Ben Pasternak, the 26-year-old founder of Solana-based token launchpad Believe, was arrested in New York on charges of second-degree strangulation and assault as the platform’s native token trades 99.8% below its all-time high. A class action lawsuit alleges he systematically extracted $54 million in fees.
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Pasternak, 26, was charged with second-degree strangulation and third-degree assault over a March 31 incident; he has pleaded not guilty, with a court date set for June 11. A class action complaint alleges he “ran the same play three times” across PASTERNAK, LAUNCHCOIN, and BELIEVE, extracting $54M in fees from roughly $6B in trading volume. Pasternak was reportedly staying at a $2,000-per-night hotel to avoid civil lawsuit service at the time of his arrest. Three Tokens, One Alleged PlaybookIn October 2025, Pasternak announced Launchcoin would be retired and replaced with a new token called BELIEVE. The migration was mandatory, with a two-week conversion window. The swap created 333 million new tokens distributed to insider-linked wallets, shrinking existing holders’ stakes by roughly one third. Anyone who missed the October 29, 2025 deadline had their holdings permanently destroyed.
Arrest in New York as Legal Pressure CompoundsThe criminal charges stem from a March 31 incident in New York. Pasternak faces one count of second-degree strangulation and two counts of third-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury. The victim has been widely identified online as Evelyn Ha, a Tiktok influencer whom Pasternak had been publicly dating since mid-2024. He has pleaded not guilty and his next court appearance is scheduled for June 11.
