The Central African Republic’s newly launched $CAR memecoin has sparked controversy, with deepfake warnings and a sudden website suspension raising doubts about its legitimacy.
Government-Backed or Elaborate Hoax?
On Feb. 10, the official X account of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra announced the launch of $CAR, describing it as an “experiment” to unite people and support national development. The post linked the project to the country’s previous pro-crypto stance, emphasizing that Touadéra was the second world leader to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender.
The token, launched on the Solana-based Pump.fun platform, gained immediate traction. Within hours, its valuation surged to $527 million, making it one of the most hyped national memecoins. However, skepticism followed as deepfake detection models flagged the president’s announcement video as potentially AI-generated.
Deepfake Concerns and Sudden Website Takedown
AI detection tools produced mixed results. Seferbekov’s model found an 82% probability that the video was AI-generated, while Ensemble’s checker also flagged it as suspicious. However, Avatrify and Deepware’s tool did not detect signs of manipulation.
Adding to the uncertainty, the token’s official website and X account disappeared within hours of launch. The president’s X account acknowledged the suspension, stating they were working with the platform to restore it.
Domain Registration Raises More Questions
Further scrutiny revealed irregularities in the project’s domain registration. Yokai Ryujin, founder of UnrevealedXYZ, pointed out that the car.meme domain was registered on Namecheap, a low-cost provider, just three days before the announcement. He noted that such a move was unusual for an official government-backed initiative.
Memecoin Hype or Crypto Scam?
Despite the concerns, $CAR peaked at $527 million before dropping to $460 million. The controversy comes amid a surge in fraudulent crypto projects.
Recently, scammers hijacked the X accounts of former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Solana DEX aggregator Jupiter to promote fake memecoins. Similar tactics—including unexpected high-profile endorsements, sudden social media suspensions, and website takedowns—have led many to suspect $CAR could be another elaborate deception.
At this stage, no clear evidence confirms whether $CAR is a legitimate government initiative or a well-executed scam. As investigations continue, the crypto community remains divided over the token’s authenticity.
