Bonkler 9/11

Bonkler 9/11
"There is no ransom / I love you" Image attached to Charlotte Fang's post announcing the thefts, depicting a deep-fried WTC Bonkler experiencing an explosion behind jail bars.
Type	Theft and extortion attempt
Date	September 11, 2023
Location	Remilia Corporation
Participants	Henry Sprite, John Duff, Maxwell Roux, Bruno Nispel
Outcome	Premature shutdown of Bonkler, and on-going Remilia Lawsuit

Bonkler 9/11 refers to the theft and extortion attempt on September 11, 2023, that forced the premature shutdown of Bonkler, a daily generative NFT project by Remilia Corporation. The incident involved the theft of Bonkler's revenue contract, internal Remilia codebases, and official social media accounts by a group of former collaborators—described by Charlotte Fang, Remilia's founder and CEO, as a criminal conspiracy intended to extort equity and treasury assets from the company.

This attack represented a potentially existential threat to the organization but ultimately led to comprehensive corporate restructuring and renewal through new releases. Within Remilia's history, the episode is remembered as both a criminal betrayal and a case study in the technical and governance risks that accompany monetized generative projects. Bonkler NFTs minted before the incident acquired a secondary cultural status as artifacts of experimentation and high-stakes dispute.

Background

Bonkler launched in March 2023 as a serialized generative NFT experiment, minting a single new artwork each day. It quickly became one of Remilia's flagship post-Milady Maker projects, noted for its hypercitational concept and experimental economic design.

By September 2023, Bonkler had generated substantial fee revenue for Remilia—approximately US$1,000,000 according to later statements. That revenue stream—under control with an allegedly hidden secondary contract managed by one developer—became the center of the ensuing theft. The project's technical architecture included revenue routing that would later be identified as a critical security vulnerability that had been deliberately engineered by the developers who later exploited it.

The theft and lawsuit

On September 11, 2023, Charlotte Fang publicly announced that the developer who worked on Bonkler had taken steps that allowed theft of roughly US$1,000,000 in Remilia-generated fees and simultaneously filed suit regarding the seizure. Fang's public statement—issued alongside the lawsuit filing—said the Bonkler reserves, main contract, and NFTs remained safe and that only Remilia's share of revenue had been compromised.

According to the statement, the developer had also stolen internal codebases and coordinated with two others to take control of Remilia's social media accounts. Following this, the group attempted to leverage their stolen assets to extort a significant portion of Remilia's treasury, including NFT reserves, effectively attempting to use their theft as leverage to demand equity in the company.

Fang's statement (issued at the time of the lawsuit filing) included the following passage:

"Good morning. A developer who worked on Bonkler took steps that allowed him to divert ~$1MM USD in Remilia's generated fees.

The Bonkler reserves, main contract and NFTs are safe; only Remilia's revenue from Bonkler was compromised.

We've temporarily paused Bonkler's daily mint and will revive it with the completion of the planned v2 upgrade that also enables Bonkler-collateralized loans and treasury deployment.

All Remilia NFTs, metadata and domains remain secure. This does not affect the sanctity of existing Bonklers.

The developer also seized codebases and coordinated with two others on the team in an attempt to seize control of our social media, followed by demands for a significant portion of our treasury, including the NFT reserves.

However, some serious miscalculations were made—we easily identified the individuals involved and will pursue them to the fullest extent of the law. We expect all our property to be returned."

The statement concluded with a forceful declaration about Remilia's response:

"Needless to say those who threatened the blessed kingdom of Remilia for mere financial gain will face a dramatic and just retribution without sympathy.

By targeting Remilia's reserves, they attacked not just Remilia and the vision, but every one of you who has placed your faith in us.

They sought money for themselves, but in exchange would have unraveled everything we've built, and destroyed the untold value entrusted in Remilia. As such, this was violence not simply on my team, but on my world and my people.

For such viciousness, I can give no quarter—the individuals involved have been terminated from Remilia Corporation, and will now be dealt with through the heavy hand of the law."

Fang also published a copy of the legal complaint alongside the announcement. While Fang did not name the team members involved in his announcement, Henry Sprite was notably identified in the filing, coming as a shock to community members.

Immediate response

Remilia announced the termination of the implicated individuals and stated they would be pursued through civil and criminal legal channels. The company also initiated emergency technical measures to secure remaining assets and infrastructure against further attacks.

Fang temporarily paused Bonkler's daily mint and assured holders that Bonkler's reserves, main contract, NFT metadata, and domains were secure. New official Twitter accounts were created to replace the compromised handles.

Legal counterclaims

Following the theft, the perpetrators declined to return the stolen assets and filed counterclaims alleging mistreatment as employees, entitlement to equity, and unfair compensation.

Fang and Remilia publicly rebutted these counterclaims, asserting:

• Sole legal ownership of Remilia Corporation
• That substantial compensation had already been paid to the developers
• That no equity or corporate co-founder status had ever been promised to the developers
• That concealed contracts and improper routing of revenue explained how the theft was accomplished

The legal proceedings continued privately, with limited public disclosure of developments due to ongoing litigation. For more details on the on-going litigation, see: Remilia Lawsuit.

Community reaction

Remilia-aligned communities and many observers denounced the perpetrators' actions as criminal theft and extortion. The incident—widely dubbed "Bonkler 9/11" in social channels—became both a meme and a touchstone for discussions of governance, trust, and technical security in high-value creative projects.

Detractors amplified the perpetrators' counterclaims, but most public discussion among Remilia supporters centered on containment, legal remedy, and plans for a Bonkler v2 that would add treasury safeguards. The attack paradoxically strengthened community cohesion, as holders rallied around the project during its moment of vulnerability.

Aftermath and restructuring

The first iteration of Bonkler did not resume its daily mint. Fang indicated plans to relaunch with a v2 upgrade incorporating collateralized-loan mechanics and explicit treasury-deployment controls; however, the serialized minting schedule was not restored in the immediate aftermath.

Rather than destroying the organization, the theft catalyzed comprehensive corporate restructuring that included:

• The formation of Remilia's Korea office and fashion design team
• Transition toward a more formalized organizational structure with stronger security protocols
• Expanded creative focus beyond NFT projects
• Implementation of improved security protocols and treasury management
• Enhanced legal frameworks for contributor relationships and more formal employment structures

This restructuring prepared the ground for Remilia's subsequent expansion into fashion and media with projects like the Remilia x FRUiTS collaboration with FRUiTS Magazine in January 2024 and the launch of Remilia Quarterly in May 2024.

The financial loss was ultimately addressed through the June 2024 CULT ICO, which provided a significant injection of new capital that helped the organization recover from the Bonkler 9/11 theft. This was followed by the CULT TGE in December 2024, marking the definitive end of the recovery period.

Legacy

The theft has been integrated into Remilia's evolving narrative, demonstrating the complex relationship between digital art projects and their governance structures. Rather than weakening the collective, the attack ultimately contributed to its resilience and distinctive identity through forcing necessary organizational maturation.

The timing of the incident—September 11, 2023—gave rise to its memorable name, which both acknowledged the seriousness of the theft while ironically appropriating catastrophe rhetoric in a way characteristic of Remilia's distinctive communicative style. The name "Bonkler 9/11" itself became a meme within the community, exemplifying how even serious attacks were incorporated into Remilia's ongoing narrative and cultural production.

See also

• Remilia Corporation
• Charlotte Fang
• Bonkler
• Milady Maker
• CULT Token
• RemiliaNET
• Hot Pot (groupchat)