Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has published a detailed report accusing the AI trading terminal project LAB of severe insider manipulation, with more than 95% of the token supply allegedly controlled by founders and early backers. The investigation, which builds on a $10,000 bounty posted earlier this month, claims LAB was orchestrated to pump to a $6 billion fully diluted valuation before retail investors were left holding unverifiable positions.
Insider dominance & opaque supply
According to ZachXBT, LAB’s token generation event occurred in October 2025, founded by Vova Sadkov and a co-founder named Mark. The project counts Lemniscap, OKX, Animoca, GSR, Gate, Kucoin, Mirana, and Amber among its backers — several of which are exchanges where LAB trades. However, no consistent float data exists; analytics providers show varying figures, and the team’s own documentation lacks a supply breakdown. Sadkov and Mark’s previous project, Eesee, left investors feeling abandoned after the team moved on.
On-chain evidence reveals a private loan contract charging 7.5% monthly interest over six months, signed by Sadkov on behalf of a BVI-registered shell, The Lab Management Ltd. The borrower wallet is the same address used for LAB’s public buybacks, while funds tied to LAB moved to Sadkov’s personal exchange accounts on Bybit and Gate — the same accounts that received deposits linked to Eesee.
Unilateral term changes & OTC discount schemes
The LAB team unilaterally changed certain participants’ cliff from three to nine months without consent, while content creators reported months-long delays in marketing campaign payouts. Meanwhile, co-founder Mark solicited OTC buyers in public Telegram groups, offering loans at 5% monthly, OTC at a 60% discount with a five-month cliff, and a guaranteed 25% discount tranche. The most recent offering pushed an 80% discount for KOLs, requiring them to post promotional content before unlock or face blacklisting.
Market maker links to Bitget
ZachXBT traced a market maker operation to Bitget. Between March and April 2026, insiders deposited 226 million LAB to Bitget addresses. From May 11 to 12, nearly 100 million LAB — worth around $482 million — were withdrawn to ten identified addresses. The pattern resembles a playbook previously used on tokens like RIVER, RAVE, SIREN, MYX, and SKYAI, with Bitget as the primary venue and Binance and Gate as secondary channels. The investigator urged Bitget, Binance, and Gate to freeze insider profits and redistribute them to users, or delist LAB without waiting for public pressure.
Reaction and caveat
Following the thread, Bitget untagged itself from the post. Some commenters argued that the exposure merely generates liquidity for a token that traders already treat as gambling. ZachXBT closed with a warning not to interpret the findings as a short recommendation, noting that the extreme insider supply control could be used to drive the price against short positions.
