Billy “Fyre Fists” McFarland wins “Influencer Fight,” but why was he invited?
If the crypto industry wants to be taken seriously after its recent scam spree, spotlighting Billy McFarland — the infamous scammer and convicted felon behind the Fyre Festival — at CoinDesk’s Consensus event was… a choice.
The stands were packed at Karate Combat’s “Influencer Fight Club” event, where viewers could bet on the outcomes of 13 matches using crypto. Nine of those matches featured pro fighters, while four saw influencers square up. The main event: McFarland’s fight against crypto YouTuber Justin “JChains” Custardo, which McFarland won with a technical KO.
“My knockout prize is going to everyone I owe,” McFarland said — not that the $10,000 he won could put a dent in the $27 million he owes folks who bought Fyre Festival tickets.
Karate Combat’s event stood out in stark contrast to more somber scheduling on the Consensus itinerary. It’s hard to imagine a scenario outside of the crypto world where you could, earlier that same day in the same venue, attend a talk about crypto’s regulatory compliance issues with the commissioners of the CFTC and SEC.
Crypto’s always had a silly side, and a conference without any car giveaways or memecoin promos wouldn’t feel authentic. But if the industry wants to be taken seriously by wary investors and regulators, it may have to tone down its “degen” ethos a bit.
At the very least, maybe don’t allow a serial scammer to headline an event at one of the industry’s biggest conferences?
Karate Combat’s event stood out in stark contrast to more somber scheduling on the Consensus itinerary. It’s hard to imagine a scenario outside of the crypto world where you could, earlier that same day in the same venue, attend a talk about crypto’s regulatory compliance issues with the commissioners of the CFTC and SEC.
Crypto’s always had a silly side, and a conference without any car giveaways or memecoin promos wouldn’t feel authentic. But if the industry wants to be taken seriously by wary investors and regulators, it may have to tone down its “degen” ethos a bit.
At the very least, maybe don’t allow a serial scammer to headline an event at one of the industry’s biggest conferences?
