ZachXBT has defended the collaboration and fired back at critics. | Source: Image originally from BNB Chain on X; altered using Google Gemini
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Key Takeaways
ZachXBT’s new collaboration with BNB Chain has triggered criticism.
The anonymous sleuth has fiercely defended the partnership.
A wider problem has emerged from the backlash, there are not enough independent investigators like ZachXBT to go around.
Blockchain platform BNB Chain has announced a partnership with prominent on-chain investigator ZachXBT, a move that has sparked a wave of backlash from parts of the crypto community, accusing the self-styled crypto sleuth of hypocrisy and bias.
In response to being called a “hypocrite” and “CZ shill” by some rattled members of the community, ZachXBT has fired back with his justification for the move.
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ZachXBT, an anonymous crypto investigator known for exposing scams and rug pulls across Web3, rose to prominence after he began tracing stolen funds following his own experience as a scam victim four years ago.
As his fame and popularity have surged over the last few years, the investigator has been open about accepting donations to continue his work.
On Wednesday, Nov. 5, BNB Chain announced on X that ZachXBT would work with its community “to help keep the ecosystem cleaner, fairer, and more transparent.”
Keeping Web3 safe takes more than tech, it takes people who care enough to trace every lead.@zachxbt is now supporting the BNB Chain community to help keep the ecosystem cleaner, fairer, and more transparent pic.twitter.com/8neDFYPvtv
“Keeping Web3 safe takes more than tech, it takes people who care enough to trace every lead,” BNB Chain wrote in a post.
BNB Chain, originally launched by crypto exchange Binance, said ZachXBT would assist in identifying and reporting malicious activity on its network.
“Thanks, I look forward to publishing my upcoming investigation into an exploit,” he wrote in response to the announcement.
Community Backlash
While the partnership was framed as a step toward improving ecosystem security, many in the community have voiced intense skepticism, questioning whether the move compromises ZachXBT’s independence.
In response, ZachXBT raised over $1 million in crypto donations to cover legal costs — with contributions pouring in from industry leaders.
Supporters of ZachXBT argued that the partnership did not imply allegiance to Binance or CZ, noting that he continues to expose scams across multiple ecosystems.
ZachXBT Fires Back
In response, ZachXBT defended the collaboration and fired back at critics, saying grants from blockchain projects were a routine part of funding his investigative work.
“Grants from chains are one of the main ways I fund my work,” he wrote. “BNB Chain reached out asking how they could best support my future investigations.”
“They are a top 10 chain by every metric, and their logo is displayed on my banner along with others like Arbitrum and Optimism.”
He also suggested that the loudest critics were often those who contributed the least:
“Interesting how the people upset are the ones who contribute nothing and ask the most from me,” he added.
ZachXBT responds. | Source: X
Most recently, the blockchain sleuth pointed out how his investigation into an “exploit like Uranium easily took 150+ hours.”
“Idk how it’s unreasonable to approach the ecosystem the incident happened on for future research projects?” he wrote.
“You somehow expect me to have access to every user account / internal data on CEXs to audit the root cause?”
Ending one post with a savage retort to a critic, he wrote:
“Sorry you gambled away your overleveraged portfolio on 10/10 instead of simply holding spot and have decided to instead take it out on others.”
The ZachXBT Paradox
The majority of the crypto community has pushed back against the outrage, arguing that ZachXBT does not owe anyone his self-funded time or labor.
But the latest online fight has exposed a deeper issue within the crypto space, there simply aren’t enough independent investigators like ZachXBT to go around.
ZachXBT receives hundreds of requests for help.
As crypto scams grow more sophisticated and widespread, the demand for the kind of work ZachXBT does is soaring.
A glance through his X replies shows hundreds of users asking for help in tracing lost funds, with the investigator himself claiming to receive hundreds of direct messages every day.
Unless more credible blockchain sleuths emerge, ZachXBT will likely remain pulled in multiple directions and increasingly under fire from the very audience he aims to protect.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
