Mario Nawfal Accused of Promoting Crypto Rug Pulls In Viral X Thread

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Steady attention without excessive speculation.

The thread landed just days after Elon Musk unfollowed Nawfal over a fake SpaceX news post. That unfollow severed one of the most visible amplification loops on the platform. According to NPR, Musk engaged with Nawfal’s posts over 1,200 times between August 2024 and early April 2025.

The thread uses screenshots of deleted tweets, Telegram chats, price charts, and Ethos.network reputation data as evidence. It does not claim Nawfal personally deployed every token. Instead, it argues his promotions consistently caused rapid losses for trusting followers.

Who Is Mario Nawfal

Nawfal is a Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur who founded International Blockchain Consulting (IBC Group) in 2017. IBC describes itself as “the foremost entity with the widest reach in Web3.” The firm focuses on crypto consulting, marketing, and token promotions.

On X, Nawfal runs two high-profile accounts. His main account, @MarioNawfal, has over 900,000 followers. His crypto-focused @RoundtableSpace allegedly charges projects five-figure fees for promotion. Critics accuse both accounts of using botted engagement.

His connection with Musk began in November 2022. Musk joined an X Space about the FTX collapse that Nawfal hosted. Musk’s public praise during Prigozhin’s 2023 coup attempt then boosted Nawfal’s followers by over 300,000 in a single day, according to NBC News.

Tokens Named in the Exposé

The thread documents several tokens promoted through Nawfal’s accounts that subsequently collapsed.

The most prominent is $ROSS, a Solana-based token linked to streamer Adin Ross. According to BeInCrypto, @RoundtableSpace posted about a “partnership” with Ross to launch the token. It hit roughly $7 million in market cap before crashing to near-zero. Nawfal deleted the post and blamed a serial rugger called “Hardsnipes.”

The thread also names $GAY, a meme coin tied to the “Why Are You Gay?” meme. Leaked Telegram messages suggest the same team behind $ROSS operated $GAY. That token reportedly reached $33 million in market cap before crashing to $7 million in nine minutes. Researcher @Gadget440 confirmed both tokens shared the same promoters, based on Nawfal’s own DMs.

The thread also cites an unnamed “Mario-named” coin. Nawfal claimed “someone sent me 70% of a token with my name.” A Space followed, a burn was promised, and the coin went to zero. The thread compares this directly to Andrew Tate’s $DADDY token.

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The Pattern of Recurring Excuses

One of the thread’s strongest arguments centers on a repeating cycle of excuses. After each promotion collapses, Nawfal or his team offer a familiar script.

“Someone sent me tokens” is one recurring claim. “Account compromised” is another. Contract addresses reportedly kept appearing on his accounts even after hack claims. In other cases, the blame shifted to unnamed “writers” or external scammers.

The thread contrasts this pattern against outcomes for followers. Tokens promoted through Nawfal’s accounts allegedly rug within minutes. A screenshot of contract address performance in the thread supports this claim.

Mario Nawfal Crypto Rug Pull History Goes Deeper

The current thread builds on a longer history of crypto-related accusations. In 2023, former IBC Group CMO Heijdenrijk filed complaints with the FBI, SEC, and Dutch police. The complaints alleged embezzlement from NFT Tech, a company Nawfal co-founded, according to NBC News. Former associates also accused him of unpaid wages totaling tens of thousands of dollars.

No public charges resulted from those investigations. Nawfal denied the allegations and sued a YouTuber for defamation.

Earlier @dethective threads called out tokens including $PEURA, $SZN, and $SEHBAI. The latter involved a fake journalist partnership that allegedly rugged at low market cap. Protos and IntelligenceLine have both documented broader patterns of dubious dealings. Over 200 consumer complaints sit on the FTC and Trustpilot, according to LegalObserver.

What the Evidence Shows and What It Does Not

The thread presents strong circumstantial evidence. Deleted tweet screenshots, price charts showing post-promotion dumps, and Telegram leaks all support the pattern claim.

The thread does not include on-chain wallet links, though. No proof exists that Nawfal or IBC personally received or sold allocations from these specific rugs. The case relies on association: promotion, then rug, then excuse.

Nawfal has consistently denied direct involvement in any rug pull. His explanations include account compromises, team errors, and being scammed himself. No regulatory body has filed charges related to these specific promotions.

Community Response and the Musk Factor

The thread has generated strong engagement in the crypto community. Common responses include calls for broader accountability and references to Nawfal as a “serial rugger.”

Several users noted the irony in Musk’s timing. Musk reportedly tolerated Nawfal’s crypto promotions for years. He only cut ties over a fake SpaceX post. Some community members tagged @nikitabier and Musk directly, hoping for wider exposure.

Ethos.network reputation scores cited in the thread show low ratings for both @MarioNawfal and @RoundtableSpace. Ethos is an on-chain reputation tool that aggregates community feedback.

What Comes Next for KOL Accountability

The Nawfal case highlights a growing tension in crypto. Influencers with massive reach can move token prices with a single post. When those tokens collapse, followers absorb the losses.

No major counter-thread or defense from Nawfal has appeared as of this writing. Past scandals involving Nawfal faded without lasting consequences. This thread, combined with the Musk unfollow, could break that cycle if regulators or platforms take notice.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.