Zerebro Founder Jeffy Yu’s Alleged Death Sparks Crypto Controversy and Token Volatility

On May 6, 2025, the crypto community was shaken by reports that Jeffy Yu, the 22-year-old co-founder of Zerebro, an AI agent and memecoin project on Solana, had died. An obituary published on Legacy, a paid obituary platform, claimed Yu passed away on May 4, accompanied by a blog post on Mirror introducing the “Legacoin” concept and the $LLJEFFY token. However, growing evidence—including active wallet transactions, a leaked letter, and the removal of the obituary—suggests Yu’s death may have been a hoax, fueling speculation of an exit scam and driving wild price swings for $ZEREBRO and $LLJEFFY tokens.

Jeffy Yu and Zerebro: A Prodigy’s Vision in AI and Crypto

Jeffy Yu, a Stanford computer science prodigy who enrolled at age 15, co-founded Zerebro in late 2023 with co-founder Tint. Zerebro blends AI agent technology with the memecoin craze, aiming to create autonomous, creative AI entities capable of tasks like composing rap music, minting NFTs, and managing on-chain finances. Zerebro gained traction during the AI agent hype cycle, reaching a peak market cap of $658 million. Its cross-chain strategy—spanning Solana, Ethereum, and Polygon—allowed it to tap into diverse crypto communities. Features like Zentients and collaborating with projects like ai16z to enhance ZerePy also drive much attention for it.

The “Legacoin” Announcement and Market Frenzy

On May 4, Yu published an article on Mirror introducing “Legacoins,” a memecoin concept designed to embody permanence and legacy. Legacoins involve developers committing to only buy, never sell, their tokens, with holdings locked on-chain after their death to symbolize a “digital eternity.” Two days later, on May 6, following the Legacy obituary, a scheduled Mirror post, purportedly from Yu, introduced $LLJEFFY, launched on Pump.fun, as the first Legacoin, describing it as his “final artwork.” In the post, Jeffy Yu shared a philosophical reflection, stating that he had been tormented by wealth and fame. He expressed a desire to avoid being forgotten, aiming to create an “eternal grave in cyberspace” through the Legacoin concept and $LLJEFFY token.

The announcement, paired with Legacy’s obituary claiming Yu’s death, triggered a market surge. $LLJEFFY skyrocketed 1,379% in two hours, hitting a $104.93 million market cap, while $ZEREBRO rose 14.56%.

Mounting Evidence of a Hoax

However, doubts emerged quickly. Crypto KOL Irene Zhao posted on X, citing an insider who claimed Yu faked his death, suggesting the community move on, as the death was likely faked. On-chain analyst Vee reported that a wallet linked to Yu (G5sjgjPdFdoz7hRa49yDobeSdqMooCmDwsCUERqLTfyr) remained active, selling $ZEREBRO and transferring USDC to the HTX exchange, with funds flowing to an address tied to $LLJEFFY’s creation. The live video on Pump.fun allegedly showing Yu’s suicide, was criticized for lacking authenticity, with some noting its “surprising lack of gore.” Yu’s personal X account were deactivated, but GitHub commits for the project Zerebro were deleted after the obituary, intensifying suspicions.

Local coroners found no record of Yu’s death, intensifying suspicions. Legacy then removed the obituary without explanation.

This coincided with an 86.8% crash in $LLJEFFY’s price, fueling exit scam allegations.

A Leaked Letter and On-Chain Activity

Daniele Sesta, founder of the Hey Anon crypto project, posted on X alleging that Yu faked his suicide, sharing a letter Yu reportedly sent to an early Zerebro investor. In the letter, Yu admitted to staging his death to “permanently exit” public life, citing harassment from a former partner, doxxing, and online hate. He claimed the hoax aimed to protect $ZEREBRO and $OPAIUM from price crashes, denied profit motives, and said he had informed family and friends of his safety, planning to focus on music anonymously.

Onchain analyst Lookonchain reported that hours after the letter surfaced, a wallet likely tied to Yu sold 35.55 million $ZEREBRO for 8,572 $SOL ($1.27 million) and transferred 7,100 $SOL ($1.06 million) to $LLJEFFY’s developer wallet (G5sjgjPdFdoz7hRa49yDobeSdqMooCmDwsCUERqLTfyr). A growing number of users on X have labeled the incident “a carefully planned exit scam,” criticizing Yu for leveraging death as a marketing tactic.

As of May 7, 2025, Yu has not publicly addressed the allegations, and Zerebro’s team remains silent. The deactivation of Yu’s social account and deletion of GitHub commits have left investors uncertain about the project’s future. Despite Zerebro’s innovative AI agent technology and Yu’s earlier vision, the controversy threatens its reputation. The crypto community awaits further clarity as evidence continues to suggest a possible hoax. Amid suspicions of a death hoax and on-chain data revealing significant token sales, $ZEREBRO’s price has declined approximately 20% from its peak following the announcement of Yu’s obituary.