Onchain investigator ZachXBT announced an upcoming probe into insider trading at a major crypto business, prompting selloffs in several high-revenue tokens. Tokens like MET, HYPE, and PUMP dropped as traders speculated on the targets. A prediction market quickly gained traction betting on which company would be exposed.
On February 23, 2026, prominent onchain sleuth ZachXBT posted on X about a forthcoming investigation. He stated, “Major investigation dropping February 26 on one of crypto’s most profitable businesses where multiple employees abused internal data to insider trade over a prolonged period of time.” This teaser triggered immediate market reactions, with traders attempting to anticipate the revelations by selling off related assets.
High-revenue altcoins MET, HYPE, and PUMP led the downturn. Since ZachXBT's post, MET fell 6.5%, HYPE declined 4.4%, and PUMP dropped 6.6%. These tokens are among DeFi's largest revenue generators, and their business models have raised questions about potential insider activity.
The speculation extended to a Polymarket prediction market titled “Which crypto company will ZachXBT expose for insider trading?” It amassed over $600,000 in volume within three hours. Current odds position memecoin platform pumpfun at 22%, Axiom Trading Terminal at 15%, and Meteora at 11% as the leading candidates.
ZachXBT's investigations often uncover significant misconduct in the crypto space, contributing to his reputation for transparency. This event highlights ongoing concerns about insider trading in decentralized finance, though details of the exposé remain pending until February 26.
