A video announcing the launch of an official memecoin for the Central African Republic (CAR) has been flagged as suspicious by at least two AI deepfake detection tools. Meanwhile, the token surged to a market capitalization of $527 million on February 9.
Deepfake Detectors Raise Red Flags
CAR President Faustion-Archange Touadera’s X account posted about the memecoin’s launch, calling it an “experiment” aimed at supporting national development and putting the country on the global stage. The token debuted on the Solana-based launchpad Pump.fun at 10:25 p.m. UTC and quickly gained significant value, according to DexScreener data.
However, doubts emerged when AI detection models analyzed a video statement linked to the project. The free deepfake checker Deepware flagged the video as suspicious, with one of its models estimating an 82% probability that the video was AI-generated.
Other AI models, including Avatrify and another from Deepware, did not identify the video as fake. Some in the crypto community believe the token launch is legitimate, while others suspect a sophisticated hack of the president’s X account.
Suspicions Over Token’s Legitimacy
Skepticism grew further when Unrevealed XYZ founder Yokai Ryujin pointed out inconsistencies in the domain registration process. He noted that the CAR memecoin’s website was registered just three days prior using Namecheap, a common domain provider—not something one would typically associate with an official government initiative.
Adding to concerns, Namecheap responded on February 10, stating they had “suspended the abusive service.” Despite this, the website remained live at the time of publication.
Several crypto users also questioned the timing and language of the announcement. Pseudonymous user Crypto Dreamer noted that the phrasing in the X post seemed unusual for a government statement and that launching the token at midnight local time seemed improbable for an official initiative.
As speculation continues, it remains unclear whether the memecoin is a legitimate state-backed project or an elaborate scam.
