ZachXBT alleges Axiom employee conducted insider trading

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email ZachXBT alleges Axiom employee conducted insider trading The claim comes two days after trading firm Jane Street was accused of insider trading in relation to the collapse of Terra in 2021. By Oliver Knight , Shaurya Malwa | Edited by Sheldon Reback Feb 26, 2026, 2:25 p.m. Make us preferred on Google (Clint Patterson/Unsplash) What to know : Blockchain investigator ZachXBT said a senior Axiom Exchange employee allegedly misused internal tools to access sensitive user data, track private wallets and potentially trade memecoins using inside information. Axiom said it was “shocked and disappointed” by the allegations and removed access to those systems. It pledged to continue investigating and hold the responsible parties to account. The claims highlight growing scrutiny of trading practices and data misuse in the crypto industry. Blockchain sleuth ZachXBT on Thursday said a senior employee at onchain trading platform Axiom Exchange allegedly abused internal access to user data to track private wallets and potentially trade memecoins using inside information. In a thread posted to X , ZachXBT said Broox Bauer, a New York-based senior business development employee at Axiom, used internal dashboards to look up sensitive user information — including linked wallet addresses — and shared that data with a small group that mapped trades of prominent crypto influencers. Axiom, founded in 2024 by Mist and Cal and a member of Y Combinator’s Winter 2025 cohort, has generated more than $390 million in revenue to date, according to ZachXBT. ZachXBT said he was retained to investigate allegations that internal tools were being misused. He did not say who retained him. In audio clips shared in the thread, a person said to be Bauer allegedly claims he can track “any Axiom user” by referral code, wallet address or UID and “find out anything to do with that person.” In the same recording, he describes initially researching 10–20 wallets and gradually increasing activity “so it does not look that suspicious.” Axiom did not respond to CoinDesk's request for comment. In a post on X , Axiom said it was "shocked and disappointed" that someone on the team abused internal customer support tools. "We have removed access to these tools and will continue to investigate and hold the offending parties responsible," Axiom continued. "This does not represent us as a team, we have always tried to put the user first. We’ll share updates on our twitter as we learn more." The investigator alleged Bauer shared screenshots in April and August 2025 showing private wallet data tied to specific traders, including connected addresses and registration details. He also claimed a group compiled wallet addresses for multiple crypto key opinion leaders (KOLs) in a Google Sheet using data sourced from Axiom’s internal dashboard. Several of the people named in the leaked material independently confirmed the accuracy of wallet information, according to ZachXBT. The alleged strategy focused on traders known for accumulating large memecoin positions from private wallets before promoting tokens publicly. By identifying previously undisclosed wallets, the group could theoretically monitor accumulation patterns and position ahead of anticipated price moves. ZachXBT identified what he said was Bauer’s primary wallet and mapped related addresses, noting that funds flowed to several deposit addresses on centralized exchanges. He cautioned, however, that without access to Axiom’s internal logs, it is difficult to establish high-confidence examples of insider trading based solely on onchain data. The claims surfaced amid heightened scrutiny of trading practices in crypto. Earlier this week, a widely followed Polymarket bet on the identity of the firm in the investigation shifted sharply toward Axiom, with the market generating more than $30 million in volume. Solana-based liquidity platform Meteora was the leading candidate at about 43% odds earlier in the week, with Axiom, Pump.fun, Jupiter and MEXC trailing at lower probabilities. As of European morning hours Thursday, those odds shifted and Axiom became the frontrunner at 35%, followed by Meteora at 26% and the 'others' category at 15%. While prediction market odds reflect trader sentiment, they offer no verified insight into the underlying evidence or the outcome of the investigation. 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