The Digital Footprint of $LIBRA: Mauricio Novelli’s Phone Records Contradict President Milei’s Explanations

The mobile phone of technological entrepreneur Mauricio Novelli has become a crucial piece of evidence, a "smoking gun," in the unfolding investigation into the $LIBRA cryptocurrency. Detailed call logs and previously revealed message content directly contradict the public statements made by Argentine President Javier Milei regarding his involvement in the conception, launch, and subsequent collapse of the digital token. The forensic analysis of Novelli’s device, conducted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, offers an unprecedented glimpse into the critical hours at the Quinta de Olivos, the presidential residence, during what appeared to be a perfectly orchestrated business venture that rapidly devolved into a financial disaster and political crisis.

The evidence reveals a pattern of intense communication involving President Milei, his sister Karina Milei, and advisor Santiago Caputo, particularly around the time of the token’s launch and its dramatic price plunge. This includes numerous calls between Novelli and President Milei immediately before and after the presidential tweet that announced the $LIBRA token. Furthermore, a recovered memo details a purported agreement worth $5 million, adding a layer of financial complexity to the unfolding events. Such granular evidence is rarely obtained in investigations concerning alleged offenses within public office.

The $LIBRA Saga: A Timeline of Events and Emerging Evidence

The $LIBRA cryptocurrency project, spearheaded by Mauricio Novelli and American entrepreneur Hayden Mark Davis, aimed to capitalize on the burgeoning digital asset market. Its public debut was significantly amplified by an endorsement from none other than the President of Argentina, Javier Milei. However, what began as a seemingly promising initiative quickly unraveled, leaving investors in distress and raising serious questions about the motivations and conduct of those involved.

February 14, 2025: The Launch and Initial Endorsement

At 7:01 PM, President Milei posted a tweet from his official account, including a 44-character alphanumeric code: "Bo9jh3wsmcC2AjakLWzNmKJ3SgtZmXEcSaW7L2FAvUsU." This code was essential for anyone wishing to invest in $LIBRA. The tweet, which was later deleted, significantly boosted the token’s visibility and initial trading volume.

According to the forensic analysis of Novelli’s phone, the communication between Novelli and Milei on this day was extensive. Seven calls were exchanged, totaling over 13 minutes. Notably, there were communications in the minutes leading up to Milei’s initial tweet and immediately following it. Karina Milei also participated in six calls during this period.

During this critical window, Novelli was reportedly in Dallas, Texas, at the location where Hayden Mark Davis and his team were managing the $LIBRA operation. This proximity suggests a coordinated effort rather than a spontaneous endorsement.

The Crucial Code: A Mystery Unraveled

President Milei claimed he obtained the 44-character code from the internet. However, blockchain expert Fernando Molina testified before a congressional investigative committee that the code was not publicly available online at the time of Milei’s tweet. This assertion strongly suggests that the code was provided to the President directly, likely through one of the numerous communications with Novelli.

The Dramatic Plunge and Delayed Retraction

Following Milei’s tweet, the $LIBRA token experienced an exponential surge in value. However, this initial spike was short-lived. The cryptocurrency’s valuation plummeted dramatically. It took President Milei approximately 5 hours and 37 minutes to delete his initial tweet and issue a revised statement.

In his subsequent tweet, Milei stated that he was "not privy to the project’s details" and had "no connection whatsoever" to $LIBRA, characterizing it as a "supposed private venture." This retraction came hours after the price collapse, leading to suspicions that the delay was an attempt to mitigate the fallout.

The investigation has also questioned why Lilia Lemoine, a libertarian congresswoman, felt the need to clarify via tweet at 9:09 PM on February 14th that President Milei’s account had not been hacked. This intervention, occurring within the same timeframe as the $LIBRA crash and Milei’s delayed retraction, has fueled speculation about a coordinated effort to manage the crisis and prevent a complete collapse of the token’s credibility.

Deepening the Investigation: Financial Agreements and Political Ties

The forensic examination of Novelli’s phone has unearthed potentially damning evidence regarding financial arrangements and the extent of political involvement.

The Alleged $5 Million Deal

A key piece of evidence is a memo, recovered from Novelli’s phone and reportedly drafted between October and November 2024, detailing a purported agreement worth $5 million. The memo, written in English, outlines a payment structure that appears to have been realized.

It states: "Hello guys. This is the final agreement as we discussed with H." (presumably referring to Hayden Davis). The agreement details:

• "$1.5M in tokens or cash as an upfront payment."
• "$1.5 million in tokens or cash – Milei announces on Twitter Hayden Davis/Kelsien/Davis family as his advisor."

This specific clause is particularly significant. On January 30, 2025, President Milei did indeed tweet a photo with Hayden Mark Davis, describing him as a North American crypto-entrepreneur who was advising him on "the impact and applications of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence in the country." This announcement coincided with Davis making transfers totaling $3.9 million to various virtual wallets, according to blockchain analysis specialists.

The memo further specifies a payment of "$2 million for a contract signed in person by Milei for Blockchain/AI advisory for the Argentine government and/or Javier Milei and a review with Javier and Karina on these two quarters." A draft of such a contract, reportedly dated two weeks before the $LIBRA launch, has also been found within the investigation’s case files.

The Role of Santiago Caputo and Crisis Management

The recovered data indicates that Novelli established contact with presidential advisor Santiago Caputo at 11:37 PM on February 14th. This late-night communication suggests that crisis management efforts were underway as the situation deteriorated.

Technicians from the Directorate General of Criminal Investigation and Technological Support (Datip) of the Public Prosecutor’s Office recovered a deleted message from Novelli that proposed a draft tweet for President Milei. In this draft, Novelli urged Milei to affirm his full support for the $LIBRA project, stating, "This is what I want for the tweet. This is the only thing that saves him, me, and us." The proposed text emphasized Milei’s personal meetings with project stakeholders and his belief in the people behind it, while also referencing false accusations from "political rats."

Ultimately, President Milei opted for a different wording in his public statement at 12:38 AM on Saturday, February 15th. While he acknowledged supporting a "supposed private venture" and expressed having no "connection whatsoever," he also incorporated the idea of being informed about the project’s details before deciding not to promote it further. He concluded his statement with an attack on "the filthy rats of the political caste."

A Pattern of Endorsement and Controversy?

The investigation is also scrutinizing past endorsements made by President Milei of financial and technological ventures. In December 2021, while serving as a national deputy, Milei endorsed CoinX, a digital financial company, on Instagram. He lauded their methods for helping Argentines escape inflation and encouraged followers to contact CoinX on his behalf for advice. This endorsement was later mired in scandal, with thousands of investors reporting being defrauded and the company’s owner being arrested.

In a 2022 interview with journalist Ernesto Tenembaum, Milei distanced himself from the CoinX affair but, when directly asked about his paid opinions, stated, "My opinions are paid for. Of course, I get paid for my opinions." This past statement now looms large as investigators examine the $LIBRA case, probing whether any financial considerations were involved in the President’s initial endorsement.

Broader Implications and Unanswered Questions

The ongoing investigation into the $LIBRA cryptocurrency has profound implications for the Argentine government and President Milei’s administration. The evidence emerging from Mauricio Novelli’s phone directly challenges the official narrative and raises serious questions about transparency, accountability, and the potential misuse of presidential influence.

The core questions that the judicial investigation must address remain:

• Did President Milei receive payment for promoting the $LIBRA cryptocurrency, conceived by Novelli and Hayden Mark Davis?
• Was his participation active in a plan that may have aimed to defraud investors, or was he a well-intentioned promoter of a project with legitimate aims?
• How did he obtain the specific 44-character alphanumeric code shared on his social media before it was publicly available?
• What was the rationale behind the significant communication exchanges with Novelli and his team, including Karina Milei and Santiago Caputo, particularly during the critical launch and collapse phases?
• Why was there a substantial delay in retracting the initial endorsement tweet, even after the cryptocurrency’s value had plummeted?

The recovered call logs, messages, and financial memos provide a starkly different picture than the one presented by the President and his spokespersons. The evidence suggests a level of direct involvement and communication that contradicts claims of limited knowledge or passive endorsement. The meticulous detail preserved on Novelli’s phone offers a rare window into the high-stakes decisions and potential machinations behind the $LIBRA saga, leaving the public and the judiciary to piece together the full truth of this complex financial and political entanglement. The investigation continues to delve into the digital trails left by all parties involved, seeking to establish the definitive sequence of events and the extent of any potential wrongdoing.