Jupiter Co-Founder Apologizes For Racial Slur Following Criticism

After originally standing by his intent, Jupiter co-founder Meow issued an official statement regarding his controversial comments.

Finn Miller

Published: Dec 2, 2024 at 14:25

Meow, co-founder of Jupiter, has issued a formal apology after finding himself in hot water for using a racial slur on social media.

Condemning the use of such terms, the Solana community expressed its disappointment with the popular figure. Despite the official apology, Meow initially doubled down on his comments, overshadowing critical discussions around Jupiter DAO governance proposals.

Beyond the potential repercussions for Jupiter itself, commentators have argued Meow’s comments reflect poorly on the crypto industry as a whole.

Meow Defends Intent, Then Apologizes

The controversy began when Meow used the n-word when responding to an influencer’s request to add said token to the Jupiter strict list. Beyond Meow’s candid use of such a sensitive decision, the offense was compounded by the co-founder’s deliberate use of a hard ‘r’.

meow controversy

Disappointed and embarrassed, the Solana community was quick to call out one of its biggest figures. Commentators argue that the co-founder “took a sledgehammer” to himself and the credibility of the wider industry.

Other network participants, like Cyber Frogs founder AndyrewNFT, announced their exit from $JUP as an investment, hinting that they may sunset Jupiter trading support in their platform.

Additionally, community members highlighted that Meow was acting outside the anti-discrimination rules used with Jupiter’s own Discord server.

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Adding fuel to the fire, Meow initially stood by his comments. The co-founder refused to apologize for or delete his comments, inviting the community to “judge the intent” for themselves.

Meanwhile, fellow Jupiter co-founder Siong Ong did his best to douse the flames and mitigate the damage. Siong profusely apologized to concerned community members, assuring them that Meow’s comments didn’t reflect Jupiter.

Faced with mounting pressure, Meow has since released an official statement apologizing for his comments. Offering “sincere apologies to anyone who felt targeted”, Meow recognized the impact of his posts and encouraged anyone “still bothered by the situation” to reach out to him privately.

Controversy Undermines Crucial DAO Vote

While Jupiter’s team was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, Jupiter DAO’s critical governance proposal failed to pass.

jup proposal

Needing at least 70% of weighted voting power to be approved, Jupiter’s DAO first proposal to continue Jupuary was rejected. The result stunned many community members, largely due to the fact that 84% of voters were in favor of the proposal.

Disgruntled Jupiter users insinuated that Jupiter used the promise of a future airdrop to attract volume and attention. Expressing their disappointment, commentators argue that Meow and the team have betrayed their loyal users.

The failed proposal was further exacerbated by Hyperliquid’s TGE. The rival perpetual trading platform’s airdrop was widely considered a success, with 31% of the token’s supply going to users in what was one of the biggest airdrops in crypto history. If Jupiter now fails to reward its traders, the platform risks losing loyal users and market share.

Following the failed proposal, the Jupiter team is expected to reiterate future proposals to align the community and deliver Jupuary terms that reflect the best interests of all Jupiter users. A new proposal is expected to go live early this week.