Yua Mikami’s $MIKAMI Memecoin Crashes 80%: Arrest Rumors Debunked

On May 18, 2025, crypto influencer @cryptobraveHQ claimed that the Chinese team behind $MIKAMI, a memecoin tied to Japanese adult star Yua Mikami, was arrested in Japan. The token crashed over 60% after its presale launch, causing significant losses for investors and damaging Mikami’s reputation. Her team reportedly filed a complaint against the developers for issuing the token without Japanese regulatory approval. However, influencer @_FORAB stated the arrest claims were false. While uncertainty about the team’s legal status remains, $MIKAMI’s price collapse is undeniable. This memecoin is not Mikami’s or other Japanese adult stars’ first crypto venture; such celebrity-driven projects, fueled by hype, often end in disappointment.

Rumors of $MIKAMI Team Arrests in Japan

On May 18, 2025, crypto influencer @cryptobraveHQ reported on X that the Chinese team behind $MIKAMI, a memecoin tied to Japanese adult star Yua Mikami, was arrested in Japan. According to @cryptobraveHQ, the team’s two core members, both Chinese, issued the token without regulatory filing in Japan, despite $MIKAMI excluding Japanese users. The project raised approximately $3 million in its presale but crashed upon launch, sparking community backlash and damaging Mikami’s reputation. Her team reportedly filed a complaint against the developers for non-compliance, with about $1.6 million in Solana (SOL) still held in the project’s fundraising wallet.

However, influencer @_FORAB countered, stating multi-party verification confirmed no arrests occurred, citing the absence of yen-based fundraising, Solana’s non-Japanese blockchain status, the team’s non-Japanese nationality, and lack of Japanese-language promotion. Mikami issued a statement distancing herself from the project. @_FORAB also noted that Japan has not prosecuted crypto project teams in the past three years, a claim unverified by official records.

A Timeline of $MIKAMI Crash

On April 29, 2025, Japanese adult star Yua Mikami announced on X that her $MIKAMI memecoin would launch on the Solana blockchain with a 72-hour presale starting the next day, aiming to create a dedicated Mikami Community.

The project’s website outlined the token’s allocation: 50% to Mikami, locked until 2069, 20% for the presale, 15% for liquidity, 10% for community initiatives, and 5% for marketing. Notably, an official disclaimer clarified that $MIKAMI was not marketed or sold to Japanese users or markets.

The presale, ending May 3, attracted 17,560 valid subscription addresses, raising 23,320.74 SOL (approximately $3.5 million). On May 8, the Mikami Coin X account announced the token’s launch and airdrop to eligible wallets. On-chain data analyst @Ember_CN reported that within five hours, $MIKAMI’s price fell to $0.1 from a presale cost of $0.245, a 60% loss for investors. Mikami swiftly responded on X, stating she was only a brand ambassador and not involved in the project’s operations.

According to Dexscreener data, the $MIKAMI token is currently priced at $0.04851, representing an 80.2% decline from its presale cost.

Yua Mikami and Other Japanese Adult Stars in Crypto

This is not the first time Yua Mikami’s fanbase has been leveraged for cryptocurrency projects. In 2021, for her 28th birthday, Mikami launched the “Your NFT” project on Rarible, auctioning 28 NFT art photos. Winners received not only the digital assets but also signed physical photos and items worn by Mikami, with the highest bidder earning a dinner with her.

Launched at the peak of the 2021 NFT boom, the project raised 13.5 million yen, with the top NFT selling for 3.05 million yen and another at 2.69 million yen.

Earlier that year, on May 29, Mikami announced partnerships with TOKAU (now MetaCity) and BakerySwap, followed by BunnyPark on May 30, to release NFT collections on Binance Smart Chain (BSC). These projects’ trading pages were later removed, leaving their status unclear. Notably, Mikami’s X posts included Binance tags, and both BakerySwap and BunnyPark operate on BSC.

Mikami is not alone; other Japanese adult stars have been included in crypto. In 2021, Yui Hatano released over 3,000 NFT blind boxes on DODO, which sold out in minutes and continued trading on Treasureland.

In 2023, Laura Takizawa endorsed Avalanche’s AVAV token, publicly urging fans to buy via video.

According to Avascriptions, AVAV’s floor price has fallen to $0.0301, with a market cap of $632,370, down 98.77% from its 2023 peak of $2.4543 and $51.45 million market cap, according to screenshots from a post on Binance Square in 2023.

Date: May 19, 2015

Date: December 22, 2023

Lessons for the Crypto Community

Past experiences show that the zero-sum world of crypto trading leaves no room for emotional spending. Beyond adult star tokens, all celebrity memecoins, regardless of the figure involved, leverage fanbases to generate liquidity, often serving as exit channels for early investors. Fans drawn by admiration for celebrities, who trade without heeding project mechanics or hidden risks from development teams, ultimately pay the price for their emotional investment.