On-chain investigator Zach said he has no plans to review trading activity linked to the new $YZY token, launched by Kanye West on the Solana blockchain.
He explained his decision in a post on X(Twitter) on Aug. 21, pointing to the lack of incentive to spend time on cases where insiders may have made profits. The comments came as Kanye West promoted YZY as part of what he called a “new economy, made on chain.”
Debate over compensation
The post triggered replies from industry figures, including Matt Henderson, the former CSO and Head of Product at Aurora. Henderson asked Zach whether it was true that most of his work had gone unpaid and suggested he could create a transparent patron system to receive community support.
Henderson also noted that donation models exist in crypto where contributors can remain anonymous, but funds remain trackable.
Zach stated more than “95% of his public research has been unpaid”. He said there is no clear customer base for his investigations and noted that ad revenue from X or Telegram is not viable since it rewards posting frequency rather than quality.
He added that while donations and patron systems can help, they are not reliable enough to support sustained work.
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The cost of free work
The investigator said he has grown more protective of his time after years of offering pro bono support to victims of hacks or fraud.
While he enjoys the research itself, Zach said the role often shifts into customer service, which he does not want to do without fair compensation.
He estimated that if each of his 150 publicly available investigations since 2021 had been billed, even at a conservative $5,000 to $10,000 per case for up to 10 hours of work, the revenue would total between $750,000 and $1.5 million. But he emphasised that most cases take far more time than 10 hours.
Value left behind
Zach also highlighted that his work has led to significant outcomes. He said his investigations have contributed to recoveries of over $300 million in lost funds and, in some cases, even to arrests.
He noted that if standard contingency fees of around 10% were applied, the value created would be in the tens of millions. Despite that, he admitted he has left an estimated $10 million to $15 million unclaimed by not pursuing formal contracts or legal avenues.
According to Zach, his early motivation was not financial gain. But after repeated situations where goodwill was exploited, he said his view has shifted. Going forward, he will not take on unpaid investigations simply because people request them.
The backdrop of YZY
The discussion unfolded as Kanye West officially launched YZY, his long-awaited memecoin on Solana.
West presented the token as the foundation of a community-driven economy built on blockchain. The debut drew immediate attention, with traders and fans rushing to discuss its prospects and risks.
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