David Edwards
Central African Republic (CAR) President Faustin Archange Touadéra has denied rumors that his X (formerly Twitter) account was stolen and confirmed the legitimacy of his role in the introduction of CAR Memecoin. Touadéra personally launched the plan in a video that was uploaded on February 9. His media team later verified that the announcement was sincere.
The memecoin’s deployment approach raised worries despite official assurances. In an interview with French-language publication TF1 Info, presidential spokesperson Albert Yaloké Mokpeme acknowledged popular mistrust, pointing out that the project’s unusual debut timing fueled skepticism about its authenticity.
“People want to be reassured, and I understand that. We want to reach the whole world [with this operation]. [Launching this] at night at home could be during the day in another part of the world,” Mokpeme stated.
Issues with Cybersecurity in Crypto Announcements
Following the disclosure, there was conjecture that President Touadéra’s X account had been compromised. Perceived anomalies in the video were cited by deepfake specialists and cybersecurity experts as potential signs of manipulation. Recent instances of fraudsters using well-known people’s social media identities to advertise bogus cryptocurrency schemes stoked this suspicion.
In one prominent instance, Tanzanian billionaire Mohammed Dewji’s X account was used to advertise a fraudulent cryptocurrency coin. According to a previous story by Bitcoin.com News, hackers had allegedly embezzled around $1.5 million by the time he regained control.
Reiterating its dedication to blockchain innovation, Touadéra
In a post on X on February 12, President Touadéra addressed the controversy by vehemently disputing allegations of hacking or deepfake manipulation.
“Thank you, TF1, for the clarifications. My account was not hacked, I was not the victim of any deepfake, and I reaffirm my commitment to innovation, blockchain, and the development of CAR Memecoin in the Central African Republic,” Touadéra stated.
The CAR Memecoin project demonstrates the country’s ongoing interest in blockchain adoption in spite of the early mistrust. When the Central African Republic became one of the first nations in the world to accept Bitcoin as legal cash in 2022, it made headlines. The government’s most recent foray into digital assets reflects its larger goals to establish itself as a regional center for blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
