The cryptocurrency market has never been short of drama, but the recent link between one of the world’s largest social media platform, now known as X Corp, and FTX’s altcoins goes beyond anything we’ve seen before.
It’s a tale of tweets, bots, and influence, where a single online gesture from a billionaire entrepreneur can cause a surge in the cryptocurrency market. Hold on to your digital hats; this one’s a rollercoaster.
Elon Musk’s Twitter influence
It’s no secret that Elon Musk, the enigmatic CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, wields an extraordinary amount of influence on Twitter.
But the true extent of this influence has been laid bare in a new study by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), showing how his tweets have the power to cause prices of certain altcoins to spike by as much as 50% within a single day.
The power of social media-driven market manipulation can no longer be ignored, and it’s time we took a critical look at what this means for the broader crypto markets.
On two specific occasions in 2023, Musk’s tweets were linked to significant spikes in the prices of altcoins PSYOP and PEPE. These weren’t innocent tweets, mind you, but carefully crafted messages featuring kittens and memes.
What’s more intriguing is how Musk’s tweets not only ignited authentic discussion but also fueled bot and promotional tweets about the altcoins, both of which are tied to specific cultures and internet phenomena. The ripple effect is hard to deny.
Despite Musk’s recent takeover of Twitter and his claims of reduced bot activity, the NCRI findings suggest that the fight against malicious bot activity is far from over.
Goldenberg from NCRI calls for a multi-pronged approach, including stricter account verification and special permissions for certified researchers. It’s clear that X Corp has a substantial challenge ahead, and it’s about time they stepped up to face it.
FTX’s altcoin explosion and the Twitter bot drama
It’s not just the influential individuals on Twitter affecting the crypto market; there’s something more insidious at play here. The NCRI study revealed that inauthentic activity on Twitter helped escalate the price of tokens listed on FTX before the exchange’s dramatic collapse.
Six particular tokens, including BOBA, GALA, and RNDR, were influenced heavily by what the NCRI termed “inauthentic chatter.” This isn’t your usual market buzz.
This is an engineered scheme that deliberately sought to alter the price of FTX-listed tokens, with some showing double-digit percentage jumps concurred with or preceded by deceptive posts on Twitter.
The NCRI’s revelation is not merely an alarming footnote in the FTX saga; it’s a slap in the face of transparency and integrity. The link between FTX’s listed altcoins and Twitter’s bots is an unsettling chapter in a broader narrative of deception.
FTX’s founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, is now facing federal indictment for alleged securities and wire fraud, along with Securities and Exchange Commission charges.
The web of influence and manipulation on Twitter is starting to unravel, and it’s clear that the fallout from this is far from over. The intertwined story of Twitter, FTX, and Elon Musk’s influence on the cryptocurrency market is a stark reminder of the fragile and often unregulated nature of digital currencies.
