ZachXBT: The On-Chain Investigator Exposing Scams Across the Crypto World

In a space where transactions are public but context can be opaque, few have done more to illuminate crypto’s darker corners than the pseudonymous investigator known as ZachXBT. Through meticulously documented threads and long-form reports, he has tracked stolen funds, exposed rug pulls, mapped influencer-driven pump-and-dumps, and unraveled multi-chain laundering schemes—often in near real time. You can follow his ongoing investigations on his X profile and Substack for deep dives into particularly complex cases and fund flows. Refer to his updates on X and his archive on Substack.

ZachXBT’s work is emblematic of a broader shift in Web3: on-chain data has given rise to a new kind of public-interest investigator who leverages transparent ledgers, open tools, and community collaboration to hold bad actors accountable. This movement complements traditional law enforcement and professional blockchain analytics, and it has become essential as scams continue to evolve across multiple chains, bridges, and protocols.

How On-Chain Sleuthing Works

At its core, on-chain investigation is about evidence. Every transfer, swap, bridge, and approval leaves a tamper-evident trail that can be followed. A typical workflow looks like this:

• Trace initial inflows and outflows of known scam wallets across explorers like Etherscan and Solscan, then follow cross-chain hops through bridge contracts and wrapped assets. Explore fund flows on Etherscan.
• Identify behavioral patterns such as SetApprovalForAll misuse in NFTs, mass token approvals, and signature-based draining, and link those patterns to drainer-as-a-service operations exposed by community watchdogs. See drainer patterns research from Scam Sniffer.
• Cluster addresses using heuristics—shared funding sources, repeated liquidity adds/removes, common usage of mixing services—and corroborate with public labeling from analytics platforms. Explore address intelligence resources like Arkham Intelligence and Nansen.
• Document findings with verifiable transaction hashes, timestamps, and contract calls, enabling the community, victims, and investigators to replay the evidence independently. For professional investigation techniques, review Chainalysis investigations and TRM Labs investigations.

This kind of public, reproducible research has real downstream impact: victims gain clarity, exchanges and stablecoin issuers can watch-lists or freeze assets, and law enforcement agencies can act on well-supported claims. For official points of contact and guidance on cybercrime, see the DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section resources. For sanctions and designations related to crypto-enabled illicit finance, monitor Treasury’s press releases.

What He Exposes: Common Crypto Scam Archetypes

ZachXBT’s threads often surface recurring schemes, including:

• NFT rug pulls and stealth mint traps: Projects that aggressively market, then drain treasuries or pull liquidity, exploiting blind signing and SetApprovalForAll. Learn more about blind signing risks from MetaMask’s support documentation.
• Influencer-driven pumps: Coordinated shills where insiders receive undisclosed allocations, then dump into hype cycles across social platforms and DEX listings.
• Drainer-as-a-service operations: Toolkits sold to fraudsters that automate wallet connection flows, token approvals, and simulated UI prompts to extract assets. See community reporting and victim coordination at Chainabuse.
• Cross-chain laundering: Moves through bridges, mixers, and low-liquidity tokens to fragment and obfuscate funds, often followed by consolidation into centralized touchpoints.

The common thread is that each scam leaves a transactional fingerprint. Public-ledger forensics map actions to consequences, converting speculation into verifiable evidence.

The 2025 Reality: Scams Evolve With the Stack

Crypto crime hasn’t disappeared; it has adapted. As liquidity has moved to L2s and alternative L1s, attackers have adopted multi-chain playbooks: draining assets on one chain, routing through bridges, and swapping into privacy-enhancing instruments or off-ramps. Professional investigators continue to observe these trends and publish updated methodologies. For current crime trend summaries and investigative frameworks, see Chainalysis investigations and TRM Labs investigations.

On the user side, approvals remain a high-risk surface. Many drainers rely on malicious signatures and token approvals that grant unlimited access to assets. Before signing, verify the contract and intent—and regularly revoke unneeded permissions. Use Etherscan’s Token Approval Checker and Revoke.cash to audit and rescind risky approvals.

Why Independent On-Chain Investigators Matter

• Speed: Public sleuths can trace funds quickly, often within hours of an incident, enabling exchanges and stablecoin issuers to freeze assets before they vanish.
• Transparency: Evidence-based reporting builds community trust; users can verify every claim by replaying transaction trails.
• Collaboration: Investigators coordinate with victims, white-hat responders, analytics firms, and law enforcement—multiplying the odds of recovery or deterrence.

By compiling proof and publishing accessible narratives, investigators like ZachXBT make it costly for scammers to operate in the open. Their work is a civic good for crypto.

Practical Takeaways: How to Protect Yourself

• Treat approvals as high-risk: Confirm exactly what you’re granting. Revoke old approvals, especially after interacting with new sites or contracts. Audit permissions with Etherscan’s Token Approval Checker or Revoke.cash.
• Inspect contracts before you interact: Validate mint pages, token contract authenticity, and explorer metadata. Review ERC-20 and NFT contract mechanics via OpenZeppelin documentation.
• Beware blind signing and rushed prompts: If you cannot read or understand what you are signing, don’t sign. See guidance on blind signing from MetaMask’s support documentation.
• Prefer well-audited apps and verified deployers: Contracts with public audits and transparent teams reduce uncertainty.
• Use self-custody and strong operational security: Keep private keys offline, segment funds across addresses, and avoid signing from devices with untrusted extensions.
• Report suspicious activity: File reports and share evidence to improve collective defense. Submit incidents and browse case histories at Chainabuse.

Follow the Evidence

To stay ahead of scams and learn from ongoing investigations, follow and review these resources:

• ZachXBT on X for live threads and case updates
• ZachXBT’s Substack for detailed reports
• Chainabuse for community reporting and victim coordination
• Etherscan for transaction tracing and approval checks
• Revoke.cash for permission revocations
• Chainalysis investigations and TRM Labs investigations for professional methodologies
• MetaMask’s blind signing guidance and OpenZeppelin documentation for contract-level understanding

The blockchain is transparent. With investigators like ZachXBT illuminating bad actors—and with the right self-custody and signing practices—you can participate in crypto with far greater confidence and resilience.