to ‘permanently remove’ the blog post about Ziemian, but she declined.
The Mystery of Michael Woods
TechCrunch was unable to ascertain if Woods is a real individual. The address listed in their email signature does not appear to exist in the real world, and there is no record of a lawyer named Michael Woods registered with the California State Bar.
When TechCrunch reached out to Woods for comment, they did not receive a response.
The Pattern of Intimidation
White’s experience highlights the pattern of intimidation that critics of the crypto industry often face. The use of dubious claims of copyright infringement and attempts to bribe or silence critics are just some of the tactics used by those who seek to maintain control over the narrative surrounding this increasingly complex and volatile space.
As White herself noted: "This isn’t the first time someone has tried to intimidate me into removing my factual reporting, and it won’t be the first time they succeed." But with each attempt, she remains resolute in her commitment to shedding light on the truth.
The story of Molly White serves as a testament to the power of unwavering dedication to exposing truth, even when faced with adversity. As we continue to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the crypto industry, it is more crucial than ever that we support and amplify the voices of those who dare to challenge the status quo.
Stay tuned for further updates on this story and explore our coverage of the latest developments in the world of tech and crypto.
