ZachXBT, a well-known crypto detective celebrated for exposing scams and helping recover millions in stolen assets, has found himself facing accusations of orchestrating a rug pull. The claims surfaced after he withdrew liquidity from a memecoin named in his honor, sparking debates about the unrecognized value of his investigative work and the ethics of profiting from unsolicited tokens.
What Happened in the ZachXBT Memecoin Drama?
On January 21, ZachXBT withdrew liquidity from a memecoin purportedly created to reward him for his contributions to the crypto space. The token, called Justice for ZachXBT (ZACHXBT), was sent to him by anonymous creators, who seemingly used his reputation to give the project legitimacy.
Here’s how the situation unfolded:
- Anonymous creators sent ZachXBT half of the memecoin’s total supply.
- ZachXBT added single-sided liquidity to a pool using the tokens.
- The liquidity pool accrued fees in Solana’s SOL token, amounting to 16,348.95 SOL ($4.3 million).
- ZachXBT withdrew the funds and sent them to trading firm Wintermute, while 96 million ZACHXBT tokens were returned to the pool.
This sparked allegations of a rug pull, as withdrawing liquidity is a common tactic used by scammers to abandon projects after collecting investor funds. However, ZachXBT argued the memecoin was a dubious project from the start, unsolicited and unaffiliated with him.
ZachXBT’s Response to the Allegations
ZachXBT dismissed the accusations, attributing them to influencers he had previously exposed for unethical behavior, such as dumping tokens on their followers. In his defense, he stated:
“I did not promote the coin to my followers at all anywhere and do not know who created the token.”
He added that selling part of the token was a way to profit from a project that exploited his name without his consent.
A Divisive Moment for Crypto
The accusations against ZachXBT highlight the precarious nature of reputations in the crypto space. While some criticized his decision to profit from the memecoin, others saw it as a justified move.
Blockchain investigator SomaXBT defended ZachXBT’s actions, saying:
“They used his name to pump the token, and he simply took the profit. From my perspective, what Zach did is completely correct.”
Still, speculation lingered over whether ZachXBT could have been involved in the token’s creation—claims he firmly denies.
A Broader Issue: Unpaid Contributions
ZachXBT’s controversy has also reignited discussions about the lack of financial incentives for independent crypto investigators. Over the years, ZachXBT has uncovered multimillion-dollar scams, supported law enforcement, and even earned recognition from the United Nations for his work on North Korea’s crypto activities. Yet, he has expressed frustration over the absence of financial rewards for his efforts.
In response to a user commenting on his workload after the launch of Donald Trump’s surprise memecoin, ZachXBT replied:
“One of my biggest regrets here is not prioritizing making money.”
Context of the Crypto Market
The drama surrounding ZachXBT coincided with President Donald Trump’s memecoin launch, which temporarily surged to 15th in global market capitalization. As memecoins continue to dominate headlines, incidents like this underscore the blurred lines between recognition, exploitation, and ethics in the crypto space.
