Crypto sleuth ZachXBT is unsure how much longer he can continue to investigate crooks and con artists, telling his Twitter followers, “It has taken a toll on other aspects of my life.”
The cryptocurrency investigator, who has become a hero to his 280,000 Twitter followers for his meticulous investigations into the industry’s unsavory individuals, revealed that he was now struggling with burnout. The pseudonymous sleuth is now considering the future, although he denied that he would quit right away.
ZachXBT rises to prominence in 2022
ZachXBT first shot to public attention in Jan when he revealed that Wonderland’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasury Manager was none other than Michael Patryn.
Patryn, a criminal with a string of convictions to his name, was also the co-founder of the defunct Canadian crypto exchange QuadrigaCX. Patryn had taken the position of CFO under the pseudonym of OxSifu. Project founder Daniele Sestagalli had trusted Patryn to manage Wonderland’s assets totaling over $1billion.
Sestagalli believed Patryn deserved a second chance, but ZachXBT believed the public, and Wonderland users in particular, deserved to know who was managing their money.
Since then Zach has continued to plow the same furrow, conducting numerous investigations into the space, lifting the lid on scams and the people behind them.
In Feb, a VC firm and non-fungible token (NFT) influencer felt the unwelcome attention of the detective.
In March the investigator conducted a public raise to help fund his continued work, receiving over $40,000 from his audience.
In April, the sleuth revealed that Lindsay Lohan, who has endorsed a number of crypto projects, receives as much as $20,000 for a single promotional tweet.
In May, an investigation by ZachXBT led to the founder of Azuki NFTs promising to refund investors from previous rug pull projects.
In June, the sleuth turned the spotlight on Jake Paul, who has participated in or led a number of highly dubious crypto projects that left investors millions of dollars out of pocket.
And last month, he revealed that one Bored Ape owner lost their new NFT just hours after purchase. Zach also revealed the identities of two scammers behind millions in NFT thefts.
YouTube influencer Atozy, who recently triumphed in a legal action brought by BitBoy (Ben Armstrong), thanked ZachXBT for his help with the case.
This is not sustainable
With around 100 investigations to his name since the start of the year, the mysterious sleuth is now reflecting on a busy period in his life. The weary detective took to Twitter to tell some 280K followers just how much of a strain the work is taking.
“Really am unsure how much longer I can continue doing this. It’s been fun, but burnout is a real thing and it has taken a toll on other aspects of my life,” he said. “I’ve tried taking a break, but unfortunately it didn’t really help much at all.”
Zach went on to add, “one single person operates this account, answers DMs, and does the research. Very few people know but outside crypto I also work a full time job. As you can imagine balancing this isn’t sustainable.”
While ZachXBT claims not to be quitting just yet, it does appear the notion has crossed his mind. The popular figure added “worst case scenario there’s at least a few things I’d want to see through.”
Sadly, those who perpetuate crimes against the crypto community never seem to tire or run out of strength.