Lychao "Peak" Ji, co-founder of the AI startup Manus, publicly denied the connection between the project and cryptocurrency initiatives.
His clarification came after the project's official X account was unexpectedly suspended just days after its launch.
Manus Criticizes Cryptocurrency Associations
In a statement posted on X, Ji suggested that a third-party reference to cryptocurrency fraud may have triggered the suspension. He firmly stated that Manus is not involved in such activities.
"Manus has never been involved in cryptocurrency projects, token issuance, or blockchain initiatives." – Post
Ji warned that any cryptocurrency-related projects claiming association with the project are fraudulent. He said the company is taking legal action against impersonators and urged users to report suspicious accounts to prevent the spread of misinformation. X later restored Manus' official account.
While Ji's statement aimed to clear up the misunderstanding, the cryptocurrency market paints a different picture. Several tokens using the "Manus" name have appeared on decentralized exchanges (DEXs). Some tokens were launched on the same day as the project, while others were launched just a day or a few hours later.
However, despite the initial high interest, most of these tokens have plummeted shortly after launch, raising concerns about potential fraud.
"Manus AI has suddenly become too popular, and cryptocurrency projects have been abusing its name with a high risk of fraud." – A user claimed.
The emergence of these tokens highlights the ongoing problem in the cryptocurrency space, where developers may launch projects to mislead investors in search of opportunities.
Amidst the controversy, it is important to understand what Manus is truly about. Manus is designed as a next-generation AI agent developed by the AI company Monika.
"We see this as a new paradigm of human-machine collaboration, and a potential glimpse into the future of AGI." – Ji said.
Manus can perform tasks autonomously without the need for step-by-step human instructions. Many have praised the advanced capabilities of this project.
"Manus AI from China just launched, and it's going to completely change the game of AI agents." – AI educator Min Choi wrote on X.
Manus can handle a variety of tasks, including customized travel planning, data analysis, educational content creation, and productivity enhancement. Notably, this AI agent has outperformed OpenAI's deep research in all three stages of the GAIA benchmark. Manus is currently in the initial preview stage, and invitations are only available through the official website.
