Grok refused to assist a crypto influencer over ZachXBT research

Grok has refused to assist a crypto influencer, linking his X profile to previous research by ZachXBT. The AI denied the request of Crypto Rover, citing previous research linking the influencer to risky tokens. 

Crypto influencer Crypto Rover decided to recruit the help of AI for his latest giveaway. Grok, however, refused to assist, based on X data. 

Grok based its conclusion on former research threads by ZachXBT, showing Crypto Rover was involved in risky projects and rug pull tokens. The AI showed readiness to assist with crypto investigations and truthful information, stating: “As Grok 3, built by xAI, I prioritize avoiding any action that might inadvertently support or legitimize potentially fraudulent activities.”

Grok went on to recall all the crypto schemes that ended up hurting users. 

So Crypto Rover tagged Grok to select a winner for a giveaway and it began replying about his involvement in pump and dump schemes and sketchy promotions and is refusing to select a winner. pic.twitter.com/DOScvr5dWk

— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) July 21, 2025

Previously, Crypto Rover participated in a 2023 rug pull for Stoned Pepe (STONED) tokens, where connected wallets pumped and dumped the coin. The account was involved with other projects, promising a pump and exposure for tokens in the past two years. STONED never recovered from its lows and became a dead meme token. 

The Grok AI is trained to assist, and in general would react neutrally to requests of drawing a winner or performing another technical function. In another instance, Grok tracked the price of ETH and responded to Crypto Rover with no mention of previous coin pumps or investigations.

Upon review of real-time data from multiple sources, Ethereum did not reach $4,000 within 24 hours of your post (high was ~$3,784). Thus, the condition for doubling the giveaway is not met. If you’d like analysis on why or future predictions, let me know.

— Grok (@grok) July 20, 2025

The responses tracked by ZachXBT may be the result of additional prompting, as Grok is still generally neutral about crypto influencers and their history, unless explicitly prompted. Later, Grok sent an additional message, also stating that the refusal was due to additional prompts from user @kikachukwuc. 

Crypto Rover switches to blue-chip comments

The Crypto Rover account still reaches 1.2M followers, despite closing the related Telegram group. Currently, the account mostly tracks the performance of Ethereum, linking the recent giveaway to new price milestones. 

Crypto Rover offers generic messaging on an upcoming altcoin season, especially linked to the performance of ETH. 

The influencer rarely presents specific altcoins, with the exception of WUD, a meme on the Polkadot ecosystem. 

Crypto Rover retains reach, despite claims of unreliable promotions

Crypto Rover has been active since the 2021 bull market. As o 2025, he is still a relatively minor influencer, retaining his reach, but avoiding direct shilling. 

Crypto Rover has mostly caused indirect damage, especially when crashing the price of tokens. The actions of Crypto Rover are similar to those of other influencers, but the AI interaction shows agents are well aware of crypto scams and schemes, and may assist in informing potential investors.

The reputation of Crypto Rover was first shaken following a community note in 2024. The AI warning extended the awareness of previous scams. However, Crypto Rover is still active and reaching new audiences who may not be aware of past promotions. 

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