Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder and former CEO of Binance, has urged Elon Musk to take stronger action against bots on X, arguing that automated accounts are compromising genuine social interactions on the platform.
Posting on X, Zhao called for an outright ban on bot activity, emphasizing that he prefers to engage with human users rather than automated accounts. In his post, he suggested that while AI-generated content from tools like Grok, GPT, or DeepSeek could be acceptable when manually shared, automated posting via APIs should be restricted.
CZ’s statement comes as bots continue to be a persistent issue on X, despite Musk’s past efforts to curb their presence. Since acquiring the platform in 2022, Musk has acknowledged that bot activity is a major problem, once stating that up to 90% of replies on his posts were from automated accounts.
As the founder of Binance—the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume—CZ is one of the most prominent figures in the crypto industry, with nearly 10 million followers on X. His call for action highlights the growing frustration within the digital asset community, which often finds itself targeted by scam bots, impersonators, and misleading engagement tactics.
Expanding on his concerns, CZ further explained that AI tools have their place in practical applications, such as booking hotels or writing code, but they should not replace human interaction on social media. The issue of bots remains a key challenge for X, which has positioned itself as a leading discussion hub for crypto traders, investors, and industry leaders. While Musk has implemented measures aimed at reducing bot activity, CZ’s remarks suggest that more decisive action may be needed to restore trust in user interactions.
The Battle Against Bots In Web3
Bots have long been a problem on X, particularly within crypto circles, where they are often used to manipulate market sentiment, spread scams, and impersonate high-profile figures. Even before acquiring Twitter in 2022, Elon Musk expressed concerns over the sheer volume of fake accounts, at one point claiming that bots could make up anywhere between 20% to 90% of all platform users, according to Bloomberg. At the time, Musk considered backing out of the Twitter deal due to the platform’s inability to effectively tackle fake users. After completing the acquisition, Musk introduced premium accounts and various verification features aimed at filtering out bots, but many remain.
Meanwhile, the Web3 ecosystem is exploring alternative approaches to authentication, leveraging blockchain technology to distinguish human users from bots. One of the most notable efforts comes from Sam Altman’s Worldcoin project, which issues World ID, a digital identity that verifies a person’s humanity using biometric scans. Worldcoin also incentivizes users with cryptocurrency rewards for participating in the system.
While Web3-based identity solutions aim to provide more secure, decentralized authentication methods, they raise concerns around privacy and data security. Despite this, the idea of blockchain-powered identity verification continues to gain traction, especially in industries where bot-related fraud remains a significant issue.
The Ongoing Fight Against Impersonation
For CZ, fake accounts remain an ongoing concern. The Binance founder has repeatedly warned users about impersonation scams, urging X to take a stronger stance against fraudulent accounts using variations of his name to deceive users.
“Beware of fake “cz” accounts out there. I am only using this (@cz_binance) X account. All other accounts with “cz_…” are fake, imposters, or scammers. Please report them as you see them. I hope X do a better job on cleaning these fake accounts..”
Quick Facts:
- Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has urged Elon Musk to eliminate automated accounts from X (formerly Twitter), arguing that they disrupt real user interactions.
- CZ clarified that while AI-generated content from tools like Grok, GPT, or DeepSeek is acceptable when manually shared, automated posting through APIs should be restricted.
- The crypto industry, particularly on X, remains highly susceptible to bot-driven scams, impersonations, and misleading engagement tactics, fueling demands for stricter policies.
