Derogatory Elizabeth Warren Meme Coin Deleted From Coinbase's Website

CoinDesk· Win McNamee
Danny Nelson
Updated 2 min read
3
In this article:

  • Coinbase took down a webpage that explained "how to buy elizabeth whoren," a derogatory token referencing U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)

  • A Coinbase spokesperson said the page was automatically generated.

Meme coin traders are flocking to a derogatory cryptocurrency that attacks Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator and prominent crypto critic. Meanwhile, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase is running awkwardly in the other direction.

The trading giant on Wednesday nixed a webpage that for a short while promoted "how to buy elizabeth whoren in United States." Links to the auto-generated webpage instead reverted to a more generic hub for buying crypto in general.

"These pages are automatically generated based on tokens that have been created by third parties," a Coinbase spokesperson said in a statement. "They are informational only, do not endorse any asset, and do not indicate that the assets are available for trading on Coinbase."

While Coinbase lets U.S. traders buy hundreds of different cryptocurrencies, WHOREN is not one of them. It's one of the thousands of so-called "meme coins" that debut on the Solana {{SOL}} blockchain network nearly every day. These kinds of tokens are only available on "decentralized exchanges" that lack the rules and regulations of Coinbase.

Observers were speculating on Wednesday that it was part of an auto-generated SEO strategy, rather than a deliberate creation by Coinbase itself.

The token and its dalliance with Coinbase seem unlikely to change Warren's negative stance toward the industry. She's previously called for amassing an "anti-crypto army" to reign in crypto's excesses and has proposed legislation that she has argued would police bad actors.

Senator Warren's office did not return a request for comment.

UPDATE (March 13, 2024, 21:10 UTC): Adds Coinbase statement.

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