Benjamin Pasternak is due to appear in court on June 11. | Source: CCN
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Key Takeaways
Believe’s founder, Benjamin Pasternak, has publicly denied domestic violence allegations in a YouTube video following his arrest in New York.
Pasternak faces felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault charges tied to an alleged March 31 incident.
The BELIEVE token remains down around 99% from its peak despite a slight rebound.
Benjamin Pasternak, founder of the crypto social-finance platform Believe, has denied allegations of domestic violence in a newly released YouTube video, responding publicly for the first time after his recent arrest in New York on felony charges.
The response has led to a modest rebound in the platform’s native BELIEVE token, though it still remains almost 99.8% below its all-time high from last year.
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Pasternak was arrested on April 21 in New York, according to public records from the New York Criminal Court, in connection with an alleged incident on March 31.
He faces two charges of second-degree strangulation and third-degree assault.
The felony charge carries a potential sentence of up to seven years in prison if convicted. The misdemeanor could result in up to one year in jail.
The Believe founder was arrested on April 21 | Source: New York State Unified Court System
The alleged victim, TikTok influencer Evelyn Ha, had been publicly dating Pasternak since 2024.
According to media reports, Pasternak was staying at a hotel charging $2,000 per night at the time of the arrest.
Prosecutors have alleged this was to avoid an ongoing civil lawsuit involving the BELIEVE token.
Pasternak has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in court on June 11.
Pasternak Denies Claims
In a YouTube video titled “My experience with Evelyn,” uploaded on April 27, Pasternak rejected the allegations, saying he had “never strangled anyone.”
“The full truth is important,” he said in the video, adding that he is “not physically aggressive in any way.”
Instead, Pasternak alleged that he had been the victim of abuse during the relationship in question.
He claimed his former partner had been physically and psychologically abusive, describing incidents involving hitting, scratching and controlling behavior.
“And I think Evelyn is a master manipulator, not just externally, but also internally, with the people around her,” he said.
Adding: “She’s very, very compelling, and she’s really good at blurring the lines.”
He also said the alleged abuse had been known to people close to them, including friends, family members and a couples therapist.
Pasternak further claimed there was documentation, including medical records, supporting his account.
According to Pasternak, the relationship ended after escalating conflict, after which his former partner reported the alleged strangulation to police.
“I’m not gonna get into a YouTube drama of going back and forth with screenshots and imagery data. I trust the court system to reveal the truth,” he said.
Implications For Believe
The ongoing legal case has introduced uncertainty for Believe, a Solana-based SocialFi platform that allows users to create and trade tokens through social media-driven mechanisms.
Once a fast-growing project that generated billions in trading volume, Believe has struggled in recent months.
On top of recent events, the platform has also been named in a class action lawsuit alleging misleading practices tied to token launches and migrations.
The latest developments are likely to weigh further on user activity, funding prospects and broader sentiment around the platform until the legal case has been settled.
The Believe team has not yet issued an official statement regarding Pasternak’s arrest or his video response.
Impact on BELIEVE Token
The controversy has had a sharp impact on the BELIEVE token.
The token had fallen roughly 99% from its May 2025 peak of $0.3569 to around $0.00066.
However, the token has staged a slight rebound since the release of Pasternak’s YouTube video, currently trading at $0.00081.
Trading activity also dropped following the arrest, with volumes falling by around 98.7%.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
