X suspends 10+ crypto accounts over alleged $250K scheme

X suspended more than ten linked crypto accounts around Aug. 18 after Nikita Bier reported an operator had reposted other creators’ material and withdrawn more than $250,000 from the platform’s revenue-sharing program over roughly two years.

The action followed reports tied to the account @Vivek4real_, run under the name Vivek Sen and carrying about 270,000 followers, and a wider cluster of accounts. Accounts named in the takedown included @Bitcoin_Teddy, @BitcoinSapiens, @Kalshibacktest, @polybacktest and @saylordocs. X did not publicly list every account it believes was involved.

Investigators said the operator downloaded videos and posts from journalists, YouTube creators and other users, then reposted them through larger accounts. In some cases watermarks or other identifying marks were cropped so the reposts appeared original. Because X pays eligible creators partly based on engagement, reposted content that attracts likes, views and retweets can divert revenue to the accounts that repost it.

X changed its revenue-sharing rules in 2026 to steer more payments to original creators. That change created an incentive for accounts to present recycled material as their own and to distribute it across multiple pages to maximize impressions without producing original reporting or video.

Gareth Jenkinson, who leads multimedia, previously confronted Vivek about reposting clips; Vivek defended the practice as “a net positive” because it gave creators extra exposure. Jenkinson and other creators said exposure alone does not replace attribution or payments and that original producers can lose visibility and income when larger accounts capture engagement.

Bier forwarded the case to law enforcement. The suspensions were part of a broader enforcement campaign during 2025 and 2026 against spam, automated reply bots and engagement farms. X’s enforcement in that period frequently targeted crypto-focused accounts because high-volume posting is common in that community.

Some users criticized the referral to police. One user, Pledditor, wrote: “Honestly, a bit surprised to see words like ‘defrauded’ and ‘forwarded to law enforcement’ over tweet stealing/engagement slop. Not sure if that type of escalation is necessary. A simple suspension should’ve sufficed.” Other users report similar accounts remain active. What happens next depends on whether authorities act on the referral and whether X pursues additional networks built around recycled material.