The Commission further warned the general public that investing in meme coin, including $Davido, is highly risky and should be done with a full understanding of the associated risk.

SEC said this in a statement signed by its management today, Friday, June 14, 2024,  titled “Investor Alert – $Davido Meme Coin Disclaimer’.

The statement reads; “The attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria (“SEC”) has been drawn to a meme coin known as “$Davido” allegedly linked to the popular Nigerian singer, David Adedeji Adeleke AKA Davido.

 “Generally, meme coins are cryptocurrencies inspired by memes and internet jokes. They are often envisaged as a fun, light-hearted cryptocurrencies promoted through a social media community and sometimes through celebrity endorsements.

 “Meme coins are also NOT intended to serve as a medium of exchange accepted by the public as payment for goods and services, or as digital representation of capital market products such as shares, debentures, units of collective investment schemes, derivatives contracts, commodities or other kinds of financial instruments or investments.

 “The general public is HEREBY ADVISED that meme coins lack fundamental value and are purely speculative. The general public is further WARNED that investing in meme coins, including $Davido, is highly risky and should be done with a full understanding of the associated risk.

“Capital Market Operators are by this Notice warned not to associate with instruments that fall outside the SEC’s regulatory purview. Such instruments should not in any manner be distributed or monitored through any capital market mechanism.”

SEC reiterated that the Commission does not recognize $Davido as an investment product or investable asset class under its regulatory purview, as such, individuals who patronize it, do so at their peril.

Rume Ophi, widely known as the “Cryptopreacher” for his pioneering work in crypto education across Africa, did not mince words in his scathing critique of the $Davido meme token.

The coin, launched May 29th on the Solana blockchain, saw a meteoric rise soon after its release, with its market capitalization surging past $10 million within 24 hours as Davido’s 15 million social media followers piled in.

However, in the 8 hours that followed, over 80% of that value had been wiped out, with the meme coin’s market cap plummeting to just $2.1 million amidst a massive selloff.

According to crypto data outlet DailyCoin, records show that Davido himself extracted a staggering $474,000 from the token during this period before cutting ties entirely.

According to Lookonchain, Davido created the token on May 29 using the popular memecoin launchpad Pump.fun. The singer received 7.5 SOL ($1,275) as start-up capital and spent 7 SOL ($1,190) to buy 203 million DAVIDO (20.3% of the total supply.) 11 hours after creating the memecoin and promoting it on his X social account with 15.3 million followers, Davido offloaded 121.88 million DAVIDO for 2,791 SOL, generating about $474,400 from the sale.

“If you bought the $DAVIDO meme coin expecting to cash out profits, I’m here to tell you that you were outright scammed by Davido himself. This is textbook behavior for a crypto rug pull scam,” Rume who is also an analyst on Channel TV and other media platforms warns.

Ophi argues that Davido’s quick exit from his own token launch, pocketing over $140,000 while leaving his fanbase holding the bag, constitutes a brazen iteration of this scheme.

“One of the earliest, brightest red flags of any crypto scam is when the creators themselves are the first ones running for the exit after briefly pumping the price,” Ophi cautioned.

“It’s a predatory cycle as old as snake oil – use hype to arouse investor FOMO, cash out huge while replacing fundamentals with empty promises, then leave the buyers holding a worthless asset.”

Beyond the financial damage to those who bought in, the Cryptopreacher expressed grave concerns about the potential reputational fallout that Davido’s actions could have on Nigeria’s crypto landscape. With the nation angling to become a continental leader in blockchain innovation, high-profile debacles like this could sow further distrust and regulatory hurdles.

“If it’s discovered that U.S. investors were impacted by this blatant attempt to issue unregistered securities, you can be certain the SEC’s crosshairs will be zeroing in on Davido,” Ophi warned. “And any resulting crackdown will create huge stress for the many legitimate businesses and startups operating in good faith across our crypto markets.”

He also criticized the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission directly for failing to proactively protect citizens from such schemes, urging the regulator to establish clear policies and licensing for cryptocurrency projects looking to solicit investment from the public.

Rather than pursuing ill-conceived meme coins that Ophi derides as essentially ponzi schemes, the crypto educator implored Davido to realign his ambitions and leverage his stardom in more sustainable blockchain verticals like NFTs.

This, Ophi argues, could drive real utility and value creation instead of inflicting widespread financial harm on legions of poorly-educated retail investors.

“With 15 million followers, many of whom have zero understanding of crypto basics, Davido’s actions are poised to result in very real, widespread financial damage,” stated Ophi solemnly.

“He should be partnering with the SEC and our crypto community to focus on developing legitimate NFT products and services that contribute positively to this industry’s growth rather than detract from it.”