TheBlock
X has filed a London lawsuit against UK residents Vivek Kumar Sen and Zamyang Sherpa, alleging they and unidentified accomplices manipulated its Creator Revenue Sharing program to obtain £207,384, or about $277,000, in payouts. X says the group coordinated nine accounts through likes, reposts and replies to create artificial engagement and increase their revenue share.
The filing alleges that several accounts published identical or substantially similar crypto-focused posts within minutes of one another, including one sequence with posts appearing 11 seconds apart. X also points to overlapping financial and identifying details across the accounts. It says the Stripe account linked to @Bitcoin_Teddy was registered to “Stefan Mann,” while the connected bank account was held by Sen and the associated email address was linked to him.
Why it matters
The case highlights the financial incentives behind engagement manipulation on creator platforms. X says it suspended the accounts on Aug. 18 over what it described as “coordinated revenue-sharing fraud and platform manipulation.” The program began around July 28, 2023, before X replaced it with the Original Content Rewards program on Sept. 7.
X is seeking at least another £75,000, or about $100,000, for investigation, analysis, remediation and steps to prevent further wrongdoing. The allegations have not been adjudicated by the court, and the defendants' liability has not been established.
Market impact
The dispute does not establish wrongdoing across crypto-focused creator accounts, but it shows how closely platforms are likely to examine coordinated posting, payment details and artificial engagement. Any changes to payout verification or account linking could affect creators who rely on platform revenue, particularly those operating multiple themed accounts.
The case also gives social platforms a legal test for recovering payments tied to alleged manipulation. Its outcome could influence how creator monetization programs handle account networks, identity checks and enforcement costs.
Frequently asked questions
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How much does X claim it lost in the alleged payout scheme?
X puts its claimed program losses at £207,384, or about $277,000. It is also seeking at least £75,000, or about $100,000, for investigation, remediation and prevention measures.
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How did the alleged accounts manipulate X's creator program?
X alleges that the accounts operated in concert, using likes, reposts and replies to mimic genuine engagement and increase their share of Creator Revenue Sharing payouts.
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What evidence does X cite about coordinated posting?
X says several accounts posted identical or substantially similar crypto-focused content within minutes of one another. One cited sequence involved posts appearing 11 seconds apart.
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Which accounts did X flag in the lawsuit?
The filing identifies nine accounts, including @Vivek4real_, @Bitcoin_Teddy, @saylordocs, @TrendingBitcoin, @Kalshibacktest and @PolyBackTest.
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Have the fraud allegations been proven in court?
No. The allegations have not been adjudicated by the court, and the defendants' liability has not been established.
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