NFT platform OpenSea has responded to accusations that a former employee, Kevin Pawlak, played a role in the 2021 AnubisDAO rug pull. OpenSea stated that it is unaware of any evidence linking Pawlak to the incident.
Accusations and Denial
Accusations surfaced on social media suggesting that Pawlak, formerly OpenSea’s head of ventures, was connected to the pseudonymous identity “0xSisyphus” and involved in questionable activities related to AnubisDAO. It was alleged that 0xSisyphus, and by extension Pawlak, promoted the AnubisDAO project to investors before the project transferred raised funds to external wallets.
1/ Dear @OpenSea, what do you think of the fact that your Head of Ventures, Kevin Pawlak, has been involved in various very dubious business dealings (e.g. Anubis) and pump & dump schemes under his pseudonymous identity @0xSisyphus (& 0xMagellan)? pic.twitter.com/GzIVLJirLE
— NFT Ethics (@NFTethics) October 6, 2023
However, OpenSea has stated that Pawlak had a limited role during his time at the company and that it has no awareness of his involvement in the mentioned activities. Pawlak left OpenSea in June 2023.
AnubisDAO Rug Pull
In October 2021, AnubisDAO raised 13,556 Ether (worth $60 million at the time) from crypto investors. However, within 20 hours, the funds were transferred to various wallets, resulting in substantial losses for investors.
Doubts and Complexity
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT expressed skepticism about the accusations, describing them as based on assumptions and unrelated events. He pointed out that 0xSisyphus had offered a bounty and engaged law enforcement in response to the rug pull, indicating potential negligence rather than theft.
They will find it anyway, so here is the reason:
(I don’t think thread is conclusive but nevertheless here it is) https://t.co/BouVcARm9a
— Ledger 🇺🇸 Prometheus of the Plebs (@ledgerstatus) September 29, 2023
ZachXBT suggested that the key individuals responsible for the loss of funds in the AnubisDAO case were pseudonymous users named “Beerus” and “Ersan.”
The situation underscores the complexities of identifying individuals involved in crypto-related incidents, particularly when pseudonyms are used.
