On February 17, 2025, an anonymous user burned approximately 603 ETH (worth about $1.67 million) by sending it to an Ethereum null address.
Details of the Ethereum Burns and Donations
The user has identified himself as Hu Lezhi and claims to be a programmer and entrepreneur. In addition to burning 603 ETH, Hu burned 33.03 ETH and 70.36 ETH on February 10 and 15, respectively.
The burns were accompanied by several on-chain messages about “brain control” and digital slavery in both Chinese and English. Hu alleges that since birth, he’s been monitored and manipulated by a “brain-control organization.”
The user warned about the large-scale military deployment of brain-computer chips, which he claims major powers are using base stations, radio signals, and nano brain-machine chips to control citizens.
Hu Lezhi also made specific allegations against Kuande Investment (also known as WizardQuant), a Chinese hedge fund. He accused bosses Feng Xin and Xu Yuzhi of using “brain-computer weapons” to persecute employees and former employees.
It wasn’t about burning ETH but two other beneficiaries who enjoyed donations. A WikiLeaks donation address received 711.52 ETH ($1.97 million), and the Ethereum Foundation received 133 ETH (about $354,000) through an Endaoment address.
Implications for Crypto
The large sums of ETH burns have highlighted the capacity of blockchain technology to facilitate anonymous, large-scale financial transactions and communications.
Furthermore, the donation to WikiLeaks could be seen as a signal of crypto’s ability to support controversial organizations.
The controversial claims, large burns, and donations expose strange opportunities in the realm of cryptocurrencies. Moreover, they start the required conversation on the crypto community’s accountability during such events.
Despite the validity of the claims still hanging in the balance, this incident has brought some important considerations to the fore of the crypto community.
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