Crypto investigator ZachXBT published leaked documents on Monday that he says expose how much certain influencers were paid to promote a project—without telling their audiences.
According to him, more than 160 accounts were on the payroll, but fewer than five admitted their posts were sponsored, a clear violation of both platform rules and financial disclosure requirements.
Paid Promotions, Hidden Deals
It’s no secret that crypto influencers often earn money pushing meme coins and risky DeFi platforms. What’s striking in this case is the sheer scale—and how rarely disclosure actually happens.
Reactions from those named varied widely. Some admitted fault. “There’s nothing I can do except own up to it,” wrote the X user @Atitty. Others pushed back. @sibeleth claimed they always disclose partnerships, saying, “As long as you disclose your partnerships, getting paid deals is totally okay.” Their account profile even notes that unless stated otherwise, all content “should be considered paid promotion.”
Memenetic Steps Forward
While ZachXBT did not reveal the project behind the payments, the team behind Memenetic came forward and claimed responsibility.
In a statement, they argued ZachXBT’s leak “is correct, but also an understatement.” They confirmed influencers like @Atitty had promoted their token in earlier posts.
Memenetic also alleged they had been defrauded in the process. According to the team, two promoters—@MsCryptomom1 and @imanihamida—scammed them out of $232,000 in USDC. The pair allegedly promised to connect Memenetic with “quality influencers,” but instead hired botted accounts and even redirected payments to their own wallets.