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BlockDAG and ZKP funds allegedly rerouted into marketing, ZachXBT says

Reported by Crypto
May 20, 2026· 2 min read
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Key Takeaways
  • • ZachXBT, a prominent crypto investigator, alleges that at least $25 million in presale funds from BlockDAG Network and ZKP were commingled and redirected toward influencer marketing and promotional payments rather than project development, contrary to original presale disclosures.
  • • BlockDAG allegedly raised $300–$350 million through an extended 1.5-year presale marketing campaign while failing to deliver a fully functional product launch, raising questions about the ultimate use and allocation of capital raised.
  • • ZachXBT has issued explicit warnings for investors to avoid BlockDAG, ZKP, and Spartans (a gambling platform allegedly linked to the same operator, Gurhan Kiziloz), citing suspected fund misuse and lack of transparency.
  • • The allegations highlight a critical disclosure failure: original presale materials did not inform investors that capital would be diverted toward promoting other projects, representing a potential breach of investor trust and regulatory expectations.
  • • The case underscores how aggressive marketing tactics continue to attract retail investors in crypto despite repeated public warnings and investigative scrutiny from recognized industry watchdogs.
Summary
Crypto investigator ZachXBT has publicly accused the operators behind BlockDAG Network and ZKP of misallocating presale investor funds on a substantial scale. According to ZachXBT's on-chain analysis and public warnings, at least $25 million in commingled presale funds were redirected toward influencer marketing and promotional campaigns rather than core project development. The original presale materials for both projects allegedly failed to disclose this fund reallocation strategy, raising questions about informed consent and transparency with retail investors.

The scale of capital raised appears significant, with BlockDAG alone accused of raising between $300 million and $350 million through a protracted 1.5-year presale period. Despite these substantial inflows, BlockDAG has yet to achieve a full platform launch, adding credibility to concerns about capital deployment and project execution. ZachXBT's investigation suggests that instead of directing presale capital toward technical development and infrastructure, operators pooled funds across BlockDAG and ZKP and deployed material portions toward marketing and promotional payments—a practice not disclosed to investors upfront.

ZachXBT has explicitly warned market participants to avoid BlockDAG, ZKP, and Spartans, a gambling platform the investigator has linked to the same operator, Gurhan Kiziloz. This linkage raises broader concerns about potential cross-project coordination and undisclosed financial relationships. The allegations represent a case study in how aggressive crypto marketing can continue to attract retail capital even as investigative scrutiny mounts, and underscore the persistent challenge of presale transparency and capital allocation accountability in the cryptocurrency sector.

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Sources

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AlphaMaven summarised this story from the reporting below. Each link opens the original article.

Crypto BlockDAG and ZKP funds allegedly rerouted into marketing, ZachXBT says