Undisclosed KOL Paid-Promotion Network (2025)
Summary
On September 1, 2025, blockchain investigator ZachXBT published a leaked spreadsheet documenting over 200 crypto influencers (key opinion leaders, or KOLs) approached to promote a token campaign, with more than 160 confirmed to have accepted payments ranging from $50 to $60,000 per post via the Solana network. Of those 160+, fewer than five disclosed the promotional posts as paid advertisements — a compliance rate under 3% — in apparent violation of U.S. Federal Trade Commission Endorsement Guides and, where promoted assets qualify as securities, Section 17(b) of the Securities Act of 1933. The sponsoring project was later identified as AI memecoin platform Memenetic, which publicly acknowledged the payments.
Connected Entities
1 entities · 10 linked investigationsTimeline(5 events)
2025-09-01
ZachXBT publishes leaked price sheet on X listing 200+ crypto influencers, their Solana wallet addresses, and per-post promotional rates; states fewer than 5 of 160+ who accepted deals disclosed posts as paid advertisements.
The Block, Blocmates, Bitcoinist (all citing ZachXBT's X post dated September 1, 2025)2025-09-01
Memenetic (AI memecoin platform) publicly acknowledges on X it planned the influencer payments, states the leak is 'correct, but also an understatement,' and alleges intermediaries @MsCryptomom1 and @imanihamida defrauded it of approximately $232,000 in USDC by substituting influencer wallet addresses.
CCN, The Block2025-09-01
@Atitty_ (highest-fee participant at $60,000) acknowledges receiving payment, disputes single-post characterization, states the project pressured him against disclosure, and reports receiving threats and doxxing.
CoinChapter, Blocmates2025-09-02
Major secondary reporting wave: The Block, Bitcoinist, CoinCentral, Blocmates, CCN, and other outlets publish full-length articles covering the spreadsheet, named influencers, fee tiers, and compliance rate.
The Block, Bitcoinist, CoinCentral2025-09-12
Disruption Banking publishes extended analysis of the network's implications for institutional trust in crypto influencer marketing.
Disruption BankingDecision Log
- hash: 5vVoMghTEMfTMK3o774UCmPFjS4Qf7A5EVzecSxvaW6A
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain and source URLs are archived via the Internet Archive.
model: claude-sonnet-4-6
generated: 6/3/2026, 2:54:25 AM
last updated: 6/3/2026, 2:54:31 AM
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