Key Takeaways
- ZachXBT linked 18-year-old Dritan Kapllani Jr. to roughly $19 million in alleged crypto thefts through wallet tracing, Discord footage, and court filings.
- The investigation connects multiple 2025 social-engineering scams, a $13 million Bitcoin theft, and luxury lifestyle “flex” videos shared online.
- Dritan has not been charged as of May 15, 2026, but was identified as an uncharged co-conspirator in a newly unsealed US criminal complaint.
Crypto investigator ZachXBT has dropped another explosive investigation.
The new thread from the sleuth ties an 18-year-old to millions of dollars in alleged social-engineering thefts, luxury spending, and a growing web of crypto crime circles known online as “The Com.”
The investigation centers on Dritan Kapllani Jr., whom ZachXBT alleges was connected to roughly $19 million in stolen crypto through years of wallet tracing, Discord recordings, and newly unsealed court documents.
The story spread quickly across Crypto Twitter, not just because of the money involved, but because investigators say much of the evidence was hiding in plain sight.
According to ZachXBT, the breakthrough came after Kapllani Jr. allegedly shared his wallet live during a Discord “band 4 band” call — essentially an online wealth-flex session where users show off balances, cars, watches, and lifestyles to each other.
That footage, combined with on-chain flows and a federal criminal complaint unsealed on May 11, turned what had mostly been rumors inside crypto circles into one of the most talked-about social-engineering cases of the year.
The Investigation Started Long Before the Viral Thread
According to ZachXBT’s timeline, Kapllani Jr.’s alleged activity stretches back to at least 2025.
ZachXBT linked multiple high-confidence thefts totaling more than $5.8 million to an Ethereum wallet allegedly controlled by Kapllani Jr.
Rather than exploiting smart-contract bugs, Kapllani Jr.’s attacks reportedly relied on social engineering — tricking victims into voluntarily giving up wallet access or sensitive information.
Several Bitcoin and Ethereum addresses tied to those thefts were later traced, moving funds through laundering services.
The latest being at the time of writing.
A wallet linked to Kapllani Jr. transferred $2.59 million (1.99 million DAI and 259 ETH) to another dormant wallet.
The investigation into Kapllani Jr. gained momentum in January 2026 after a separate crypto figure known online as “Lick” publicly exposed one of Kapllani Jr.’s older wallet addresses during a dispute on Telegram.
That caught attention because ZachXBT was already investigating Lick (identified as John Daghita) over a separate $46 million crypto theft allegedly tied to US Marshals Service seizure wallets.
French authorities and the FBI later arrested Daghita in Saint Martin during a joint operation.
“Band 4 Band” Goes Wrong
The biggest moment in the investigation came after a March 2026 Bitcoin theft involving 185 BTC worth roughly $13 million at the time.
According to ZachXBT, about $5.3 million from that theft later moved into an Exodus wallet allegedly controlled by Kapllani Jr.
Then came what investigators describe as the critical mistake.
On April 23, during another Discord “band 4 band” call, Kapsdllani Jr. allegedly screen-shared the same wallet while showing off roughly $3.68 million in crypto alongside videos of luxury cars, private jets, jewelry, and nightlife.
ZachXBT later obtained the recordings and posted clips in the thread.
The wallet balances shown on-screen allegedly matched funds tied to the March Bitcoin theft and earlier 2025 activity.
Federal Complaint Added Major Weight to the Claims
The story escalated further on May 11, when US authorities unsealed a criminal complaint against 19-year-old Canadian national Trenton Johnson.
In the complaint, prosecutors identified Kapllani Jr. as “Co-Conspirator 1,” though he has not been formally charged as of May 15.
The filing gave ZachXBT’s public investigation far more credibility by independently confirming some of the wallet flows and the alleged connections already discussed online.
The complaint also referenced additional laundering activity tied to Miami-based businesses and crypto figures allegedly connected to the same network.
Crypto Crime Keeps Moving From Anonymous to Public
The case highlights a growing reality inside crypto crime investigations.
Blockchain transactions may be pseudonymous, but public behavior often becomes the weak point.
Luxury social media posts, Discord calls, Telegram disputes and careless wallet exposure continue to help investigators connect digital evidence to real-world identities.
It also reflects how sophisticated social-engineering thefts have become.
Unlike traditional smart-contract exploits, many modern attacks rely on impersonation, insider information and psychological manipulation to convince victims to transfer assets willingly.
For now, Kapllani Jr. remains an uncharged co-conspirator publicly identified through ZachXBT’s reporting and the federal complaint.
Recommended Secure Partners
Insha Zia is the News Editor at CCN. Based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, he ensures the CCN newsroom provides value to readers by educating, informing, and engaging them with accurate and timely coverage.
Before joining CCN, Insha was a Senior Journalist at DailyCoin, where his career in crypto journalism took off. At DailyCoin he garnered ample experience by covering some of the biggest news in the crypto industry, especially in the Cardano ecosystem, and maintain solid relations with KOLs in the industry.
Insha has worked as a ghostwriter and a developer for three years. He has co-authored numerous articles in reputable publications, including Hackernoon, Yahoo Finance, and Nasdaq. He also has experience as a Solidity Developer and a Data Analyst.
Insha’s developer and journalist backgrounds go hand in hand when educating readers on technically complex concepts within the crypto space. He values accuracy, transparency, and delivering valuable insights to his readers.
Insha firmly believes education can propel the mass adoption of the crypto space. He is committed to giving CCN readers a greater understanding of the technology using his technical background.
Insha earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems Engineering at the University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, in 2022. His technical foundation includes expertise in quantitative and qualitative research, data analysis, programming languages, and cybersecurity.
His comprehensive skill set enables him to communicate complex concepts to crypto readers with authority and clarity, making his articles both informative and engaging for his audience.
Insha is determined to take CCN to the top of the industry. When he’s not working on his next article or editing, Insha enjoys playing video games, mainly in FPS and MMORPG genres. He also loves playing soccer and has supported Arsenal since he was six.
