Pre-crypto Tate
The controversial influencer and former kickboxer, Andrew Tate, earned a name for himself as someone vehemently against everything crypto. He believed that crypto enthusiasts were a group of “lazy losers,” and that being a Bitcoin maximalist would not help them attract a woman who loves them.
“What kind of loser are you to make some money from internet digital money and then make it your profile picture and change your display name?”
According to Grok, Andrew Tate entered the cryptospace in early 2019 through his private War Room, a paid membership platform for his followers. Later, the BBC wrote an article on the experience of being in the War Room as a scary place with powerful men who follow in their footsteps. Leaked internal chats exposed the exploitation of dozens of women.
Tate also promoted the BAO coin scheme within the private community, a coin whose whereabouts are nowhere to be found today.
The social media influencer also used his wealth to promote the idea of being rich among his rapidly increasing followers. His next move was to educate people on how to become rich. Subsequently, he used his website to offer online courses from the “Hustler’s University,” with crypto being a part of his “curriculum.”
Post-crypto Tate
For his courses at the Hustler University, Tate accepted payments in digital currencies. Two wallet addresses linked to BTC and Ethereum were found receiving payments for the same, according to Elliptic. Elliptic stated:
“Our analysis indicates that the addresses received $1.6 million in Bitcoin payments alone, across more than 177 transactions.”
In one of his interviews, he says that he turned to Bitcoin, as he was against financial censorship and for personal autonomy. He allegedly saw it as a means to break away from centralized control.
Tate says that banks are designed to keep individuals trapped in a system so that their money is in the hands of the institutions. In 2024, the social media influencer launched his tokens on the Solana blockchain, which are called $DADDY and $G. According to data from CoinGecko, the $DADDY market cap currently stands slightly above $9 million.
Later, he labeled the industry a “scam” in some contexts, possibly referring to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or memecoins, while still profiting from his 2024 DADDY token launch.
He gained notoriety for employing a pump-and-dump strategy by promoting both low-cap and high-cap memecoins. His announcement predictably led to an increase in demand, drastically inflating their market capitalization. However, Tate allegedly sold off his holdings during the market surge, leaving his followers with heavy losses.
Despite his method of pretending to speak for people, his intention is also profit-making. His propaganda reflects a very anti-government and pro-sovereignty stance. He does what others did: hype up the tokens using social media presence and liquidate when he knows he can make a profit.
For Tate, crypto isn’t just money but a statement against the traditional financial system and an extreme vision of protecting wealth, a strategic financial move in a centralized world.
Tate’s recent interest in zero-knowledge proofs
Recently, Tate discussed zero-knowledge (ZK) proof as the sole path to user privacy, emphasizing the need to conceal wealth from the government and other surveilling entities. Even amid Bitcoin’s latest downturn, he says that ‘crypto will recover with privacy at its core.’
To explain, ZK proof gives security, privacy, and efficiency within the blockchain and digital finance. It is basically a simple method to verify without revealing your data.
What does Tate hold today?
Despite the mishaps in the cryptospace over the past 6 years, it appears that Tate hasn’t given up on digital assets. Although he hasn’t changed his X profile picture to a cartoon or his display name to ‘.ETH,’ his crypto wallet remains relatively active.
According to the latest data from Arkham Intelligence, the net total value of his public cryptowallet is slightly above $215,000. The majority of his holdings are concentrated among $DADDY, ETH, and SOL. His wallet also includes several other memecoins with questionable origins.
Summing up Tate’s journey in crypto
Tate uses digital assets as both a financial tool and a narrative too; some speak facts, while some are said for his personal benefits, yet people follow his advice for crypto investments.
Tate’s constant token promotions, unanticipated sell-offs, and self-serving claims show how easily his message blurs the line between ideology and profit. In the end, he is also a businessman before the role of ‘the defender of freedom.’
Think before you succumb to influencers.
