ZachXBT Posts $10K Bounty Over LAB Token Manipulation

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The ZachXBT LAB bounty seeks Sadkov’s passport or ID, along with insider details such as market-maker contracts and chat logs. According to ZachXBT, the evidence would expose coordinated manipulation of LAB on Bitget spot markets and perpetual futures on three other major exchanges.

“These grifters are further hurting the industry reputation and it must not go unpunished. War time mode,” ZachXBT wrote on X.

What Is the LAB Token?

LAB is the native token of a multi-chain trading terminal at lab.pro. The platform aggregates spot, limit, and perpetual futures trading across Solana, Ethereum, and BNB Chain into a single browser-based interface.

The project raised $1.5 million in a community round and reportedly around $5 million total in VC funding. Its token launched on BNB Chain with the contract address 0x7ec43cf65f1663f820427c62a5780b8f2e25593a, according to CoinGecko data.

LAB surged roughly 3,700% in the month before the bounty was posted. As of May 7, the token traded between $3.70 and $4.51 across platforms. Daily volume exceeded $225 million, according to CoinMarketCap.

The Alleged ZachXBT LAB Bounty Scheme

ZachXBT’s accusations center on a coordinated pump-and-dump allegedly run through a single unnamed market maker. The scheme reportedly operated across Bitget spot and perpetual contracts on Bybit, Binance, and OKX simultaneously.

On-chain investigator @SpecterAnalyst posted evidence that “team wallets” deposited hundreds of millions of LAB tokens to Bitget immediately before a sharp price surge starting around May 1, 2026. Separately, X user @tier1haterr linked Sadkov to prior “rugs” and “exits” through his LinkedIn profile.

The alleged playbook works like this: insiders deposit tokens to a spot exchange to create visible buy pressure. At the same time, they open leveraged long positions on perpetual contracts elsewhere. Once retail traders pile in, the insiders sell spot holdings into that liquidity while closing their perp positions.

Operating across multiple venues makes the activity harder for retail to detect in real time. Perpetual funding rates on Binance, OKX, and Bybit remained elevated during the event window, according to Coinglass data.

Who Is Vova Sadkov?

Vova Sadkov (@vsadkovv) is the founder and CEO of LAB. He is a Dubai-based entrepreneur with a Russian background, according to his public profiles. He graduated from Moscow State Language University and claims two prior exits in EduTech and MedTech startups.

Sadkov also founded eesee.io, an NFT and SocialFi platform. Community members have raised unverified allegations linking that project to previous losses, though no primary-source evidence supports those claims.

Sadkov has not responded publicly to the ZachXBT LAB bounty or the manipulation accusations as of May 7, 2026 afternoon UTC.

ZachXBT’s Track Record on Crypto Investigations

ZachXBT has built a reputation as one of crypto’s most effective independent investigators. His past work includes exposing a $243 million Bitcoin theft and calling out the RAVE token manipulation scheme.

Earlier on May 7, ZachXBT flagged LAB alongside SkyAI as part of a repeating pattern of coordinated CEX manipulation. “Every new token running similar scams only hurts the credibility of the industry further,” he wrote.

The Block published tier-1 coverage of the accusations and bounty on the same day.

Exchange Silence and Community Reaction

None of the four exchanges named in the accusations have issued a public statement. Bitget, Bybit, Binance, and OKX all list LAB, and all had active trading during the alleged manipulation window.

Community sentiment on X strongly supports ZachXBT’s investigation. Dominant reactions include calls to “name and shame” the market makers and demands for exchange accountability.

A minority of accounts pushed back. Some accused ZachXBT of shorting LAB himself. Others called the bounty for personal documents “criminal” or characterized the alleged manipulation as “normal market making” in low-float tokens.

No major contradicting evidence has gained traction. The pushback remains anecdotal compared to support for the investigation.

What Comes Next for LAB and the Bounty

The identity of the specific market maker remains unknown. So do the exact wallet addresses, chat logs, and contract terms that the ZachXBT LAB bounty targets. Whether the bounty produces actionable intelligence depends on insiders willing to come forward.

If ZachXBT’s previous investigations are any guide, the evidence trail could expand quickly. His bounty-driven approach has produced results in prior cases, though outcomes vary.

For now, the LAB situation highlights a persistent gap in crypto markets. Four major exchanges facilitated the trading activity in question, yet none have acknowledged the allegations. Until exchanges and regulators close that gap, on-chain investigators like ZachXBT remain crypto’s primary line of defense against alleged manipulation.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.