ZachXBT, a prominent blockchain investigator, has claimed that he is being subjected to what he perceives as borderline harassment by the Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) of the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in their efforts to seek his assistance in blockchain investigations.
In a post on X dated March 6, ZachXBT detailed his concerns, stating that while he has been willing to assist victims and support law enforcement with necessary information, he believes that the IRS has overstepped his “personal boundaries” in their pursuit of his assistance in solving blockchain-related crimes.
I have been borderline harassed by @IRS_CI agents on 4-5 occasions now in the past few months with a blatant disregard for any professionalism so I have decided to now share this publicly.
They have shown up irl to old addresses, contacted personal emails using private data,… pic.twitter.com/3MPaMYwfhc
— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) April 5, 2024
He alleged that the CIU has gone as far as showing up at his old addresses in person, contacting his personal email using private data, and sending mail despite having public contact methods readily available.
ZachXBT shared screenshots of an email from an IRS special agent praising his work in blockchain tracing and seeking his guidance in navigating the crypto and cyber arenas. However, he criticized the multiple means of contact, stating that it showed a “blatant disregard for any professionalism.”
This incident occurred after ZachXBT refused to assist holders of the Complex (SIMPLE) memecoin, created on the Base blockchain, following the abrupt shutdown of the project on April 4. He expressed his preference for assisting actual victims rather than those who engage in speculative activities with memecoins.
The IRS has been actively expanding its collaborations within the blockchain tracing sphere, partnering with various individuals and companies to enhance its investigative capabilities in the crypto space.
