ZachXBT revisits Ansem warnings amid Sahil payment claims

Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has revisited his warnings about Ansem’s celebrity memecoin promotions after Sahil Arora’s payment allegations prompted questions about his response.

ZachXBT, responding to a user who asked why he had been quiet about the allegations, said he had already challenged the same behavior in previous market cycles. His reply followed posts in which Sahil claimed that transfers to a wallet he associated with Ansem accompanied celebrity token launches.

“I tried calling out Ansem numerous times in the past for promoting micro cap and celeb tokens, but gamblers brought him credibility and exit liquidity yet again this cycle,” the investigator wrote.

ZachXBT says earlier Ansem warnings went unheeded

In his response, ZachXBT accused traders of continuing to follow influencers despite earlier warnings. He questioned the value of repeating criticism when audiences returned to the same personalities.

The investigator said he was occupied with cases involving a French bank heist, North Korean activity and the criminal network known as The Com. He described those investigations as producing measurable results, contrasting them with engagement generated by repeatedly calling out people he had criticized before.

Attached to his response were earlier exchanges with Ansem from May and October 2024. The discussions covered celebrity token launches, the credibility supplied by hosting promotional conversations, and losses associated with small-cap trading.

Sahil subsequently shared the response with the comment “Coldest Twin Breathing?” In a separate Nov. 7 post, he promised further material about traders and promotional activity, continuing a series of disclosures about the 2024 celebrity memecoin market.

Sahil’s payment allegations meet Ansem’s denial

One post circulated in the discussion alleged that 129 SOL, valued by Sahil at roughly $22,000 at the time, had been sent shortly before Iggy Azalea publicized MOTHER.

The accompanying explorer image displayed 129.5 SOL and a timestamp of May 28, 2024, at 00:28:42 UTC. Sahil attributed the recipient wallet to Ansem and alleged that similar transfers preceded other celebrities’ token announcements.

As crypto.news previously reported, Ansem has denied working with Sahil and disputed the authenticity of purported private messages presented during the exchanges. He argued that the wording and capitalization did not resemble his texting style.

Sahil separately alleged that he paid approximately $100,000 for MOTHER promotion. His posts presented that allegation alongside transaction material, while Ansem rejected the claimed working relationship.

The disclosures have included purported celebrity promotion chats involving other personalities, discussions about X Spaces and requests for engagement from celebrity accounts.

Ansem’s earlier defense focused on helping celebrities enter crypto

During the May 30, 2024, exchange, Ansem said he had joined a Space about Caitlyn Jenner’s token to ask questions and had not promoted it. He said he later described the project as a scam.

Discussing Azalea, he said he had requested permission to co-host a Space so he could hear her views on crypto, adding that he considered her intentions good.

ZachXBT challenged that approach.

“You leading the Spaces provides credibility to them,” he wrote.

Ansem responded that he wanted to help celebrities and their communities enter crypto if they were not harming people. When he asked how else he should assess them, the investigator suggested private conversations and introductions to legitimate projects before public promotion.

By October 2024, their disagreement had moved to Ansem’s commentary on numerous small-cap tokens. Ansem defended discussing trades that attracted retail interest and cited successful calls, while ZachXBT questioned the losses associated with other tokens he had mentioned.

The celebrity launches themselves drew scrutiny. In May 2024, Davido’s token trading attracted attention after Lookonchain reported purchases and subsequent sales from a wallet associated with the singer.

US guidance requires disclosure of paid endorsements

A participant in the latest discussion questioned whether undisclosed paid social media promotion was illegal in the United States.

The Federal Trade Commission’s endorsement guidance says influencers should disclose material connections to brands, including payments, employment relationships and other benefits.

The agency places responsibility for disclosure on influencers themselves. It advises placing disclosures alongside the endorsement, where audiences can easily see them, and repeating disclosures during livestreams so people joining partway through receive the information.