Taylor Mathis, a well-known sports betting influencer, is back in the headlines—but this time, not for her betting content. In recent months, Mathis has faced criticism from various corners of the sports and social media world, but the latest controversy involves a cryptocurrency named $TAYLOR, sparking accusations of market manipulation and prompting her to lock her social media accounts.
The drama began in August, when Audacy host Lucy Burdge accused Mathis of copying her DraftKings-sponsored “walking bets” videos, calling Mathis’s content “straight robbery.” However, the latest controversy escalated when Mathis became associated with the $TAYLOR cryptocurrency, reportedly created by her fanbase in her honor.
According to Andrew O’Malley of VegasSlotsOnline, Mathis agreed to promote $TAYLOR on her X account (formerly Twitter), which has over 200,000 followers, in exchange for 20 million tokens—two percent of the coin’s total supply. Mathis’s promotion led the currency to a high of $6 million in market cap, valuing her stake at an estimated $120,000.
But by Sunday, suspicions around Mathis’s intentions were swirling. Critics feared she might engage in a “pump and dump” scheme—a tactic where someone artificially inflates a currency’s value and then sells off their holdings for profit.
In response, Mathis dismissed the idea, stating, “I know what pump and dump is, and that literally can’t happen.” Yet, soon after, the coin’s market cap plummeted from its peak, dropping to just over $200,000. Reports suggest that Mathis then sold her holdings, allegedly cashing out for 95 SOL, or about $16,350, which triggered another market downturn, reducing the coin’s market cap to below $150,000.
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In a surprising turn, Mathis claimed on X that she intended to donate any profits to charity, while simultaneously repurchasing 34 million tokens for $9,000.
This action sparked further backlash, as she was now left with a higher stake than initially agreed upon and a profit exceeding $7,000. Critics have raised questions about her intentions, tagging DraftKings in their posts and challenging her actions as potential market manipulation. In response, Mathis set her X account to private and removed references to DraftKings from her bio, although she later unlocked her account to address the controversy publicly.
The impact of this incident on Mathis’s reputation and her DraftKings affiliation remains to be seen. Awful Announcing reached out to DraftKings for comment, though the company has yet to respond.
Meanwhile, Mathis’s account lock and the removal of DraftKings affiliations signal that she may be reassessing her approach as backlash mounts.
Although this incident could disrupt Mathis’s regular sports betting content, it may also carry more serious implications. Unlike “walking bets” videos, cryptocurrency promotions are subject to stringent regulations on securities fraud and market manipulation.
For now, Mathis’s future in the betting and influencer space hangs in the balance as the controversy unfolds.
