Manus Co-Founder Denies Crypto Ties Amid Token Controversy

Yichao “Peak” Ji, co-founder of artificial intelligence (AI) startup Manus, has publicly denied any association between the project and crypto initiatives.

His clarification follows the unexpected suspension of the project’s official X account just days after its launch.

Manus Denounces Crypto Links

In a statement posted on X, Ji suggested that third-party references to cryptocurrency scams may have triggered the suspension. He firmly stated that Manus has no connection to such activities.

“Manus has never been involved with cryptocurrency projects, token issuance, or blockchain initiatives,” the post read.

Ji further warned that any cryptocurrency-related projects claiming affiliation with the project are fraudulent. He emphasized that the company is taking legal action against impersonators and urged users to report any suspicious accounts to prevent misinformation. It is worth noting that X has since restored Manus’ official account.

While Ji’s statement sought to clear up misconceptions, the crypto market has painted a different picture. Multiple tokens using the name “Manus” have surfaced on decentralized exchanges (DEX). Some tokens were launched on the same day as the project, while others are only a day or a few hours old.

Manus Crypto Tokens. Source: DEXScreener

However, despite the initial hype, most of these tokens crashed shortly after their release, raising concerns about potential scams.

“Manus AI didn’t do anything except become too popular all of a sudden, leading to its name being exploited by cryptocurrency projects with high scam risk,” a user claimed.

The emergence of these tokens highlights an ongoing issue in the crypto space, where opportunistic developers launch projects in an attempt to mislead investors.

Amid the controversy, it is essential to understand what Manus actually is. Manus is designed as a next-generation AI agent developed by the AI firm Monica.

“We see it as a next paradigm of human machine collaboration and potentially a glimpse into AGI,” Ji said.

Manus autonomously executes tasks, eliminating the need for step-by-step human instructions. Many have praised the project for its advanced capabilities.

“China’s Manus AI just dropped, and it will completely change the AI agent game,” AI educator Min Choi wrote on X.

It can handle various tasks, from personalized travel planning and data analysis to educational content creation and productivity enhancement. Notably, the AI agent has outperformed OpenAI Deep Research at all three levels of the GAIA benchmark. Currently, Manus remains in an early preview phase, with invitations available only through the official website.

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