On Sept 26, internet hacktivist group Anonymous released a video addressing blockchain technology company Yuga Labs and its NFT-driven social club, Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC).

The group's statement included a laundry list of allegations regarding Yuga Lab's alleged use of esoteric symbolism in BAYC's art — which Anonymous believes shows the company's support for numerous controversial subjects, such as Nazism, racism, simianization, and pedophilia.

The hacktivist group alleged that, after thorough research and interviews with key figures, it can confirm “without a shadow of doubt” that the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Yuga Labs are guilty of hiding these esoteric symbols in plain sight — a conclusion the company and project both openly protest.

The group cautioned against relegating its accusations to baseless “conspiracy theory,” adding that people who do so are “simply ignorant,” or “not versed, or worse, at a financial conflict of interest.” A representative of the internet hacktivist group shared:

Anonymous suggested that holders of these artworks are also victims of Bored Ape Yacht Club and Yuga Labs’s trolling, and urged owners not to stay silent out of a desire to protect their financial interests.

The group called on investors, partners, and high-profile celebrities such as Andreessen Horowitz, Mark Cuban, Dez Bryant, Tom Brady, Ben Simmons, Neymar Junior, Kevin Hart, Drake Bell, Shaquille O’Neal, and big brands such as Lion Tree, Adidas, Tiffany & Co, to speak up and take an official stance on the practices of Nazism, racism, simianization, and pedophilia.

On Jun 24. Yuga Labs Co-founder Greg Solano denied similar claims against his company in a Medium Post, saying:

Solano firmly stated at the time that the