A Miami conference that billed itself as the live embodiment of WallStreetBets has been forced to change its name at the eleventh hour after legal pressure from Reddit, highlighting the long-running dispute between the forum’s founder and the platform.
The three-day event, originally promoted as “WallStreetBets Live,” will now go forward as “[REDACTED] Live” after organizers said they received “legal threats” from Reddit. Organizers told attendees the rebrand was a response to a cease-and-desist from Reddit’s lawyers, who argued the founder’s appearance and event branding could falsely imply Reddit sponsorship.
WallStreetBets founder Jaime Rogozinski — who has sparred with Reddit for years — accused the company of heavy-handedness. In social posts tied to the event, Rogozinski framed Reddit’s actions as fear-driven and insisted the platform was not a sponsor. Organizers confirm the conference, which kicks off Jan. 28, will proceed despite the late changes.
Reddit told Decrypt it “occasionally trademarks the names of certain communities to protect the creativity and interests of the users,” saying the practice helps prevent individuals from exploiting a group’s identity. The platform previously removed Rogozinski as a moderator, citing policy violations tied to attempts to monetize a community, a move Rogozinski has contested in court.
That contest became a lawsuit in 2023, when Rogozinski sued Reddit claiming he owned the WallStreetBets trademark and that his ouster breached a contract. A lower court sided with Reddit; the Supreme Court later declined to review that ruling in November, according to Bloomberg Law.
The Miami lineup is provocative by design — tickets were selling for up to $10,000 and the roster includes controversial figures such as former broker Jordan Belfort (the “Wolf of Wall Street”) and Martin Shkreli, both of whom were convicted of securities fraud. The event’s sponsors are heavy-hitters from crypto and NFT spaces, including exchange Kraken, Pudgy Penguins and OpenSea. Organizers promote the gathering as a place “where degens meet Davos,” positioning it at the intersection of retail trading culture and crypto zeitgeist.
Moe Levin, an event producer involved with other Miami crypto gatherings, said organizers scrambled after receiving the C&D on a Saturday night. He told Decrypt materials had already been printed and that the team “had to change everything to comply,” calling last-minute curveballs part of putting on live shows.
The dispute underscores deeper tensions: a community that helped catalyze the meme-stock era and a platform trying to manage brand and legal risk. WallStreetBets’ 2012 origins were instrumental to the GameStop short squeeze and the emergence of a retail-trader identity built on “diamond hands” and collective action — themes Rogozinski invoked in criticizing Reddit’s move.
As the [REDACTED] Live conference goes ahead under a new name, the episode leaves open questions about who controls internet-born communities when they migrate into real-world events, and how platforms will police—or monetize—the cultural assets they host.
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