$7M Worth of Ethereum Burned and Donated by Anonymous Developer

TLDR

Anonymous programmer Hu Lezhi burned and donated approximately $7 million worth of Ethereum (2,553 ETH)
Of this amount, 603 ETH ($1.65M) was sent to an unspendable burn address
Over 700 ETH (around $2M) was donated to Wikileaks
Lezhi claimed to be monitored by a “brain-control organization” and accused WizardQuant Capital Management of using “brain-computer weapons”
His last transaction was on February 17, 2025, containing messages about leaving the world

An anonymous programmer who identified himself as Hu Lezhi has burned and donated approximately $7 million worth of Ethereum through multiple transactions over the past week, leaving behind a trail of unusual messages on the blockchain.

The series of transactions included sending 603 ETH (worth $1.65 million) to an unspendable blockchain address, known as the ETH burn address. This action permanently removed these tokens from circulation, reducing the total supply of Ethereum.

someone burned $1.65M in ETH& donated $5.35M to WikiLeaksto get people to read these messages

but y’all still can’t shut up about $LIBRA scam that’s already been solved

wake tf up people 😑 pic.twitter.com/JOXatbc0PC

— sidus 🖤 (@sidussol) February 17, 2025

In addition to the burned tokens, Lezhi donated more than 700 ETH (approximately $2 million) to various addresses, including the Wikileaks wallet. The donations came with messages describing what he claimed was a long-term experience of surveillance and control.

The programmer’s actions began attracting attention when blockchain observers noticed the large transfers to the burn address. The transactions stood out not only for their size but also for the detailed messages that accompanied them.

Through his blockchain messages, Lezhi stated that he had been “monitored and manipulated by a brain-control organization since birth.” He claimed this surveillance began in October 2022, when he first became aware of the organization’s existence.

The messages took a darker turn as Lezhi accused executives at Chinese hedge fund WizardQuant Capital Management of using what he described as “brain-computer weapons” to control their employees. WizardQuant Capital Management, which operates from Shanghai and Beijing and was founded by Wall Street veterans, has not responded to requests for comment about these allegations.

In one of his on-chain messages, Lezhi wrote about what he called “a new mode of crime” where victims lose their sense of desire and become “complete slaves to the digital machine.” He expressed concerns about losing his human dignity through this process.

What I could find on the guy who burnt millions of dollars and donated millions of dollars 👇:

Total burnt: ~$1,650,000 (603 ETH)Total donated: ~$5,350,000 (1,950 ETH)

Messages on-chain:

The bosses of Kuande Investment: Feng Xin and Xu Yuzhi used brain-computer weapons to… pic.twitter.com/eQbd7QmZNg

— Loopify 🧙‍♂️ (@Loopifyyy) February 17, 2025

The programmer’s actions have drawn various responses from the crypto community. Some users attempted to contact Lezhi through blockchain messages, sending requests for financial help and claiming similar persecution.

Several cryptocurrency analysts have pointed out that while the burning of tokens was unusual, it had some impact on Ethereum’s economics. The removal of 603 ETH from circulation represents a deflationary action, potentially affecting the token’s supply dynamics.

Market Analysis

Data from market analytics platforms showed that Ethereum’s annual inflation rate dropped to 0.73% over the past week, indicating a declining supply rate. This reduction in available tokens could influence future price movements if demand remains steady or increases.

The last known transaction from Lezhi’s wallet occurred on February 17, 2025, at 7:13:35 AM UTC. In this final message, addressed to WikiLeaks, he repeated his claims about being monitored since birth and expressed his intention to “leave this world.”

The transactions have been verified on the Ethereum blockchain, with all amounts and messages publicly viewable. The burn address (0x00000) used in this case is a well-known destination for permanently removing tokens from circulation.

Some members of the crypto community have expressed concern about the mental health implications of the messages, while others focused on the technical aspects of such large token burns.

Market watchers continue to track the wallet address for any additional activity, though no new transactions have been recorded since the February 17 message.

The total amount involved in these transactions represents one of the larger individual token burns in recent Ethereum history, though its market impact has been limited due to Ethereum’s large daily trading volume.

Throughout the series of transactions, all messages were preserved on the Ethereum blockchain, creating a permanent record of both the financial transfers and the accompanying text.