Cryptocurrency-linked accounts on the social media platform X are increasingly amplifying Beijing’s propaganda, with investigations revealing their connection to “Spamouflage,” a covert Chinese disinformation campaign targeting Western audiences.
According to a report by Voice of America (VOA), these accounts, which primarily focus on cryptocurrency-related content, have been found promoting messages aligned with China’s interests. Spamouflage, a network of bots posing as legitimate information sources, has been pushing narratives on topics such as COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, the conflict in Gaza, and China’s controversial human rights record.
VOA, in collaboration with DoubleThink Lab, a Taiwan-based social media analytics firm, uncovered a network of 1,153 bot accounts promoting Beijing’s agenda. Many of these cryptocurrency accounts appear to coordinate with official Chinese accounts and Spamouflage operations, suggesting an orchestrated effort to influence social media discourse in the West.
The investigation identified major cryptocurrency promoters like ChainGPT and LondonRealTV—operated by British podcaster Brian Rose—as among those engaging with Spamouflage content. These accounts reportedly shared posts from at least 17 Spamouflage-linked accounts, including one known as “Watermelon Cloth.”
Watermelon Cloth had consistently praised Chinese achievements while criticizing social issues in the U.S., Ukraine, and Israel. In one notable post, it claimed that the Russo-Ukrainian war had exposed “an unspeakable secret” about U.S. biological laboratories in Ukraine. This account has since been suspended from X.
Spamouflage, initially identified by the U.S.-based analytics firm Graphika, spreads pro-China narratives while attacking Western governments.
(Inputs from ANI)