DJT token creator identity revealed. Arkham gave away a bounty
The platform dedicated to blockchain investigations, Arkham, has rewarded the crypto detective ZachXBT with a bounty of $150,000 for uncovering that the divisive figure Martin Shkreli was the mind behind the Donald Trump-inspired DJT token as unveiled on Wednesday.
Arkham stated that ZachXBT has cracked this case and submitted irrefutable proof at 11:49 p.m. UTC that Martin Shkreli concocted the $DJT token.
Earlier in the week, the DJT token garnered widespread attention due to claims of its association with ex-U.S. president Donald Trump, sparked by an unverified report from Pirate Wires. These rumors caused the token's value to spike by more than 300% at one point on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Shkreli, known for his conviction for securities fraud, was actively promoting the unproven assertion that DJT represented the official token of Trump's campaign. He even put forth a $100 million challenge to the cryptocurrency trader GCR regarding the token's authenticity, which, according to Shkreli, GCR later reneged on.
Arkham publicly declared a $150,000 bounty on Tuesday night for anyone who could conclusively identify DJT's creator, a challenge that the esteemed blockchain sleuth ZachXBT accepted.
Shortly thereafter, ZachXBT shared on X that Shkreli had messaged him directly, claiming he developed the token with "Barron," seemingly indicating Donald Trump's son, Barron Trump, although there's presently no proof of Barron Trump's involvement. Later, during an X Spaces session he held, Shkreli confessed to being the creator behind DJT.
Shkreli came under the spotlight and earned the moniker "pharma bro" in 2015 after, as Turing Pharmaceuticals' CEO, he escalated the cost of a crucial medication by more than 5,000%, significantly limiting access for numerous patients. Following his 2017 sentence of seven years for separate securities fraud offenses, Shkreli was released from prison ahead of schedule in 2022.
Despite everything, Shkreli continues to maintain that he can demonstrate the Trump family's role in devising DJT, as per his statement on Wednesday.
