A massive scandal has shaken the crypto world, and it’s all about the MOVE token. What was supposed to be a successful launch for MOVE ended in disaster, causing its price to drop to an all-time low of $0.219. Behind this sudden collapse lies a financial deal that was supposed to boost the token’s success but instead led to market manipulation and shady tactics.
Who’s really behind this crypto chaos, and how did it all go so wrong? Let’s break down the details.
Deceptive Deal Leads to a Price Collapse
The Movement Foundation, behind the launch of MOVE, is now under investigation for signing a deal that gave a single entity disproportionate control over the token market. The agreement granted Web3Port, a Chinese market maker with ties to Donald Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial, significant leverage.
This resulted in the sale of 66 million MOVE tokens just one day after their debut in December. The massive token dump triggered a sharp price drop and sparked allegations of insider trading.
Rentech: The Middleman at the Center of the Scandal
Internal messages from Movement’s co-founder, Cooper Scanlon, revealed that they were deceived into working with a middleman named Rentech. Initially believed to be a subsidiary of Web3Port, Rentech turned out to be a separate entity that facilitated this market manipulation.
The deal allowed Rentech to borrow up to 5% of MOVE’s total supply, giving them significant control over the token’s price, raising red flags about potential price manipulation.
Incentives for Price Manipulation
The market-making agreements involved unusual provisions, such as one that incentivized Rentech to artificially push the price of MOVE token over $5 billion in value. This setup would have allowed them to profit from a sharp price rise and then sell off their tokens, benefiting from the inflated price.
Industry experts, including crypto founder Zaki Manian, called this structure “dangerous” and unethical, accusing the deal of encouraging price manipulation.
Internal Conflicts and Investigation
Movement is also facing internal tensions. Allegations have surfaced about co-founder Rushi Manche’s involvement in pushing for the deal, with some suggesting that conflicts of interest played a role.
The company is now investigating these claims and working to hold those responsible accountable.
Binance Steps In
As a result of the token dump, Binance, one of the largest crypto exchanges, banned the market-making account tied to Rentech. In response, Movement Foundation launched a token buyback initiative to stabilize the price and regain investor trust.
Despite the negative press and the fallout from the price crash, Movement Labs has promised to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deal and ensure accountability.
