TLDR
- Yuga Labs filed a turnover order to seize nearly $400,000 in crypto assets from influencer Jeremy Cahen (Pauly0x)
- The court previously ruled Cahen and artist Ryder Ripps infringed on Yuga Labs’ Bored Ape Yacht Club trademark
- Cahen allegedly moved crypto to avoid asset seizure after a levy was issued
- Cahen is currently on San Juan, Puerto Rico’s “Most Wanted” list for aggravated assault
- Yuga Labs was awarded nearly $9 million in damages in the trademark case
Yuga Labs, creator of the popular Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection, has escalated its legal battle against crypto influencer Jeremy Cahen by filing a turnover order in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The company is attempting to seize cryptocurrency assets worth nearly $400,000 from Cahen, who is better known online as Pauly0x.
The assets in question include Bitcoin, Ethereum, and PEPE coin spread across four digital wallets. These funds were valued at approximately $400,000 as of October last year, according to court documents.
This legal action stems from a lawsuit Yuga Labs filed in July 2022 against Cahen and artist Ryder Ripps. The company accused them of infringing on its trademark through the sale of the Ryder Ripps Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection.
The Original Lawsuit
Ripps launched his copycat NFT project in May 2022, claiming it was a “parody” and protest. He alleged that the original Bored Ape NFTs contained hidden Nazi and racist imagery.
The court disagreed with Ripps’ defense and ruled in favor of Yuga Labs in October 2023. Initially, the court awarded the company over $1.5 million in damages. By February 2024, this amount increased to nearly $9 million, including $7 million in attorneys’ fees and post-judgment interest.
The final judgment became enforceable by March 3, 2024. Since Cahen has not posted a bond or obtained a stay of enforcement, Yuga Labs has begun post-judgment asset recovery efforts.
As part of these efforts, Yuga Labs has subpoenaed Cahen’s accountant and served levies on various financial institutions. U.S. Marshals delivered these levies to banks and crypto platforms, including Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, Robinhood, Coinbase, Binance, and Gemini.
“Yuga Labs has taken affirmative steps under California law, essentially every month since the Court issued its Final Judgment to locate and execute upon Cahen’s assets,” the company stated in its recent filing.
Evading Asset Seizure
Court records indicate that Cahen moved $396,946 in cryptocurrency to avoid a levy served to Gemini. According to Yuga Labs, this transfer happened just one day after the levy was issued, before Gemini could freeze his accounts.
This timing suggests a deliberate effort to evade asset seizure. Gemini provided transaction records in response to a subpoena, showing that Cahen moved his crypto into two new wallets.
Yuga Labs has accused Cahen of making “a mockery of this Court’s Final Judgement by refusing to pay any portion of the judgment or comply with any post-judgment discovery.”
Cahen maintains that he is not required to comply with discovery requests while his appeal is pending. However, he lacks a formal stay that would support this position.
Legal Troubles Beyond NFTs
Cahen’s legal troubles extend beyond his dispute with Yuga Labs. In February 2025, Puerto Rican authorities confirmed that Cahen is wanted for aggravated assault. He was placed on the top 10 most wanted list in San Juan, the island’s capital.
According to local news outlet Metro Puerto Rico, police consider fugitives on this list, including Cahen, to be armed and highly dangerous. An active arrest warrant has been issued, with bail set at $75,000.
Cahen has built a major online presence on platforms like Instagram and X. He branded himself “the most censored man on X” following the suspension of his account last year.
His current project, a decentralized exchange called Pond0X, has faced criticism and been labeled a scam by some. Before this, Cahen was involved with projects like Pork Coin, which also faced backlash due to allegations of misleading investors.
The court has not yet ruled on Yuga Labs’ turnover motion. Decrypt has reached out to Cahen for comment via Instagram but has not received a response at the time of publication.
