Benjamin Pasternak, founder of the SocialFi platform Believe, has been arrested in New York on serious assault charges. The 26-year-old faces one count of second-degree strangulation and two counts of third-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury, following an alleged incident on March 31. Pasternak has pleaded not guilty, with his next court appearance scheduled for June 11. In addition to the criminal charges, Pasternak is embroiled in a class-action lawsuit alleging token manipulation within Believe's ecosystem. The lawsuit claims that a forced migration from Launchcoin to Believe tokens resulted in a 33% dilution of investor holdings, with insiders allegedly benefiting from the transition. This legal turmoil coincides with a dramatic 99.7% crash in Believe's token value since May 2025, exacerbating concerns over the platform's governance and investor trust.