Crypto loves redemption arcs. It also loves amnesia. Protos reports that pseudonymous trader 0xSisyphus, whose AnubisDAO ended in “catastrophic failure” and lost roughly 13,556 ETH worth about $60 million, has rebuilt a large following on X as a self-appointed referee for other people’s alleged wrongdoing.
The story Protos tells is less about a clean comeback and more about incentives. In a space where a massive fraud often becomes a hiring credential, 0xSisyphus now frames himself as a public scold. Protos notes that younger Crypto Twitter members who haven’t heard of Anubis make that posture easier to sustain.
What happened with AnubisDAO
Protos describes AnubisDAO as a dog-themed crypto project that failed with losses around 13,556 ETH. The desk says that episode did not end with accountability. Protos adds that victims “were never able to recover their funds,” yet “no one went to prison for theft.”
Protos then connects the collapse to an earlier, parallel controversy. In October 2023, an anonymous investigator called NFT Ethics alleged on X that OpenSea’s former Head of Ventures, Kevin Pawlak, used the pseudonym behind certain claims. NFT Ethics, as described by Protos, accused Pawlak of “various very dubious business dealings,” including “pump & dump schemes” and trying to unload a stake in the failing AnubisDAO onto Sam Bankman-Fried’s Alameda Research.
OpenSea’s response, per Protos, was that it was unaware of any such activities involving Pawlak. Protos also says OpenSea described Pawlak’s role as non-managerial.
Why it matters
Protos frames 0xSisyphus’s current role as “rehabilitation.” The logic is grimly simple. If a big loss goes unpunished, the loudest figure can pivot to policing everyone else.
ZachXBT, according to Protos, criticized aspects of the NFT Ethics thread and blamed 0xSisyphus for “gross negligence” and “lying.” But Protos says ZachXBT stopped short of naming 0xSisyphus as Pawlak and did not claim that he stole money from AnubisDAO.
That distinction matters. Protos’s account suggests negligence and dishonest conduct remain the headline allegations, while theft is not conclusively established in the text provided.
Market impact
The desk does not have to speculate about incentives, because Protos lays them out. Engagement drives attention. Attention drives promotion.
Protos reports that 0xSisyphus has used his 153,000-follower X platform to promote “a variety of other digital assets.” Protos also highlights a pointed contrast. While victims of AnubisDAO deal with permanent losses “worth millions,” 0xSisyphus has publicly called out a separate rug pull, described by Protos as worth $19,000.
In other words, the “scam cop” label can become a way to re-center the narrative. Protos argues that in Crypto Twitter’s attention economy, the unpunished rugger becomes the main referee once the timeline moves on.
What to watch next
Protos’s piece implies a bigger question than one account. It asks whether crypto’s influencer ecosystem rewards integrity or simply rewards reach.
The next watch items are straightforward based on Protos’s reporting. First, whether 0xSisyphus continues to target small incidents while AnubisDAO’s losses remain unresolved in public outcomes. Second, whether further scrutiny lands on the underlying allegations from the NFT Ethics thread, especially where ZachXBT reportedly diverged from the most aggressive claims.
Finally, watch how Crypto Twitter handles accountability after the initial outrage fades. Protos suggests that “memories” can fade faster than losses do.
Facts mentioned in the report
| Item | What Protos says |
|---|---|
| Project | AnubisDAO, described as dog-themed |
| Losses | ~13,556 ETH, roughly $60 million at the time |
| Allegations in 2023 | NFT Ethics accused OpenSea ex-Head of Ventures Kevin Pawlak of using a pseudonym linked to “various very dubious business dealings,” including “pump & dump schemes” |
| Response from OpenSea | OpenSea said it was unaware of any such activities and described Pawlak’s role as non-managerial |
| ZachXBT stance | ZachXBT blamed 0xSisyphus for “gross negligence” and “lying,” but did not name him as Pawlak or claim theft |
| Current platform | 0xSisyphus rebuilt a ~153,000-follower X platform as a “blockchain cop” |
| Ongoing claim | Protos says victims could not recover funds and no one went to prison for theft |
| Recent policing example | Protos says 0xSisyphus called out a $19,000 rug pull |
Protos closes with the idea that the arc is the genre. The unpunished grifts fade, the commentary stays loud, and the cop persona becomes the rehabilitation tool.