Crypto grifters are recruiting open-source AI developers
This post describes a memecoin tactic that’s tailored for open-source AI: create a token that automatically routes a cut of trading fees to a well-known developer’s social account (often without their permission), inflate the token’s activity to make the “earnings” look real, and then pitch the developer on free money as “support from the community.” Once the developer posts about it, the coin gains legitimacy and liquidity — and early insiders can sell into the hype.
The key point is that the token is technically unrelated to the open-source project it’s named after. Buying it doesn’t unlock features, fund a roadmap, or provide access to a service. It’s just a marketing wrapper around a fee-siphon. The post also makes a pragmatic observation: open-source AI developers are especially attractive targets because their audiences are technical enough to buy crypto, and a six-figure “windfall” is large enough to be tempting but small enough to be achievable by manipulation.