A Miami-based conference dedicated to the most reckless traders in finance and crypto underwent a last-minute name change—the latest twist in a yearslong rift between WallStreetBets founder Jaime Rogozinski and Reddit.
A Reddit spokesperson told Decrypt that it “occasionally trademarks the names of certain communities to protect the creativity and interests of the users,” describing the practice as a way to prevent any single person from exploiting the identity of a broader group.
Reddit’s lawyers sent a C&D to cancel Miami event. They say my presence "falsely suggests their sponsorship."
Let’s be clear: They aren’t sponsoring us. They’re terrified of us.
They fight to survive. We chose to evolve.
Tickets for the event cost as much as $10,000. Jordan Belfort, the former stock broker known as the “Wolf of Wall Street,” and “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli are among scheduled speakers. Both were convicted of securities fraud.
In the press release, Rogozinski evoked those same themes, arguing that Reddit “risks stirring a hornet's nest with a long memory and a track record of collective action” by reaching “into real-world gatherings to police culture it did not create.”
The organizers of [REDACTED Live] received a cease and desist letter on Saturday night via email, according to Moe Levin, who has produced other Miami-based crypto events, such as WAGMI. He told Decrypt that materials for the event had already been printed.
“There's always last minute curveballs,” he said. “We had to change everything to comply.”
