Crypto Influencer Quits X After Bot Manipulation Allegations

On-chain investigator ZachXBT has alleged that prominent crypto influencer Professor Crypto is employing bots to artificially enhance his social media metrics.

In light of these accusations, the influencer has disabled his account without providing any public feedback.

Deceptive Engagement Tactics

In a post shared on X, ZachXBT called out the YouTuber, advising him to “stop using thousands of bots” to create a false impression of influence on his social media channels.

He further suggested that such actions might breach United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations, which prohibit the buying or selling of fictitious social media influence, including bot-generated followers or views.

Professor Crypto, who boasts 1.34 million subscribers on YouTube, has not publicly addressed the claims. However, he reportedly disabled his X account following a community note that criticized him for “utilizing deceptive engagement tactics” and hiding various replies, including those from ZachXBT, under his posts.

The influencer also deleted multiple posts showcasing him receiving the “Best Content Creator” award at the DeGen Summit in Singapore on September 17. This event, a complementary occasion to TOKEN2049, honored “Key Opinion Leaders” (KOLs) whose views are considered impactful in the crypto realm.

His YouTube channel, where he reviews cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets, meme coins, and NFTs, has been active since August 2018. Meanwhile, his now-disabled X account, established in February 2018, had 132,000 followers but only 102 posts, with the earliest originating from August 14, 2018.

FTC Violations and Community Responses

Individuals within the community on X have voiced additional concerns. Noted crypto commentator NewsyJohnson remarked he had “zero mutuals” with Professor Crypto and alleged that the influencer uses bots to follow, like, and comment on his posts, stating, “I doubt he has any real followers.”

Others, such as NFT artist Matthew Varnell, questioned his validity by asking, “Who is Professor Crypto, anyway?” Laurence Day, co-founder of Wildcat Labs, commented, “I have been around longer than the stars have burned, and I have just one mutual with this account (someone I added recently).”

This incident follows the FTC’s decision in August to prohibit marketers from utilizing fake reviews or misleading practices, which includes AI-generated content, to advertise their products and services.

In a statement cited by CNBC, FTC Chair Lina Khan declared that fake reviews “waste people’s time and money” while distorting the market. This rule also disallows companies from inflating their influence by paying for bots to enhance follower counts.