Blockchain Detective ZachXBT Helps Recover $20M for the U.S. but Receives No Reward on NFT.EU

Renowned crypto investigator ZachXBT has revealed that he helped the U.S. government reclaim a substantial portion of $20 million in stolen funds — yet he didn’t receive a dime for his work. The news has reignited discussion within the crypto community about compensating independent researchers who contribute to the industry.

Assisting the Government

ZachXBT said he participated in investigating the theft of $20 million from the U.S. government, helping to recover part of that amount. The admission came in response to a comment on X suggesting that the investigator would have plenty of work in the next four years due to the market’s pro-crypto direction.

Despite multiple successes in exposing scammers and recovering stolen funds, the analyst admitted that financial gain has never been his priority. He reminded readers that his work has already led to the arrest of hackers responsible for $243 million in thefts and to the unmasking of fraudulent memecoin schemes.

“ZACHXBT” Memecoin

In light of questions over fair compensation for ZachXBT, an unknown developer launched a memecoin bearing his name on the Solana blockchain. According to on-chain data, the analyst received 500 million of these tokens — half of the total supply. He used some of them to create liquidity but later withdrew 91 million tokens and the associated SOL.

Shortly thereafter, Zach transferred 16,000 SOL (~$3.9 million) to a new address, then to Wintermute, a market maker. Likely an OTC deal, the transaction stirred debate: Some saw it as a justified compensation for his industry contributions, while others argued that it negatively impacts the memecoin community.

The analyst admitted he regrets not paying attention to the financial aspects of his work sooner.

“One of my biggest regrets is not making profit a priority,” he wrote on X.

He added that altruistic pursuits can sometimes be disappointing when there’s no monetary reward.

Community Support

Following these events, many users proposed initiatives to support ZachXBT with crypto donations. However, the efforts have drawn mixed reactions. While some were willing to help, others found it suspicious, noting that Zach already has a public donation address.

Nonetheless, his work remains vital for the crypto sector. His investigations not only help recover millions in lost funds but also raise awareness of the fraud problem within the crypto space.